Long Ride
The follow-up to old folkie Jack Elliott's watershed release,Friends of Mine,The Long Rideis even more beguiling than its star-laden predecessor. The folk patriarch proves from the get-go that he doesn't need a bunch of famous pals to garner attention. The opening track finds him swerving his way through an unlikely cover of theRolling Stones' "Connection" with irresistible buoyancy. With that opening highlight behind him, Elliott and producerRoy Rogers(who also helmedFriends of Mine) are off on a characteristically ad hoc escapade. A littleGuthriehere, aDylantune there, anErnest Tubbchestnut to keep 'em guessing, and some traditionals tossed in for good measure. Add a suitableTom Waitsand Kathleen Brennan number ("Pony"), three originals, and a few lower-wattage guest stars (Dave Van Ronk,Tom Russell,Maria Muldaur,Dave Alvin) and you have an album that's as unpredictable, unassuming, and amiable as the man whose name it bears.--Steven Stolder