Like millions of other people with great taste, I caught the Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown during the Season of Infinite Thursdays that closes out each year.
Thanks for all of this Bob! I also enjoyed the movie and wasn't bothered by some of the artistic liberties taken with the story...Judas comment, Seeger and the axe and Johnny Cash wasnt even at Newport '65! But these don't take away from the film or..the core truth about Dylan's impact at the time.
You have probably already read Elijah Wald's "Dylan Goes Electric". For those that like to go down the rabbit hole (like me), Wald's book gives the perspective and background that helps illuminate the motivations of Dylan, Seeger and Lomax....and debunks some of the myths....
A good friend of mine here in CT is Mark Naftalin, original member of the Paul Butterfield Blues band. He tells me that Grossman physically attacked Lomax b/c of Lomax's snarky introduction of the PBBB. Over time, this altercation has been incorrectly linked to Dylans electric set. Lomax was a purist that strongly believed that suburban white kids interpreting authentic American blues and folk was cultural blasphemy...!
I didn’t realize they’d actually gotten physical, I did think that was a fictionalization. Didn’t realize it was Butterfield that happened to—and that it happened that same year. Lomax is fascinating to me. ps: Naftalin is like blues-rock royalty.
BTW - your comment "During this same session, Hammond showed Duane how to play slide in open E tuning.". Not sure where you got this form but I believe it's not accurate. The two first met during the sessions for "Southern Fried" in Spring of 1969...same time the ABB was formed. Duane was already playing open E slide and his playing on "Shake for Me" on this same session reflects a player that is very familiar with Open E. Also - John Hammond never played open E (similar votings to Open D Vestal tuning used by Elmore James). Hammond plays Open A (similar voicing to Open G aka "Spanish Tuning" and more common among country blues players...including Robert Johnson). Bonnie Raitt and Lowell George also Open A players.
I searched for “Hammond” and found Southern Fried sessions in September 69. I’m guessing Duane just picked up open E really quickly after a year of playing in standard tuning.
I’ll clarify that Hammond showed Duane open tuning rather than open E which he preferred.
Thanks for all of this Bob! I also enjoyed the movie and wasn't bothered by some of the artistic liberties taken with the story...Judas comment, Seeger and the axe and Johnny Cash wasnt even at Newport '65! But these don't take away from the film or..the core truth about Dylan's impact at the time.
those are the exact same three inaccuracies. I was thinking about when I wrote those words.
You have probably already read Elijah Wald's "Dylan Goes Electric". For those that like to go down the rabbit hole (like me), Wald's book gives the perspective and background that helps illuminate the motivations of Dylan, Seeger and Lomax....and debunks some of the myths....
A good friend of mine here in CT is Mark Naftalin, original member of the Paul Butterfield Blues band. He tells me that Grossman physically attacked Lomax b/c of Lomax's snarky introduction of the PBBB. Over time, this altercation has been incorrectly linked to Dylans electric set. Lomax was a purist that strongly believed that suburban white kids interpreting authentic American blues and folk was cultural blasphemy...!
I didn’t realize they’d actually gotten physical, I did think that was a fictionalization. Didn’t realize it was Butterfield that happened to—and that it happened that same year. Lomax is fascinating to me. ps: Naftalin is like blues-rock royalty.
Happy to introduce if you wanted to talk to him...
I’d like that, yes.
BTW - your comment "During this same session, Hammond showed Duane how to play slide in open E tuning.". Not sure where you got this form but I believe it's not accurate. The two first met during the sessions for "Southern Fried" in Spring of 1969...same time the ABB was formed. Duane was already playing open E slide and his playing on "Shake for Me" on this same session reflects a player that is very familiar with Open E. Also - John Hammond never played open E (similar votings to Open D Vestal tuning used by Elmore James). Hammond plays Open A (similar voicing to Open G aka "Spanish Tuning" and more common among country blues players...including Robert Johnson). Bonnie Raitt and Lowell George also Open A players.
Here’s my source https://duaneallman.info/chronologypart2.htm
I searched for “Hammond” and found Southern Fried sessions in September 69. I’m guessing Duane just picked up open E really quickly after a year of playing in standard tuning.
I’ll clarify that Hammond showed Duane open tuning rather than open E which he preferred.