Earlier this year in San Francisco, there was a live, all-star tribute to 92-year-old folksinger, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott. Making his way around the world in the ‘50s, and a friend of Woody Guthrie’s during the pivotal modern era of American folk music, the contemporary celebration of Elliott was also a benefit for Sweet Relief, the 30-year-old organization founded by Victoria Williams to assist musicians in need. Oddly, the show was mostly void of political content save for a few remarks by musical director Joe Henry, 64, and Jackson Browne, 75, nodding to Guthrie and the roots of American folk and topical song.
Showing up in Elliott’s honor were Joan Baez and Bob Weir, both 83, and Steve Earle and Rickie Lee Jones aged 69. Of course there were younger performers on the bill, but my eyes and ears weren’t trained on them as much as they were on the older adults onstage and in the house: I gleefully whispered to my husband that unusually, I was among the youngest in the room.
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Filed under: anti-capitalist, anti-racist, anti-war, Arts and Culture, Bob Dylan, California, column, Editorial
Sometimes inspiration comes from the unlikeliest of sources. Country music, for example, is not the kind of music I generally turn on when seeking comfort, enjoyment, or consolation. You might say I’m not a big fan. I will admit I’m slightly allergic to the sound of fiddles, banjos, mandolins, or anything that twangs. That all said, when the lyrics are really saying something and the artist is using their notoriety to make change, I’m all ears. In this month’s column, we celebrate Sturgill Simpson, Keith Urban, and the other country music artists who’ve decided enough is enough: These musicians are taking a stand against gun violence, misogyny, racism, and the other ills of our nation in decline. Read the entire story at 
Two American icons of freedom singing, Buffy Sainte-Marie and Mavis Staples, are out on the road entertaining this summer, though don’t expect them to stay quiet on matters of national and international interest. This pair were on the front line of the Civil Rights Movement and have been strong presences for peace in our time, as well in the movements for African American equality, women’s rights, Native American sovereignty, religious freedom, and environmental healing. Between them, they have over 100 years of speaking truth to power in a song. 
For my monthly column on music making a difference, I tried to capsulize the long history of Latinas contributing to popular music in America. From the earliest phonograph records made by San Antonio’s Lydia Mendoza, to LA’s Alice Bag (pictured here) who helped invent West Coast punk, and into the 21st Century with Fea, that’s nearly 100 years of recording history on their side. 
Denise Sullivan 