Ramblin' Jack Elliot 100 Classic Recordings from the Early Years (4-CD)

Born in Brooklyn in 1931, Jack Elliot was inspired by the rodeos at Madison Square Garden, and began busking for a living, befriending Woody Guthrie. He travelled to the UK to perform and record in the late '50s, establishing his reputation in international folk circles, and back in the USA became an early influence on Bob Dylan and Phil Ochs. He continued performing and recording for the next half century and more, and is still active in 2023 at the age of 91. This great-value 100-track 4-CD collection brings together many of his recordings from the early years of his career, mainly from albums but including a few singles and EPs. It features most of the titles from his albums for the Elektra, Topic, 77, Prestige & Columbia UK labels, "Bad Men And Heroes", "Woody Guthrie's Blues", "Jack Elliot Sings", "Jack Takes The Floor", "Ramblin' Jack Elliot In London", "Ramblin' Jack Elliott Sings Songs by Woody Guthrie and Jimmie Rodgers", "Jack Elliott Sings the Songs of Woody Guthrie", "Ramblin' Jack Elliot", "Jack Elliott at the Second Fret - Recorded Live" and "Country Style". It's a reasonably comprehensive overview of his influential early work, and a great showcase for his talent as an interpretive folk troubadour, bringing old songs to new audiences in his distinctively idiosyncratic way, and underlining why he became such a significant figure in the genre.