November 22, 2009
UTNE READER

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Golden oldsters make good music on the far side of fame

January/February 2000
By Keith Goetzman, Utne Reader 
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When popular musicians return to the limelight after a long absence, they arrive with different ambitions. Some remain shamelessly stuck in the past, peddling nostalgia for the artists they used to be. Some struggle self-consciously against anachronism, trying to convince the world they have something new to say--when in fact they don't. But the best of the lot come back refreshed, full of fire and new wisdom.

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Two such artists have reappeared in recent months: folksinger Odetta and punk veteran Joe Strummer. From wholly different worlds--she from Birmingham, Alabama, via Los Angeles, he from the north of Scotland via London--they have surfaced with vibrant new albums that transcend the "comeback" label.Odetta hasn't made a full studio recording in more than a decade. But her legend is large, thanks to her supporting role in the folk boom and social foment of the '60s. Bob Dylan and Janis Joplin, both ardent admirers, studied Odetta's repertoire and singing style early in their careers. Odetta was out front in the civil rights movement, marching with Martin Luther King Jr. and performing before President John F. Kennedy on national TV. Her lasting influence can be heard today in artists as diverse as Jewel, Nanci Griffith, and Cassandra Wilson.Rather than settling into her autumn years as one of the folk scene's elder stateswomen, Odetta is back with a passion. Blues Everywhere I Go is the name of her new release as well as the first phrase out of her mouth, and she delivers on the theme with songs about joblessness, lovelessness, disease, oppression, and death. But in Odetta's hands, the music isn't as bleak as those subjects suggest: Her nuanced, crisp phrasing carries a dignity that pulls her through the hard times, turning burdens into affirmations.Odetta's song choices, many culled from the repertoires of pioneer blueswomen, carry an unmistakable political weight. "Rich Man Blues" urges the world's fat cats to "give the poor man a chance, help stop these hard, hard times." "W.P.A. Blues" is a reminder that the nation's highway-building frenzy often meant condemnation notices for the underclass. And "TB Blues" gives voice to the alienation of disease victims; it could just as well describe HIV.On two beautiful ballads, "Please Send Me Someone to Love" and "Oh Papa," the singer's only accompaniment is Dr. John's supple, earthy piano. Other songs feature a fuller band, but the focus always returns to Odetta's voice: pure, proud, and finely expressive.
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