Joan Baez: The Reverberation of Centuries of Song
Inside a special concert interwoven with inspiration, music and protest w/ Joan Baez, Emmylou Harris, Rosanne Cash, Lucinda Williams, Jackson Browne, Taj Mahal, Tom Morello, Margo Price and more.
On Saturday, February 8th, The Sweet Relief Musicians Fund presented a tribute concert for Joan Baez at the Masonic Hall in San Francisco that featured a powerful assemblage of artists including Baez herself, Emmylou Harris, Rosanne Cash, Bonnie Raitt, Lucinda Williams, Jackson Browne, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, Taj Mahal, Tom Morello,
, Jeremy Ivey, Ron Artis II and the gospel choir The Glide Ensemble.Knitting it together as Musical Director was producer and singer/songwriter Joe Henry—who produced Baez’s final studio album, Whistle Down the Wind—and his brilliant house band of studio and touring veterans that featured Greg Leisz on guitar and pedal steel, Jason Crosby on keyboards and violin, David Piltch on bass, and percussionist Gabe Harris, Baez’s son.
As a photographer I was busy absorbing the visual confluences and coincidences, but as I researched the setlist for this piece (original versions and subsequent covers are noted along the way), I found deeper evidence of a profound interconnectivity between the artists and their respective generations and songs.
The repertoire spanned over 300 years, with centuries-old folk ballads, antebellum spirituals, folk and country masterworks from the 40s and 50s (Woody Guthrie, Lefty Frizzell), the resurgent socially conscious folk of the early 60s (Dylan, Fariña), self-reflexive songwriting of the 70s (Browne, Baez), songs from the 80s and 90s hewn from the same old-growth sources as what came prior (Springsteen, Steve Earle), and even folk music from Chile for good measure (Violetta Parra). Baez wove herself into the evening as well, joining Tom Morello, Rosanne Cash and Jackson Browne on their featured songs, respectively.
The concert served to reframe and reaffirm Baez’s centrality to our music culture. She is known for her exquisite curation and performance of other musician’s material but it’s also eye-opening to realize that so many of the songs were originally sung at major historical moments including Woodstock and the March on Washington.
There were many touching acknowledgements of her ground-breaking influence both on and off-stage from the artists (just about all of them) who cited her as a formative inspiration. There was no surprise duet with Bob or Timotheé. Instead, you were given “Diamonds & Rust”, Baez’s 1974 kiss-off to Dylan instead. You also got Monica Barbaro (who played Baez in that film) in the audience, and Linda Ronstadt, who basked in the comfort from old friends during rehearsals and the music from the audience during the concert.
I was allowed to photograph some of the rehearsals the day before the show, which ran for 9 hours as guest artists arrived at staggered intervals to run through their songs.
(For paid supporters. there are 20+ outtakes from rehearsal at the end of this post.)
REHEARSALS, February 7th
CONCERT, February 8th
Margo Price - Silver Dagger (Traditional ballad, opening song on Joan Baez’s debut album, 1960)
And with Jeremy Ivey, The Times They Are A-Changin’ (Bob Dylan, 1963)
(This image is from rehearsal the day prior.)
Tom Morello - Ghost of Tom Joad (Written and recorded by Bruce Springsteen, 1995, inspired by Tom Joad by Woody Guthrie, 1940)
[note: I missed the first three songs of the evening due to a snafu at the box office]
Ron Artis II
Here’s to You (Ennio Morricone feat. Joan Baez, 1971)
We Are Not Machines (Ron Artis II, 2024) - With members of The Glide Ensemble
Emmylou Harris - God is God (Written and recorded by Steve Earle, 2011. Covered by Baez at her 75th birthday concert in 2016)
Lucinda Williams, Emmylou Harris, Bonnie Raitt, Rosanne Cash, Margo Price - Birmingham Sunday (Written by Richard Fariña, recorded by Joan Baez in 1964)
Lucinda Williams - Joe Hill (Original poem by Alfred Hayes ca. 1925, put to music by Earl Robinson in 1936, performed by Joan Baez at Woodstock, 1969)
Forever Young - (Bob Dylan, 1973, covered by Joan Baez in 1974)
Tom Morello - This Land Is Your Land (Woody Guthrie, 1940)
Tennessee State Representative Justin Jones with a little righteous rabble rousing.
Ramblin’ Jack Elliott - Don’t Think Twice (Bob Dylan, 1963, Covered by Joan Baez 1963)
Rosanne Cash - Long Black Veil (Originally recorded by Lefty Frizzell, 1959, Covered by Joan Baez, 1963, and later by The Band, Jerry Garcia and many others.)
Rosanne Cash & Joan Baez - Farewell, Angelina (Written by Bob Dylan in 1965, officially released 1991. Covered by Joan Baez, 1965)
Margo Price & Emmylou Harris - Deportee (Plane Wreck at Los Gatos) - (Written and recorded by Woody Guthrie, 1948. Covered by Baez in 1971)
Jackson Browne - Barricades of Heaven (Written and Recorded by Jackson Browne, 1996)
Jackson Browne & Joan Baez - Before the Deluge (on piano w/ Joan) (Jackson Browne, 1974, covered by Joan Baez 1979)
Gabriel Harris - Hand Pan Medley (Original composition)
Glide Ensemble - Oh Freedom! (Traditional 19th Century Spiritual, recorded in 1931 by E.R. Nance Family, sung by Joan Baez at the March on Washington, 1963)
Glide Ensemble feat. Ron Artis II - I Feel Your Spirit (Hezekiah Walker, 2013)
Joe Henry & the Glide Ensemble - The Water is Wide (Traditional Scottish Folk Ballad, Recorded by Joan Baez in 1963 but unreleased until 1982)
Joe Henry + Emmylou Harris, Rosanne Cash, Margo Price and Bonnie Raitt - The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down (Written by Robbie Robertson, recorded by The Band, 1969. Covered by Joan Baez, 1971)
Taj Mahal & Bonnie Raitt
Twelve Gates to the City (Traditional Spiritual, Recorded by Reverend Blind Gary Davis in 1935, The Davis Sisters in 1955, Recorded by Joan Baez ca. 1962, unreleased until 1982)
Ain’t Gonna Turn Me Around (Traditional Spiritual, recorded by The Freedom Voices in 1955, recorded by Joan Baez in 1976)
Bonnie Raitt & Jackson Browne - El Salvador (Written by Greg Copeland, Recorded by Joan Baez and Jackson Browne, 1989)
Joan Baez - Diamonds & Rust (written and recorded by Joan Baez, 1975)
Finale: Joan Baez & Everyone - Gracias a la Vida (Written and recorded by Violetta Parra in 1966, covered by Joan Baez, 1974)
This publication is 100% independent and made possible by the generous contributions of paid subscribers.
BONUS OUTTAKES:
Here is a Tidal playlist of the night’s program, including both the original versions and Baez’s interpretations…and on Spotify
El Salvador was not available on streaming, but here’s link to YouTube
