News & Press

Dec 2, 2011

http://admin.logograph.com/NortonCenter/multimedia/Image/1807.thumbnail

DANVILLE, KY— On Friday, December 2 at Centre College’s Norton Center for the Arts two of folk music’s most celebrated icons will share the stage:  Judy Collins and Arlo Guthrie, in an evening devoted to seasonal favorites and classic hits. 

“The legendary Judy Collins or Arlo Guthrie alone on stage would be thrill enough to attend,” said Norton Center Executive Director Steve Hoffman.  “But, one evening with both stars performing solo and together is a magical pairing typically found only in New York or Los Angeles.  Central Kentucky is fortunate to have these world-renown musical celebrities together performing holiday favorites as well as the songs that made them famous.”

Over the last half century, the legendary Judy Collins has thrilled audiences worldwide with her unique blend of interpretive folk songs and contemporary themes.  A Grammy® Award winner, Judy has carried on an impressive musical career with an extensive catalog from every decade from the 60s up to the present. 

At 13, Judy Collins made her public debut performing Mozart's Concerto for Two Pianos but it was the music of such artists as Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger, as well as the traditional songs of the folk revival, that sparked Judy’s love of lyrics. She soon moved away from the classical piano and began her lifelong love with the guitar.
In 1961, Judy Collins released her first album, A Maid of Constant Sorrow, at the age of 22 and began a thirty-five year association with Jac Holzman and Elektra Records. She interpreted the songs of fellow artists - particularly the social poets of the time such as Bob Dylan, Phil Ochs and Tom Paxton.  Judy was instrumental in bringing other singer-songwriters to a wider audience including poet/musician Leonard Cohen – and musicians Joni Mitchell and Randy Newman. Judy Collins is also noted for her rendition of Joni Mitchell's “Both Sides Now” on her 1967 album, Wildflowers which has since been entered into the Grammy Hall of Fame. Winning "Song of the Year” at the 1975 Grammy® Awards was Judy's version of “Send in the Clowns,” a ballad written by Stephen Sondheim for the Broadway musical “A Little Night Music.”
Judy has authored several books, including the inspirational memoir Sanity & Grace, focusing on the death of her only son and the healing process following the tragedy; it speaks to all who have endured the sorrow of losing a loved one before their time. She is also co-director, with Jill Godmillow, of an Academy Award-nominated film about Antonia Brico, the first woman to conduct major symphonies around the world—and Judy's classical piano teacher when she was young.

Judy Collins’ social history has always been linked with her musical history.  Judy is drawn to social activism and is a representative for UNICEF and campaigns on behalf of the abolition of landmines in war-torn countries, amongst many other causes.
Her three latest creative projects: a new CD, Paradise (Wildflower Records), which was released in June 2010 is a collection of 10 songs that include duets of Judy with the legendary Stephen Stills and Joan Baez; and Over the Rainbow (Imagine Publishing) a magnificent oversized children’s picture book and 3-song CD set, featuring artwork by renowned painter Eric Puybaret illustrating the lyrics of this #1 movie song of all-time, coupled with Judy Collins’ enchanting recording of the title song makes this destined to become a beloved classic storybook, delighting children of all ages for decades to come; as well as a memoir, Sweet Judy Blue Eyes:  My Life in Music, a beautifully written, richly textured, and sharply insightful chronicle of the folk renaissance in America, released in October of this year.
Judy Collins, now 71, is still writing, performing, and nurturing fresh talent. She is a relentlessly creative spirit, a modern day Renaissance woman who is also an accomplished painter, filmmaker, record label head, musical mentor, and an in-demand keynote speaker for mental health and suicide prevention.  She continues to create music of hope and healing that lights up the world and speaks to the heart. 
Arlo Guthrie is an acclaimed artist whose timeless stories and unforgettable classic songs carry on the Guthrie family legacy.  With his singular voice as both a singer/songwriter and social commentator, he has maintained a dedicated fan base that spans the globe. A distinguished figure in American music, Arlo connects with communities far and wide leaving a lasting impression of hope and inspiration.  His artistic ventures help bridge an often-divided world through his powerful spirit of song, and his inimitable musical ingenuity forges to new creative heights as he continues to entertain generations. 

Arlo, born in Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York in 1947, is the eldest son of America's most beloved singer/writer/philosopher Woody Guthrie and Marjorie Mazia Guthrie, a professional dancer with the Martha Graham Company and founder of The Committee to Combat Huntington's Disease. Arlo grew up surrounded by dancers and musicians: Pete Seeger, Ronnie Gilbert, Fred Hellerman and Lee Hays (The Weavers), Leadbelly, Cisco Houston, Ramblin' Jack Elliott, Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee, all of whom were significant influences on his musical career. Guthrie gave his first public performance in 1961 at age 13 and quickly became involved in the music that was shaping the world.

Arlo Guthrie’s career exploded in 1967 with the release of his album, Alice’s Restaurant, whose title song premiered at the Newport Folk Festival and helped foster a new commitment to social consciousness and activism among the ’60s generation. Arlo went on to star in the 1969 Hollywood film version of Alice’s Restaurant, directed by Arthur Penn.

Though Arlo’s definitive rendition of Steve Goodman’s “City of New Orleans” may have been his only “hit” song in the traditional sense, he has never the less achieved international stature. The 18-minute “Alice’s Restaurant,” while too long for radio airplay, has become an American classic. The song “Coming into Los Angeles,” though banned from many radio stations when first released, had become a favorite by the time he played it at the 1969 Woodstock Festival and it remains a favorite today.

Over the last four decades Arlo has toured throughout North America, Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia winning a broad and dedicated following. In addition to being an accomplished musician – playing the piano, six and twelve-string guitar, harmonica and a dozen other instruments – Arlo is a natural-born storyteller whose hilarious tales and anecdotes are woven seamlessly into his performances.

Not to be confined to the world of folk and rock, Arlo created An American Scrapbook, a program of symphonic arrangements of his own songs and other American classics. Between 1998 and 2004 Arlo performed over 40 concerts with 27 different symphony orchestras throughout the US. The show at Boston’s Symphony Hall, conducted by Keith Lockhart, was recorded and aired on PBS’ Evening at the Pops. In 2001, the Fourth of July celebration with the Pops was broadcast live by A&E and attracted an audience of over 750,000.  Arlo’s music director for these concerts is John Nardolillo, who is also director of the University of Kentucky Symphony Orchestra.

In December 2006, Arlo and his family rode the Amtrak City of New Orleans train from Chicago to New Orleans, stopping along the way to perform benefit concerts. Arlo Guthrie & Friends: Ridin’ on the City of New Orleans has raised over $140,000 benefiting victims of Katrina.

In 1983, alongside his thriving performing career, Arlo launched his own record label, Rising Son Records which holds his complete catalogue. Arlo is also heard alongside the voice of his father, Woody Guthrie, on the 1997 re-release of This Land is Your Land. The album won several awards and a Grammy nomination for Best Musical Album for Children.

Arlo’s diverse artistic endeavors have included acting roles on the ABC series Byrds of Paradise and the USA network series Renegade. He has written and published a popular newsletter, The Rolling Blunder Review, since 1986 and is the author of an award-winning children’s book “Mooses Come Walking,” illustrated by Alice May Brock.  Guthrie’s undertakings include community projects as well as artistic pursuits. In 1991, Arlo purchased the old Trinity Church – the very location where events took place on Thanksgiving 1965 that inspired Arlo to write the song “Alice’s Restaurant.” The church is home to The Guthrie Center, named for his parents, and The Guthrie Foundation.

The Guthrie Center is a not-for-profit interfaith church foundation dedicated to providing a wide range of local and international services. Programs include everything from providing HIV/AIDS services to baking cookies with a local service organization, from an HD walk-a-thon to raise awareness and money for a cure for Huntington’s Disease, to simply offering a place to meditate. The Guthrie Foundation is a separate not-for-profit educational organization that addresses issues such as the environment, health care, cultural preservation and educational exchange. "

In this special concert Judy and Arlo come together to perform their most definitive songs like never before in a collaboration that promises to be truly memorable for seasons to come.