Rare bootleg performance was recorded at Syracuse University’s Jabberwocky Club in 1971
Since writing “Woodstock” inside a New York City hotel room, Joni Mitchell‘s counterculture anthem has been covered repeatedly throughout the last 50 years, most famously with Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young’s electrifying version on Déjà Vu.
Now, a folky rendition by Bonnie Raitt has been unearthed, recorded at a March 27th, 1971, performance at Syracuse University’s Jabberwocky Club. Raitt was just 21 and eight months away from dropping her self-titled debut. Unlike many covers of Mitchell’s spiritual song, Raitt’s is stripped-down and acoustic, using solely her voice to channel the muddy festival on Max Yasgur’s farm. Her register is akin to Mitchell’s, soaring through the octaves with each line: “And I dreamed I saw the bombers/Riding shotgun in the sky/And they were turning into butterflies/Above our nation.”
Bonnie Raitt – The Jabberwocky Club, Syracuse University, Syracuse, 27 March 1971
Bonnie Raitt – The Jabberwocky Club, Syracuse University, Syracuse, 27 March 1971
Bonnie Raitt – The Jabberwocky Club, Syracuse University, Syracuse, 27 March 1971
Bonnie Raitt – The Jabberwocky Club, Syracuse University, Syracuse, 27 March 1971
Bonnie Raitt – The Jabberwocky Club, Syracuse University, Syracuse, 27 March 1971
Bonnie Raitt – The Jabberwocky Club, Syracuse University, Syracuse, 27 March 1971
Bonnie Raitt – The Jabberwocky Club, Syracuse University, Syracuse, 27 March 1971
Bonnie Raitt – The Jabberwocky Club, Syracuse University, Syracuse, 27 March 1971
Bonnie Raitt – The Jabberwocky Club, Syracuse University, Syracuse, 27 March 1971
Bonnie Raitt – The Jabberwocky Club, Syracuse University, Syracuse, 27 March 1971
Prior to closing its doors in 1985, the Jabberwocky Club hosted James Brown, James Taylor, Jackson Browne, Roger McGuinn, and more. The campus’ FM radio station, WAER, would broadcast the live performances in New York. Raitt’s set has been bootlegged, but is extremely rare.
MUSICIANS ON MUSICIANS Bonnie Raitt & Brandi Carlile
“She illuminated the path I could have,” Carlile says as she sits down with her hero for the first time. “She taught me I could lead and not apologize.” On a recent L.A. afternoon, Brandi Carlile is talking about the moment when everything changed for her. It was the 2019 Grammys, when she played her ballad “The Joke” live and took home three awards. “I was 39, kind of an outlier underdog character,” says Carlile. That week, her sixth album, By the Way, I Forgive You, went to Number 22.
Angie Martoccio is a senior writer at Rolling Stone, where she covers music and pop culture. She’s written cover stories on Billie Eilish, Olivia Rodrigo, and Boygenius, the latter of which won a Los Angeles Press Club award. She’s interviewed iconic musicians and actors like Neil Young, Jamie Lee Curtis, Linda Ronstadt, Carole King, and more. She also focuses on in-depth features on the unsung women of the music industry, from Seventies singer-songwriter Judee Sill to singer Nicolette Larson. Her feature on Michelle Phillips of the Mamas and Papas won The Newswomen’s Club of New York’s Front Page Award in 2023.
Bonnie Raitt isn’t one to hide the years. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee appears too comfortable in her own skin and is having too good a time for that. She presents a good many of the songs performed in her 90-minute show as bits of hard-earned wisdom, an attitude underscored by her smoky, aged-in-wood voice.
“I’ve learned how to bend,” she told the sold-out aud, “but more importantly, I learned how not to be broken.”
“Trinkets,” one of the many songs that reference New Orleans, looks back ruefully on childhood, recalling an “ol’ gal named Betty” who is “wrinkled but she’s lovely and flexible,” and asks, “Don’t you wish we were all flexible enough to dance now?”
Raitt shows off her own flexibility with a set list that covers almost all the facets of her three-decade career. She can be bawdy with a growling cover of Sippie Wallace’s “Mighty Tight Woman”; bring on the pop/soul with “Love Sneaking Up on You” (with Ivan Neville sitting in on vocals and piano); and deliver “I Can’t Make You Love Me” with torchy glamour.
Bonnie Raitt - Wiltern Theater - Los Angeles - CA - 2005-11-21
Bonnie Raitt - Mighty Tight Woman - Wiltern Theater - Los Angeles - CA - 2005-11-21
She’s helped by having strong new album “Souls Alive” (Capitol) to draw from. “Unnecessarily Mercenary” (written by her fine keyboard player, Jon Cleary) is a jaunty, New Orleans stride; “God Is in the Water” is swampy, Memphis-styled gospel; and “Crooked Crown” (co-written by opening act Maia Sharp) is a Zen shuffle around acceptance and understanding. Regardless of the style, one of the evening’s consistent pleasures was Raitt’s slide guitar work.
At one point, while reaching for a sip of water, Raitt joked,
“At my age, you’ve got to make sure you have the proper hydration.”
Whatever was in that bottle, it worked; Raitt’s show is a tutorial on how a rock musician can age gracefully.
Wiltern Theater Los Angeles, CA 11-21-2005
Bonnie Raitt
Wiltern Theater; 2,200 seats; $65 top
Production
Presented by Avalon Attractions. Reviewed Nov. 21, 2005.
Cast
Band: Bonnie Raitt, Jon Cleary, James “Hutch” Hutchinson, Ricky Fataar, George Marinelli.
Guests: Ivan Neville; Maia Sharp.
Austinites looking for another excuse to party found a good one Monday at the fifth annual Riverfest, which attracted thousands of young and old alike. The credit for youngest in attendance probably goes to 7-week-old Cherie Ann Hardy of Austin. No one was willing to take credit for being the oldest. “She enjoys the music,” said mom Gail Hardy as her husband, Tony, tried to cool off the infant whose hair was plastered to her head with sweat.
Keeping cool was almost as important to the other estimated 10,000 music aficionados who gathered at Auditorium Shores to listen to the LeRoi Brothers; Bill Carter and the Blame; Nick Lowe; Bonnie Raitt; Omar and the Howlers; Gregg Allman; Robert Cray; and the headliner, the Fabulous Thunderbirds. Not all the celebrities were performing. Actress Margot Kidder and Dennis Quaid, who has been filming D.O.A. around Central Texas, were seen hanging around backsatage. The music seemed to be incidental at times as the audience kept itself entertained by tossing footballs, Frisbees and Hackey Sacks and cooled off either by eliminating a lot of clothing or by consuming large quantities of refreshments.
Many seemed to opt for both. One beer distributor estimated about 3,600 cases of the brew would be consumed by the end of the day. It was kept cold by 1,200 bags of ice, each weighing about 40 pounds. Television camera crews posed themselves strategically in front of scantily clad bodies in quest of the per- Kent ‘Omar’ Dykes works up to a howl for a crowd estimated at 10,000 at Monday’s Riverfest. Staff photo by Zach Ryall fect tan and there were cameras aplenty.
Charles Comer, publicist for the Thunderbirds, said coverage was provided by MTV; Video Hits; Much Music out of Canada; Fox TV of Canada; the local ABC, NBC and CBS affiliates; and crews from Sweden and Norway. Not everyone was thrilled to be at the Riverfest. Kimber Avery of Austin: was upset at not being allowed to bring a cooler filled with food and refreshment onto the grounds after paying $13 for tickets. She and a group of friends set up camp just outside the entrance to consume their sandwiches and drinks. “The prices are ridiculous,” she said as she sat near the curb of the street.
“Can you imagine $2 for a beer?” Some didn’t even bother trying to get in. Blankets dotted the slopes around Palmer Auditorium as those who wanted to listen to music without paying set up camp. Others decided renting canoes and hanging around the banks of the river was preferable, although it meant getting a rear view of the action on stage.
Bandana Blues is and will always be a labor of love. Please help Spinner deal with the costs of hosting & bandwidth. Visit www.bandanablues.com and hit the tipjar. Any amount is much appreciated, no matter how small. Thank you.
Bonnie has contributed a new recording of "Prison Bound Blues" written by Leroy Carr to a project called Better Than Jail, an extraordinary new album benefiting Free Hearts and Equal Justice USA. Better Than Jail is available everywhere today and features covers of iconic prison songs from Steve Earle, Taj Mahal,Margo Price, The War and Treaty and many more. The album seeks to raise awareness and support for the urgent need to reduce the harm of the criminal justice system. https://found.ee/BetterThanJail.
I'm so proud to have joined in with so many illustrious artists in creating this very special album in support of rural prison reform. Overlooked for far too long, this issue cuts across all cultural and political divides and deserves all our focused attention to finally bring about some swift and meaningful action. Better Than Jail is one of the most inspired and heartfelt albums I've been blessed to be a part of and I hope it sets a fire in hearts far and wide to join in our efforts." ~ Bonnie Raitt
Released on: 2024-10-04 Executive Producer: Brian Hunt Producer: Kenny Greenberg Producer: Wally Wilson Producer: Bonnie Raitt Recording Engineer: Jason Lehning at Sound Emporium Mastering Engineer: Alex McCollough at True East Mastering Production Assistant: Shannon Finnegan Mixer: Justin Niebank at Hounds Ear Music Publisher: Universal Music Corp. Composer, Lyricist: Leroy Carr ℗ Believe Entertainment Group and Wyatt Road Records
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The Fabulous Thunderbirds - Nothing in Rambling Ft. Bonnie Raitt, Taj Mahal, Keb' Mo' & Mick Fleetwood
In celebration of the band’s 50th Anniversary, The Fabulous Thunderbirds have just released Struck Down, their first studio album in eight years on Stony Plain Records. The ten-track album includes a wonderful cover of Memphis Minnie’s “Nothing in Rambling,” featuring longtime friends, T-Birds founding member Kim Wilson, along with Bonnie, Keb’ Mo’, Taj Mahal and Mick Fleetwood. — BRHQ
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Little Feat - Long Distance Call
“I’ve always loved Little Feat and this new incarnation of the band is bringing some serious heat, cred and new blood to their enduring legacy. Every Feat fan loves us some Sam. I’m so glad he’s now gotten a chance to step out front and center and put his spin on these wonderful blues songs. I loved singing "Long Distance Call" with him, always one of my favorites, and Scott slayed on slide. Know you’ll enjoy hanging out with us at Sam’s Place!" -- Bonnie Raitt
“Long Distance Call” was written by blues legend, Muddy Waters. It has Sam Clayton and Bonnie Raitt on vocals, Scott Sharrard on Dobro, Fred Tackett on acoustic guitar, Tony Leone on drums, and Michael “The Bull” LoBue on harmonica. The album also features Bill Payne on piano and Kenny Gradney on bass.
Little Feat have composed an album that’s their love letter to the blues entitled, ‘Sam’s Place.’ “Long Distance Call” plus many other blues classics are on this album. You can stream and order ‘Sam’s Place’ here: https://orcd.co/samsplace
Broken Hearts & Dirty Windows: Songs of John Prine, Vol. 2, the anticipated new John Prine tribute record from Oh Boy Records, is out today. Stream/purchase HERE.
Created as a celebration of Prine’s life and career, the album features new renditions of some of Prine’s most beloved songs performed by Brandi Carlile (“I Remember Everything”), Tyler Childers (“Yes I Guess They Oughta Name A Drink After You”), Iris DeMent (“One Red Rose”), Emmylou Harris (“Hello In There”), Jason Isbell (“Souvenirs”), Valerie June (“Summer’s End”), Margo Price (“Sweet Revenge”), Bonnie Raitt (“Angel From Montgomery”), Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats (“Pretty Good”), Amanda Shires (“Saddle in the Rain”), Sturgill Simpson(“Paradise”) and John Paul White (“Sam Stone”). Proceeds from the album will benefit twelve different non-profit organizations, one selected by each of the featured artists.
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Bonnie Raitt - Write Me a Few of Your Lines/Kokomo Blues
60 years anniversary celebration of Arhoolie
December 10, 2020
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Arhoolie Foundation celebrates it's 60th anniversary (1960-2020) with an online broadcast.
Bonnie Raitt - Shadow of Doubt
Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival
October 3, 2020
Hardly Strictly Bluegrass celebrates it's 20th anniversary with an online broadcast titled “Let The Music Play On”.
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Bonnie Raitt & Boz Scaggs - You Don't Know Like I Know
Farm Aid 2020 On the Road
Sam & Dave classic written by Isaac Hayes and David Porter.
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Sheryl Crow & Bonnie Raitt - Everything Is Broken
[Eric Clapton’s Crossroads 2019]
Eric Clapton, one of the world’s pre-eminent blues/rock guitarists, once again summoned an all-star team of six-string heroes for his fifth Crossroads Guitar Festival in 2019. Held at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas, the two-day concert event raised funds for the Crossroads Centre in Antigua, the chemical dependency treatment and education facility that Clapton founded in 1998.
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'A Tribute To Mose Allison'
Celebrates The Music Of An Exciting Jazz Master
Raitt contributed to a new album, If You're Going To The City: A Tribute To Mose Allison, which celebrates the late singer and pianist, who famously blended the rough-edged blues of the Mississippi Delta with the 1950s jazz of New York City.
NPR's Lulu Garcia-Navarro talks to Bonnie Raitt about her friendship with the Mose Allison. They're also joined by Amy Allison — his daughter, who executive produced the album — about selecting an unexpected list of artists to contribute songs to the album.
Recorded on tour June 3, 2017 - Centennial Hall, London - Ontario Canada
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