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Arlo Guthrie
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Arlo Guthrie was born with a guitar in one hand and a harmonica in the other in Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York in 1947. Arlo 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. He grew up surrounded by dancers and musicians like Pete Seeger, Ronnie Gilbert, Fred Hellerman and Lee Hays (The Weavers), Leadbelly, Cisco Houston, Ramblin' Jack Elliott, Sonny Terry and Brownie McGee, all of whom were significant influences on Arlo's musical career. Guthrie gave his first public performance at age 13 and quickly became involved in the music that was shaping the world during the 1960s.
Arlo Guthrie's career exploded in 1967 with the release of "Alice's Restaurant", whose title song premiered at the Newport Folk Festival, and helped foster a new commitment among the '60s generation to social consciousness and activism. Guthrie went on to star in the 1969 Hollywood film version of "Alice's Restaurant".
Over the last four decades Guthrie has toured throughout North America, Europe, Asia and Australia winning a wide, popular following. In addition to his accomplishments as a musician, (playing the piano, six and twelve-string guitar, harmonica and a dozen other instruments), Guthrie is a natural-born storyteller, whose tales and anecdotes figure prominently in his performances. Arlo spends nearly ten months of the year on the road, and is frequently accompanied by his son Abe, who plays keyboards and providing additional vocals.
Arlo recently created a program of symphonic arrangements of his own songs and other American classics, "An American Scrapbook". By the end of 2004, Arlo had performed over 40 concerts with 27 different symphony orchestras throughout the US since 1998. The show at Boston's Symphony Hall, conducted by Keith Lockhart, was recorded and aired on PBS' Evening at Pops. The 4th of July celebration in 2001 with the Pops attracted an audience of over 750,000 people and was broadcast live by A&E.
Guthrie launched his own record label Rising Son Records in 1983. RSR, in addition to Arlo's complete catalogue of music RSR includes recordings by Abe's band, Xavier, Sarah Lee's debut album "Sarah Lee Guthrie" and Johnny Irion's recording "Unity Lodge". In 1991 Arlo purchased the old Trinity Church. It was the Thanksgiving 1965 events that took place at the church which inspired Arlo to write the song "Alice's Restaurant". Named for his parents, The Guthrie Center is a not-for-profit interfaith church foundation dedicated to providing a wide range of local and international services. Its outreach programs include everything from providing HIV/AIDS services to baking cookies with a local service organization; an HD walk-a-thon to raise awareness and money for a cure for Huntington's Disease, and offering a place simply 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.
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Alice's Restaurant - The Massacree Revisited "... a re-make of the original album released in 1967. Word for word and song for song it ends up being more than just a re-make. It is a re-statement of what was right to begin with. The record still feels good. I still like it. I think you'll love hearing the old songs done again." Arlo Guthrie. In 1995 Arlo returned to the church near Stockbridge, Massachusetts where he originally wrote Alice's Restaurant. On the 30th anniversary of the massacree, on Thanksgiving, before a live audience, in the place where it all began, he does "Alice" again with some historic footnotes added to the original. CD Price: $16.99  |
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Mystic Journey Co-Produced by Arlo and his son, Abe, the record is a gem. Generally unknown outside of familiar Guthrie fans due to conflicts with distributors, the record nevertheless stands on it's own merits. Great songs - great music. CD Price: $16.99 |
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Last of the Brooklyn Cowboys In the midst of the singer/songwriter era, Arlo Guthrie chose to become his generation's true folk singer, closer in spirit to Pete Seeger than to James Taylor, more an interpreter than a prolific songwriter. In this role, he kept songs alive that may have been forgotten or were never known, and recorded songs from the pens of his contemporary peers. "Last of the Brooklyn Cowboys" follows a formula similar to its predecessor, "Hobo's Lullaby", with one exception - there is no hit single à la "City of New Orleans.". The album also contains two of Guthrie's finest original songs, "Last Train" and "Cooper's Lament." CD Price: $16.99 |
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Hobo's Lullaby Digitally remastered in 2004. The new packaging includes artwork missing from previous CD versions. Songs range from the whimsical "Ukulele Lady" to Woody Guthrie's heartbreaking "1913 Massacre" to Steve Goodman's "City of New Orleans". CD Price: $15.97 |
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Running Down the Road This is the first time this album has been released on CD by Rising Son Records, Arlo's private label. It has been out of print entirely for several years. Recently digitally remastered to meet the highest standards, this classic album is still fresh and enduring. The songs range from folk roots like Woody Guthrie's "Oklahoma Hills" and John Hurt's "Creole Belle" to Arlo's Woodstock anthem, "Coming In To Los Angeles" and his rocker, "Running Down The Road". For those who had this on LP it will be coming home to an old friend. New listeners will love it. CD Price: $16.99 |