Tom Russell Celebrates the Release of his New Album at FitzGerald's

Submitted by FitzGerald’s.

Tom Russell’s “The Rose of Roscrae” is the final album in a trilogy that began back in 1998 with “The Man from God Knows Where.”

That recording explored his family’s origins in Norway, Ireland and the American West. He followed it with 2005’s “Hotwalker,” which looked deeply at post-WWII American culture and mythologized sometimes-marginal figures from the worlds of art, film, literature and more. “The Rose of Roscrae” is a sprawling folk opera, or Western musical, complete with libretto. Over two discs and 52 selections, Russell delivers an epic that moves from Ireland and Texas, the Plains, California and Mexico to Canada, prisons in the deep South, carnival shows, and all the way back.

“The Rose of Roscrae” recording features a who’s who of legendary Americana icons including: Jimmie Dale Gilmore, David Olney, Johnny Cash, Joe Ely, Augie Meyers, Fats Kaplin, Barry Walsh, Jimmy LaFave, Gretchen Peters, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, Walt Whitman, Moses “Clear Rock” Platt, Jack Hardy, David Massengill, A.L. “Bert” Lloyd, Finbar Furey, Sourdough Slim, Blackie Farrell, Tex Ritter, Glen Orhlin, Pat Russell, John Trudell, Henry Real Bird, Thad Beckman, Maura O’Connell, Eliza Gilkyson, The McCrary Sisters, Ian Tyson, Bonnie Dobson, Lead Belly, Guy Clark, Dan Penn, Gurf Morlix, and Pat Manske.

An American Masterpiece isn’t strong enough to describe the significance of this saga … there’s never been anything like it on the American music scene. —Mike Hurshman, KAFM Radio, Colorado

Tom Russell will perform two sets beginning at 8 p.m. May 8 at FitzGerald’s, 6615 W. Roosevelt, Berwyn. Tickets ($28 advance, $30 at the door) are available at the club and TicketWeb.

For over four decades and 28 album releases, Tom Russell has continued to live up to his status as “one of the best singer-songwriters of our time” (Washington Post). His previous two studio releases, “Blood and Candle Smoke” (2009) and “Mesabi” (2011), are considered his strongest composed works yet and were, in part, recorded with the groundbreaking roots band Calexico.

In the 1990s, Russell and Dave Alvin were hailed as the architects of what came to be known as “Americana” music after their Merle Haggard tribute, Tulare Dust, initiated the Americana charts in the U.S. and remained number one for a year. Russell’s previous release, “Aztec Jazz” (2013), moved Americana into a new realm and his acclaimed song catalog into uncharted territory.

Tom Russell’s songs have been recorded by Johnny Cash, Doug Sahm, Nanci Griffith, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Dave Alvin, Joe Ely, and others. “The Rose of Roscrae” is his third in a series of acclaimed folk operas, follows “The Man From God Knows Where”(1999) and “Hotwalker” (2005). Russell has also composed movie scores, including songs for the Monte Hellman movie “The Road To Nowhere” and published five books, most recently “120 Songs of Tom Russell.” An accomplished fine artist, Russell’s paintings are featured in “Blue Horse/Red Desert: The Art of Tom Russell.”

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