The Rose of Roscrae

by Tom Russell

Overview

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. For Russell, no myth is larger than life; it is life itself. The Rose of Roscrae, is a sprawling folk opera, or Western musical, complete with libretto -- Russell is ambivalent about defining it. Over two discs and 52 selections (many narrated, most sung), 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. His cast is equally large: Maura O'Connell, Joe Ely, Dave Olney, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Gretchen Peters, Eliza Gilkyson, Jimmy LaFave, Augie Meyers, Ramblin' Jack Elliott, Ian Tyson, and dozens more. Further, along with his own songs, Russell licensed others, plus field recordings with the voices of Johnny Cash, Lead Belly, John Trudell, Walt Whitman, Tex Ritter, and more, adding depth and weight. Real and fictional characters are hard-stitched into his seamless narrative. Part of his story is inspired by his sister-in-law, who ranched a 3,000 acre spread in California after being abandoned by his brother, a cowboy. The story's "hero" is Johnny Dutton, reflecting back on his 95 years. He recounts his tale of being a teenager in love with Rose Malloy in County Tipperary, Ireland in the 1880s. After a savage beating by her father, he flees across the Atlantic, becomes a cowboy, and then an outlaw: Johnny Behind-The-Deuce. He writes to Rose and lures her to America. They marry but he later abandons her after being encouraged by his cousin, Joseph Dutton -- who has his own redemption later in the story -- to return to the wild life. The journey is Homeric. Characters such as Joseph Dutton and the mystical priest Father Demian -- who runs a leper colony on Molokai -- are historical figures. Disc two is from Rose's perspective sung by O'Connell. She'd married Johnny, been abandoned, ranched alone, seen him return, run him off, moved back to Ireland, and returned his letters unopened when he continued to pursue her. Her perspective on love reveals the stark difference about love between women and men. The pair end up together, but as friends, sharing the weight and wonder of life during a remarkable period in history, with all of its hardscrabble, spiritual mystery. And the music? Folk, rock, country, the Norwegian Wind Ensemble's Copland-esque serial moments, Celtic, and much more. It's panoramic, theatrical, and gloriously excessive. But Russell keeps his focus on Rose of Roscrae; it's soulful and moving for its reach; it doesn't need the libretto to be enjoyed, or even to blow your mind. Russell's view of history may be romantic but it is also gritty as hell, and enduring. This is his masterpiece. ~ Thom Jurek

Product Details

Release Date:	06/02/2015
Label:	South Central Music
UPC:	0700729400357
Rank:	260986

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Tom Russell   Primary Artist,Guitar,Vocals
Fats Kaplin   Featured Artist
Eliza Gilkyson   Vocals,Featured Artist
A.L. Lloyd   Featured Artist
Moses "Clear Rock" Platt   Featured Artist
Blackie Farrell   Featured Artist
Chris Poulson   Vocals
Sourdough Slim   Featured Artist
Thad Beckman   Guitar,Featured Artist
Pat Russell   Featured Artist
Loren Johnson   Vocals
Glenn Orhlin   Featured Artist
Augie Blood   Featured Artist
Sydney Lim   Vocals
Vivi Le   Vocals
Tex Ritter   Featured Artist
Augie Meyers   Vocals,Featured Artist
Alice Berman   Vocals
Weston Tontas   Vocals
Charlie Bohem   Vocals
Paige Arevalo   Vocals
Milena Byrnes-Flores   Vocals
Declan Hindeman   Vocals
Henry Krusoe   Vocals
Brooke Ely   Vocals
Diana Worby   Vocals
Claire Howard   Vocals
Juliet Cassidy   Vocals
Devon Traister   Vocals
Johanna Stone   Vocals
Darby Pak   Vocals
Bruce Raynes   Vocals
Scott Sevin   Vocals
Porter Botterud   Vocals
Eli Chavez   Vocals
Adam Franco   Vocals
Owen Gerber-Hatem   Vocals
Eamonn Gottlieb   Vocals
Noah Loveman   Vocals
Adam Wildanger   Vocals
Matthew Manucci   Vocals
Nate Calvin   Vocals
Lizzie Augenstine   Vocals
Bonnie Dobson   Featured Artist
Jimmy LaFave   Featured Artist
Lead Belly   Featured Artist
Joe Ely   Vocals,Featured Artist
Finbar Furey   Featured Artist
Gretchen Peters   Featured Artist
David Massengill   Featured Artist
David Olney   Vocals,Featured Artist
John Trudell   Featured Artist
Walt Whitman   Featured Artist
Jimmie Dale Gilmore   Guitar,Vocals,Featured Artist
Maura O'Connell   Vocals,Featured Artist
Ramblin' Jack Elliott   Featured Artist
Pat Manske   Drums,Vocals,Featured Artist
Guy Clark   Featured Artist
Gurf Morlix   Bass,Guitar,Featured Artist
Ross Knox   Featured Artist
Dann Penn   Featured Artist
Ana Gabriel   Featured Artist
Ian Tyson   Featured Artist

Technical Credits

Barry Walsh   Composer,Producer
Jim DeMain   Mastering
Ledbetter   Composer
Amy Marie   Assistant
Chad Brown   Engineer
William Reynolds   Cover Design
Antoine Gerin-Lajoie   Composer
Mats Halling   Arranger
Thomas George Russell   Composer
Traditional   Composer
Ian & Sylvia   Arranger
Doug Lancio   Engineer
Gretchen Peters   Composer
Walt Whitman   Composer
Tom Russell   Engineer,Producer