Judy Collins - Wildflower Festival (2003)

Judy Collins, along with Eric Andersen, Tom Rush and Arlo Guthrie, recorded this CD from a live performance of The Judy Collins Wildflower Festival on June 30, 2002. Of the fifteen cuts here, Ms. Collins sings six solos; Tom Rush does two as does Eric Andersen; and Arlo Guthrie sings one and does a poem that he has written. The last three cuts, "City of New Orleans", "Thirsty Boots", and "Will The Circle Be Unbroken" are sung by everyone with different singers doing the verses. Tom Rush's version of "The Remember Song" is a nice, light number about all the things he as a middle-aged man forgets. (Sounds eerily familiar.) Eric Andersen's best song is "Close the Door Lightly When You Go." Arlo Guthrie's attempt at poetry in Mooses Come Walking" is the only dog on this otherwise beautifully done CD. He does redeem himself, however, as he leads off on "City of New Orleans", a song I always associate with him. (Fans of both his father and him, as well as people of good will everywhere, of course are happy to see him middle-aged and healthy as his father died of the awful Huntington's Disease.)

Certainly the "star" of this album is Judy Collins who in her 60's remains one of our best singers and song-writers. She wrote four of her six solo selections including "Kingdom Come," a moving tribute to the New York City Firemen who lost their lives on September 11, 2001. She sings "Open the Door", a song she wrote and sang years ago, a beautiful paen to friendship. She also includes the Ian Tyson great "Someday Soon" with a mean piano accompaniment by Russell Walden (?)where she shows off her still youthful voice by ending on a great high note. Since Ms. Collins has already done an all-Leonard Cohen and all-Bob Dylan CD, why not an all-Ian Tyson recording? Mr. Tyson certainly has enough fine material and Ms. Collins inteprets him so very well.)

This live performance has a wonderfully spontaneous feel about it. Everyone seems to be having a good time. Their joy is catching.