Dylan's Never-Ending band:
Tony Garnier -
Stuart Kimball -
George Receli -
Charlie Sexton -
Don Herron -
olof@hsn.sll.se (Olof Björner):
An hitherto completely unknown guitarist, John Jackson, replaced Staeheley.
This band only played the second Fastbreak Tour in 1991, 21 concerts
John Jackson, guitar, January 1991-November 1993, 273 shows
parkergv@ctrvax.vanderbilt.edu (Gary Parker):
Here is a bit more info on J.J. Jackson. (I don't know why Bob likes to call him that. He's never gone by that around here.) Jackson spent much of the 80's playing in a couple of bands in Nashville.
A hard-driving pop quartet, The Practical Stylists, that played original stuff for the most part; and then with his own band, John Jackson and the Rhythm Rockers, that continues to play gigs around town whenever John gets a break long enough to come back to town. He's always been into stylin' and smilin'.
I presume that Bob heard him somehow when he was in Nashville 10/27/90 for a show at Vanderbilt University's Memorial Coliseum.
John Jackson lives here in Nashville. I have met him a couple of times through a good friend who is J.J.'s landlord. One time John was nice enough to provide my son and I with backstage passes for the show in Memphis in 1993, and we had dinner with him and a couple of the other band members before the show. If I remember the story correctly, J.J. was playing for Kathy Mattea at a show in New York, Dylan saw him and asked him to join his band. Dylan was looking for a new lead guitar at the time because G.E. Smith ( of SNL fame) had left. That was probably about 1988 or so. John seems to be a mellow, extremely nice guy, very down to earth. He's about 6"5".
My son and I see Dylan whenever he's in this area, but the best show was last year when he played the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville. It was a religious experience. He was more animated than I've ever seen him - he smiled and believe it or not was high-fiving the people who crowded the stage, including my son. It was an extraordinary show, by far the best Dylan I've seen.
Regards.
That's right... I was very pleased and excited to see that estimable road warrior, the definition of the word "lanky" himself, Mr. John Jackson, slinging his axe alongside the most incredible Ms. Williams tonight at a free concert here in Portland. He seemed to be just finding his place in the band... behaving himself in other words... partly because of newness (though I don't know just when he joined her band) and also partly because there are four guitars in the band... two acoustic and two electric and he was quite overshadowed by her other lead guitarist, whose name I did not get, but who is some kind of mad genius with a fat tone, incredible dexterity, and especially, excellent taste. J.J. stood out by playing a lot of slide, which he got some good applause for. I yelled out his initials, once between songs and once when he was introduced, and he looked surprised the first time, then psyched the second, to be recognized... I imagine that the initials let him know that I recognized him from Bobshows, if he wouldn't have assumed that anyway... I believe only Bob refers to him as J.J.
Anyway, what a revalation... I guess there is a fairly likely possibility of some jamming at the upcoming shows with Lucinda opening for Bob! I will let you know from the frontlines when the joint tour begins here in the Northwest in just three short weeks!
Peace,
Jeff
