Derroll Adams
Encyclopedia
Derroll Adams was an American
folk music
ian.
. At 16, he served in the Army
and later in the Coast Guard
. He was a tall, lanky banjo
player with a deep voice. He was busking
around the West Coast
music scene in the 1950s when he met Ramblin' Jack Elliott
in the Topanga Canyon area of Los Angeles
, California
. The two traveled around and recorded albums, among them Cowboys and The Rambling Boys.
According to legend, Adams and Elliott would go in the studio with whatever they had, which may have included whiskey and marijuana
, and they recorded whatever they felt like recording on the spur of the moment. This style of recording was probably more prevalent in the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s—the result is that the recording is loose around the edges but preserves some of the spontaneity and vigor of a live performance. It is a performative, rather than a compositional, style (see Paul Williams's Bob Dylan: Performing Artist series, particularly vol. 1, for a more in-depth discussion of the tension between the performative and the compositional).
His recording career was somewhat uneven, and like Elliott he was better known for whom he influenced—Donovan
, among others—than for his own art. With Elliott, he had gone to England to play live and record. Elliott went back, and Adams stayed. He took Donovan, who had been playing around the UK with Gypsy Dave
, under his wing as a sort of protege; as a result, the influence of American traditional music can be distinctly heard in Donovan's earlier work (see D. A. Pennebaker
's Dont Look Back
).
Adams died in Antwerp, Belgium, in 2000. His collaboration with Elliott left behind a body of influence that prevails today. Topic Records
has made most of his and Elliott's recordings available on CD.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
folk music
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
ian.
Biography
Adams was born Derroll Lewis Thompson in Portland, OregonPortland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
. At 16, he served in the Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
and later in the Coast Guard
United States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency...
. He was a tall, lanky banjo
Banjo
In the 1830s Sweeney became the first white man to play the banjo on stage. His version of the instrument replaced the gourd with a drum-like sound box and included four full-length strings alongside a short fifth-string. There is no proof, however, that Sweeney invented either innovation. This new...
player with a deep voice. He was busking
Busking
Street performance or busking is the practice of performing in public places, for gratuities, which are generally in the form of money and edibles...
around the West Coast
West Coast of the United States
West Coast or Pacific Coast are terms for the westernmost coastal states of the United States. The term most often refers to the states of California, Oregon, and Washington. Although not part of the contiguous United States, Alaska and Hawaii do border the Pacific Ocean but can't be included in...
music scene in the 1950s when he met Ramblin' Jack Elliott
Ramblin' Jack Elliott
Ramblin' Jack Elliott is an American folk singer and performer.-Life and career:Elliot Charles Adnopoz was born in Brooklyn, New York to Jewish parents in 1931. Elliott grew up inspired by the rodeos at Madison Square Garden, and wanted to be a cowboy...
in the Topanga Canyon area of Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. The two traveled around and recorded albums, among them Cowboys and The Rambling Boys.
According to legend, Adams and Elliott would go in the studio with whatever they had, which may have included whiskey and marijuana
Cannabis (drug)
Cannabis, also known as marijuana among many other names, refers to any number of preparations of the Cannabis plant intended for use as a psychoactive drug or for medicinal purposes. The English term marijuana comes from the Mexican Spanish word marihuana...
, and they recorded whatever they felt like recording on the spur of the moment. This style of recording was probably more prevalent in the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s—the result is that the recording is loose around the edges but preserves some of the spontaneity and vigor of a live performance. It is a performative, rather than a compositional, style (see Paul Williams's Bob Dylan: Performing Artist series, particularly vol. 1, for a more in-depth discussion of the tension between the performative and the compositional).
His recording career was somewhat uneven, and like Elliott he was better known for whom he influenced—Donovan
Donovan
Donovan Donovan Donovan (born Donovan Philips Leitch (born 10 May 1946) is a Scottish singer-songwriter and guitarist. Emerging from the British folk scene, he developed an eclectic and distinctive style that blended folk, jazz, pop, psychedelia, and world music...
, among others—than for his own art. With Elliott, he had gone to England to play live and record. Elliott went back, and Adams stayed. He took Donovan, who had been playing around the UK with Gypsy Dave
Gyp Mills
Gyp Mills is a sculptor and songwriter. He was first in the public eye as the companion to the singer-songwriter, Donovan. He was also a well known sculptor with studios in Greece and Thailand.-Early years:From London Mills' family moved to Hertfordshire...
, under his wing as a sort of protege; as a result, the influence of American traditional music can be distinctly heard in Donovan's earlier work (see D. A. Pennebaker
D. A. Pennebaker
Donn Alan Pennebaker is an American documentary filmmaker and one of the pioneers of Direct Cinema/Cinéma vérité. Performing arts and politics are his primary subjects.-Biography:...
's Dont Look Back
Dont Look Back
Dont Look Back is a 1967 documentary film by D.A. Pennebaker that covers Bob Dylan's 1965 concert tour in the United Kingdom.In 1998, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically...
).
Adams died in Antwerp, Belgium, in 2000. His collaboration with Elliott left behind a body of influence that prevails today. Topic Records
Topic Records
Topic Records is a British folk music label, which played a major role in the second British folk revival. It began as an offshoot of the Workers' Music Association in 1939, making it the oldest independent record label in the world.-History:...
has made most of his and Elliott's recordings available on CD.
Solo projects
- 1967: Portland Town
- 1972: Feelin' Fine
- 1974: Movin' On
- 1977: Along the Way
- 1978: Folk Friends, double LPDouble albumA double album is an audio album which spans two units of the primary medium in which it is sold, typically records and compact discs....
recorded in Germany with Davey ArthurDavey Arthur- Biography :Arthur moved to Scotland at the age of two. He started to play music at the age of eight, and at 18 he returned to Ireland, where he started to compose his own music. He became world famous after he joined The Fureys, when they had their most successful hits...
, Alex CampbellAlex Campbell (singer)Alex Campbell was a Scottish folk singer. Described by Colin Harper as a "melancholic, hard-travelling Glaswegian", he was influential in the British folk music revival of the 1950s and 1960s and was one of the first folk singers to tour the UK and Europe...
, GuyGuy CarawanGuy Carawan is an American folk musician and musicologist. He serves as music director and song leader for the Highlander Research and Education Center in New Market, Tennessee....
& Candie Carawan, Finbar Furey (The FureysThe FureysThe Fureys are an Irish male folk band of four brothers - Eddie, Finbar, Paul and George, from Ballyfermot, Dublin. They have also been credited as The Fureys and Davey Arthur.The group formed in 1978 and consisted initially of four brothers....
), Wizz JonesWizz JonesRaymond Ronald Jones better-known as Wizz Jones is an English acoustic guitarist, singer and songwriter. He has been performing since the late 1950s and recording from 1965 to the present...
, Werner LämmerhirtWerner LämmerhirtWerner Lämmerhirt is a noted German singer-songwriter and guitarist in the contemporary folk music style. He writes and sings in both German and English languages. His recording career has spanned more than three decades.-Early life:...
and Hannes WaderHannes WaderHannes Wader is a German singer-songwriter . He was an important figure in German leftist circles from the 1970s on, with his songs covering such themes as socialist and communist resistance to oppression in Europe and other places like Latin America...
. - 1994: Derroll Adams LIVE
- 1997: Songs of the Banjoman
- 2002: Banjoman – a tribute to Derroll Adams, Blue Groove BG-1420
With Ramblin' Jack Elliott
- 1957: The Rambling BoysThe Rambling BoysThe Rambling Boys is an album by American folk musicians Ramblin' Jack Elliott and Derroll Adams, released in 1957 in Great Britain.The Rambling Boys was originally issued as a 10-inch record with 10 songs...
- 1963: Roll On Buddy
- 1969: Folkland Songs
- 1969: Riding in Folkland
- 1975: America
Sources
- Williams, Paul: Bob Dylan Performing Artist vols. 1–3 (aka The Early Years, The Middle Years & Mind Out of Time, respectively)
- Pennebaker, D. A.D. A. PennebakerDonn Alan Pennebaker is an American documentary filmmaker and one of the pioneers of Direct Cinema/Cinéma vérité. Performing arts and politics are his primary subjects.-Biography:...
: Dont Look BackDont Look BackDont Look Back is a 1967 documentary film by D.A. Pennebaker that covers Bob Dylan's 1965 concert tour in the United Kingdom.In 1998, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically... - Donovan: Troubadour: The Definitive Collection 1964–1976
- Folk Freak Plattenproduktion Folk Friends 1978