In the Olympus of Songwriters

Eric Andersen: voice, guitar, harmonica
Steve Addabbo: guitar

"An American Master. We are in the Olympus of songwriters" (New York Times)
"Eric Andersen is an extraordinary ballad writer" (Bob Dylan)
"He is one of the most refined singers as well as songwriters, in the true sense of the word... the most elegant among singers." (David Fricke - Rolling Stone Magazine)

A unique opportunity to listen to one of the greatest American songwriters of the 20th century who is still active today, ‘one of the originals,’ among those who, as poet Allen Ginsberg put it, "tried to put great art in a jukebox." Alongside a handful of giants like Joan Baez, Bob Dylan, Phil Ochs, and Dave Van Ronk, Eric Andersen is indeed one of the true founders of the songwriter figure as we understand it today. He is one of those who, in the early 1960s, fell in love with American folk and traditional songs; songs that were sometimes a hundred years old but perfect in their lyrics and musical accompaniment. The love for traditional songs led these extraordinary and visionary artists to revive them or compose new ones in that style with lyrics related to their contemporary times. The stages where these artists first performed were primarily the cafes and small theaters of Greenwich Village in New York, a city that, thanks to these artists, once again affirmed its central role in the global music scene. The themes addressed by the songs of these singer-songwriters—‘cantautori,’ as they came to be known in Italy—were often extremely topical, with an emphasis on social issues, to the point that they quickly acquired a political dimension. It’s fair to say that the first spark for the student protests and political and revolutionary movements of 1968 was ignited by these songs. Andersen has traversed the history of his country, from the turbulent and hopeful years of the civil rights movement to the present day, with curiosity and a unique expressive quest. He was among the first to adopt an introspective and reflective style that influenced folk music through an original poetic writing with philosophical and romantic content, a true troubadour of the modern era. He has written songs with Bob Weir (The Grateful Dead), Townes Van Zandt, Rick Danko, and Lou Reed, and his songs have been covered by many artists, including Mary Chapin Carpenter, Judy Collins, Fairport Convention, Rick Nelson, John Denver, Linda Ronstadt, The Grateful Dead, Peter Paul & Mary, The Blues Project, Gillian Welch, Linda Thompson, Pete Seeger, and Rick Danko. Bob Dylan's version of Eric's song "Thirsty Boots" (a true generational anthem, recorded by dozens of American artists) was released as a single on Record Store Day and also appears on Dylan's box set "Another Self Portrait – Bootleg Series vol.10". In the early 1990s, Eric initiated an extraordinary project with the legendary Rick Danko (The Band) and Jonas Fjeld. The trio released two critically acclaimed albums. He appeared in the "American Masters" documentary dedicated to Joni Mitchell and in numerous films and live performances, notably "Festival Express" with Grateful Dead, The Band, and Janis Joplin, which testify to the fervor of the music of those years and his constant presence. In 1990, Eric won the New York Music Award for his album "Ghosts Upon the Road," in 1992, the Spellemannprisen (Norwegian Grammy) for Danko/Fjeld/Andersen, and in 2003, he received the Premio Tenco alongside Patti Smith. From Eric Andersen's vast discography, one cannot overlook the masterpiece album "Blue River," which features Joni Mitchell, and the trilogy of projects dedicated to writers and poets: Heinrich Böll, Albert Camus, and Lord Byron. Andersen is currently engaged in a new ambitious project dedicated to Garcia Lorca. Eric Andersen's poetic songs have entertained and captivated audiences worldwide and have been translated into Norwegian, Swedish, Dutch, Danish, Japanese, German, and Italian. His life has unfolded in a feverish and intense manner, laying the foundation for an intense and fascinating novel reflected in the images and emotions of the docufilm "The Songpoet," directed by Paul Lamont. With the same title, a triple album was released in parallel, where his masterpieces are honored by illustrious colleagues such as Richard Shindell, Dom Flemons, Albert Lee, and even Bob Dylan! An extraordinary tribute to sixty years of a visionary and uncompromising artist’s career. His work has also been recounted in Italy with the publication of two books dedicated to him by Roberto Jacksie Saetti: "Ghost Upon the Road" (2018), in collaboration with Paolo Vites, and "Mingle with the Universe," released this year, co-written with Marco Fazzini, exploring Andersen's poetic sphere, which led him to receive the Premio Dubito International for Lifetime Achievement.
There is much anticipation for this new Italian tour, where Eric Andersen will be accompanied by Steve Addabbo, sound engineer and owner of Shelter Island Sound recording studio in New York, an extraordinary guitarist, Grammy winner, and producer of Suzanne Vega’s global hits “Luka” and “Tom’s Diner.” Among Steve's soundtrack credits are "Left Of Center," written with Suzanne Vega for the "Pretty in Pink" soundtrack (1986), "Get Up," written with Caitlin Canty for the film "Little Woods" (2018), and "A New Day," featured in the film "The Last Word" with Shirley MacLaine (2018). Addabbo is considered a cult figure by critics as the curator of Bob Dylan’s legendary Bootleg Series, and his arrival in Italy alongside Eric Andersen is a source of great curiosity and anticipation. Another wonderful gift from Eric Andersen came in 2019 when he brought Dylan’s and the Rolling Thunder Revue’s violinist, Scarlet Rivera, to Italy for the first time. The tour was immortalized in a marvelous live album released by the Italian label Appaloosa Records. Andersen will perform his great classics “Thirsty Boots”, “Violets of Dawn”, “Is It Really Love at All”, “Close the Door Lightly” and will give the Italian audience a preview of some songs from his new album, set to be released in February.

www.ericandersen.com
www.steveaddabbo.com