'Jack Takes The Floor'

Ramblin’ Jack Elliott was an interesting kid. Although throughout his career, he posed as a train-car hoppin’ roustabout cowboy, he was the son of a Jewish doctor in Brooklyn. At 15, he ran away from home and joined a touring rodeo. His parents eventually hunted him down. 

In the rodeo, he came upon a storytelling, guitar- and banjo-playing rodeo clown. Upon his return to home, he picked up the guitar. He befriended Woody Guthrie – who appears on this record for “New York Town” – and eventually found initial success in England, where he was signed and recorded his first three albums, including Jack Takes The Floor. It was not released in the United States for another 10 years. 

Elliott played influence to Phil Ochs and Bob Dylan although they were largely contemporaries. He got his nickname for talking too much. He also was some sort of influence to Eric Clapton, who also covered “San Francisco Bay Blues” from this album.