 ARLO GUTHRIE |
In addition to being an accomplished musician — playing the piano, six and 12-string guitar, harmonica and a dozen other instruments — Guthrie is a well-versed storyteller whose humorous tales and anecdotes are woven into his performances.
Born in Coney Island, N.Y., in 1947, Guthrie is the eldest son of American singer/writer/philosopher Woody Guthrie, and Marjorie Mazia Guthrie, a professional dancer with the Martha Graham Company and founder of The Committee to Combat Huntington’s Disease.
The Lost World Tour, which kicked off last month and will take the band across the United States and Canada, also features Guthrie’s son Abe, who started performing professionally with his father in the early 1980s, and The Burns Sisters, a trio that features siblings Annie, Marie and Jeannie. Guthrie plans to play some of his classics but also offer new material that continues from where he left off with “Mystic Journey” in 1996.
Guthrie’s career exploded in 1967 with the release of “Alice’s Restaurant,” whose title song premiered at the Newport Folk Festival and helped foster a new commitment among the 1960s generation to work for a better world. He went on to star in the 1969 Hollywood film version of “Alice’s Restaurant,” directed by Arthur Penn.
Though “Alice’s Restaurant” was too long for radio airplay, and “Coming into Los Angeles” was banned from many radio stations while still becoming a favorite at the 1969 Woodstock Festival, Guthrie became an artist of international stature. He sang the definitive rendition of Steve Goodman’s “City of New Orleans,” and over the last four decades has toured throughout North America, Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia.
Meanwhile, Guthrie launched Rising Son Records (RSR) in 1983. The label includes his complete catalogue as well as recordings by Abe’s band, Xavier, Sarah Lee’s debut recording, “Sarah Lee Guthrie,” and Johnny Irion’s recording “Unity Lodge.
Tickets range from $35 to $45. For more details, log onto ccanh.com or call the box office at 225-1111.
