Robert Ellis and Courtney Hartman Team Up for Dear John – a Tribute to the Songs of John Hartford OUT TODAY via Refuge Foundation for the Arts
Tour Kicks Off At Cactus Club In Austin, TX Tomorrow!
“Utilizing the bones of the past to pave way to the future, they prove that timeless and gentle can still cut just as deep.” -Bluegrass Situation
WATCH ROBERT ELLIS AND COURTNEY HARTMAN PERFORM
“Right In The Middle Of Falling For You”
Acclaimed singer-songwriters Robert Ellis and Courtney Hartman have teamed up for Dear John, a tribute to the songs of GRAMMY Award Winning artist John Hartford, out today on Refuge Foundation For The Arts. Earlier this month they premiered the single, “Gentle On My Mind.” Best known for his solo performances where he would alternate between guitar, banjo, and fiddle while he tap danced and clogged on an amplified piece of plywood, John Hartford is credited as one of the founders and pioneers of newgrass, a non-traditional approach to bluegrass music, as well as known for his mastery of traditional folk music inspired by his affection of for the culture of the Mississippi River and its steamships. Dear John is available on vinyl, CD, and as a digital download and can be ordered here. Their tour in support of the album kicks off tomorrow. Full tour dates listed below.
Robert Ellis and Courtney Hartman met backstage at a music festival in 2013 and first bonded over their mutual love of John Hartford songs. Dear John is the culmination of a few years’ friendship and a collection of well-known and obscure material revealing the quirky and tender sides of Hartford’s writing. The album shines a light on Hartford’s strength as a songwriter, and allows Ellis and Hartman to showcase their perfectly blended vocals and the playful back and forth of their guitar playing.
“I feel like Courtney Hartman and I must have known each other in a previous life. We share a deep love and obsession for a lot of the same music. There is a unique cross section of songwriting craft, tradition and it’s context, and musicality that we both really get excited by,” says Robert Ellis. “John Hartford is sort of the apex of this and it came as no surprise to me that he was a big influence on both of us and what we do. These songs, and playing them with Courtney really seemed to recharge my spirit in some way. Through playing these songs we are connected to each other and to John in a way that makes me feel like I’m at home.”
The album features ten of John Hartford’s songs from his 30+ record discography, including his best-known song “Gentle on My Mind” – later recorded by Glen Campbell – for which Hartford earned two GRAMMY awards for Best Folk Performance and Best Country & Western Song. Versions of the song were also recorded by Elvis Presley, Aretha Franklin, Frank Sinatra, Johnny Cash, Bing Crosby, Lucinda Williams, and most recently Alison Krauss. Through out his career, Hartford earned two additional GRAMMY awards, including Best Ethnic or Traditional Recording for his record Mark Twang, and Album of the Year for his work on the soundtrack to O Brother, Where Art Thou?. In addition, he was a regular on many television shows including Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour, and The Johnny Cash Show.
John Hartford’s son Jamie noted, “They have captured a subtle part of my dad that gets overlooked way too often. Now they have an obligation to the world to get this out. I wish them much success.”
In support of the new release, Ellis and Hartman will hit the road for a limited tour kicking off tomorrow in Austin, TX at the Cactus Cafe, and ending at Stage One in Fairfield, CT on December 21. In between, they will make stops in Baton Rouge and Denver before two nights at Rockwood Music Hall in New York City.
About Robert Ellis:
Robert Ellis is renowned singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, who’s most recent self titled album was described by NPR Music as “brilliant,” and stated, “Musically varied, impeccably structured, Robert Ellis recalls the ‘confessional’ songwriters who set the bar in the 1970s, as well as recent Americana landmarks like Jason Isbell’s Southeastern. This was a follow up to his critically acclaimed 2014 release The Lights From The Chemical Plant. Racking up multiple year-end accolades, NPR selected it as one of their “50 Favorite Albums of 2014,” calling him a “major sonic storyteller” and Rolling Stone called it “a fully realized masterpiece.” Esquire Magazine declared it one of the best of the year with Buzzfeed hailing him as one of “25 New Artists You Need In Your Life In 2015.”
About Courtney Hartman:
Singer, songwriter, and guitarist Courtney Hartman started playing guitar at the young age of eight, after having already spent several years on the fiddle and mandolin. Her early years were spent steeped in American Roots music, and today she has fused a diverse range of influences from Norman Blake to Bill Frisell, creating music that acknowledges and pays homage to her roots, while pushing beyond its defined boundaries. In 2017 she was nominated by the Americana Music Association for 2017 Instrumentalist of the Year, following the release of her solo project ‘Nothing We Say’. The luminous EP delivers on the promise always apparent in her work as a guitarist and songwriter for Della Mae, the Grammy-nominated string band, along with her collaborations with Bryan Sutton, Jim Lauderdale, and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers’ Mike Campbell, among others. Acoustic Guitar Magazine lauds Courtney as a “distinctive guitar stylist… and a songwriter that delights and disturbs.”
About Refuge Foundation for the Arts:
Refuge Foundation for the Arts is a non-profit organization providing sanctuary for the pursuit of creative expression through music and art. Founded in response to the lack of resources available to artists today, it is the mission of The Refuge to offer patronage and opportunity to creators in a supportive and collaborative environment. Bordered by the Fox River in Appleton, WI and built in 1935 by Capuchin-Franciscan monks, our beautiful 33,000 square foot facility houses recording studios, art studios, and artist residences amid ten acres of protected nature, gardens, and orchards.
For more information on Refuge Foundation for the Arts please visit www.refugearts.org.
Dear John Track Listing:
Old Time River Man
Them Way Long Time Ago Times
Gentle On My Mind
Right in the Middle of Falling for You
Here I Am In Love Again
Howard Hughes Blues
Morning Bugle
Delta Queen Waltz
Up on the Hill Where They Do the Boogie
We Did Our Best
Robert Ellis & Courtney Hartman Tour Dates:
12/7 – Dallas, TX @ The Rustic
12/8 – San Antonio, TX @ The Rustic*
12/9 – Austin, TX @ Cactus Café
12/13 – Baton Rouge, LA @ Manship Theatre
12/15 – Denver, CO @ Swallow Hill Music
12/16 – Austin, TX @ Moody Theater^
12/18 – NYC @ Rockwood Music Hall (stage 3)
12/19 – NYC @ Rockwood Music Hall (stage 3)
12/21 – Fairfield, CT @ Stage One
12/26 – Houston, TX @ House of Blues^
*Robert Ellis full band w/ Courtney Hartman opening
^Robert Ellis full band opening for Robert Earl Keen
