A Stranger Here

A Stranger Here
Studio album by Ramblin' Jack Elliott
Released	April 7, 2009
Recorded	July 21 – 29, 2008
Genre	Folk, country blues
Label	ANTI-
Producer	Joe Henry
Ramblin' Jack Elliott chronology
Vanguard Visionaries (2007) A Stranger Here (2009)

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
Metacritic	81/100 [1]
Review scores
Source	Rating
The Boston Phoenix	[2]
Filter	84% [3]
Mojo	[4]
NME	8/10 [5]
The Observer	[6]
PopMatters	8/10 [7]
Q	[8]
Record Collector	[9]
Slant Magazine	[10]
Under the Radar	7/10 [11]

A Stranger Here is an album by American folk musician Ramblin' Jack Elliott, released in 2009. It reached number 5 on the Billboard Top Blues albums charts. ^[12]

At the 52nd Grammy Awards, A Stranger Here won the Grammy Award for Best Traditional Blues Album.

Track listing

1. "Rising High Water Blues" (Blind Lemon Jefferson) – 3:55
2. "Death Don't Have No Mercy" (Reverend Gary Davis) – 6:08
3. "Rambler's Blues" (Lonnie Johnson) – 5:14
4. "Soul of a Man" (Blind Willie Johnson) – 4:16
5. "Richland Women Blues" (Mississippi John Hurt) – 4:25
6. "Grinnin' in Your Face" (Son House) – 3:55
7. "New Stranger Blues" (Tampa Red) – 3:25
8. "Falling Down Blues" (Furry Lewis) – 4:53
9. "How Long Blues" (Leroy Carr) – 4:44
10. "Please Remember Me" (Walter Davis) – 4:03

Personnel

• Ramblin' Jack Elliott  – vocals, guitar
• Greg Leisz  – guitar, dobro, mandolin, mandola, Weissenborn
• Jay Bellerose  – drums, percussion
• Keith Ciancia – piano, keyboards
• Van Dyke Parks  – piano, vibraphone
• David Piltch  – upright bass
• David Hidalgo  – guitar, accordion

Production notes:

• Joe Henry - producer
• Ryan Freeland  – engineer, mixing
• Gavin Lurssen – mastering
• Anabel Sinn – design
• Michael "Mick" Wilson – photography

Chart positions

Year	Chart	Position
2009	Billboard Top Blues Albums	5

References

1. "Reviews for A Stranger Here by Ramblin' Jack Elliott". Metacritic . Retrieved May 11, 2025.
2. Drozdowski, Ted (March 30, 2009). "Ramblin' Jack Elliott - A Stranger Here". The Boston Phoenix . Retrieved May 11, 2025.
3. Ramblin' Jack Elliott has teamed up with producer Joe Henry to deliver a starkly dimensional and soulful collection of dark blues. [Winter 2009, p.94]
4. It's on those songs that strike a chord with Elliot personally that he's most convincing. [May 2009, p.103]
5. Harris, Tessa (3 April 2009). "Album Review: Ramblin' Jack Elliot". NME . Retrieved 11 May 2025.
6. Yates, Steve (15 March 2009). "Folk review: Ramblin' Jack Elliott, A Stranger Here". The Observer . Retrieved 11 May 2025.
7. Horowitz, Steve (8 April 2009). "Ramblin' Jack Elliott: A Stranger Here". PopMatters . Retrieved 11 May 2025.
8. Now in his 78th year, all that know-how has been meaningfully brought to bear on this collection of vintage, Depression-era blues. [May 20009, p.112]
9. Holmes, Tim (28 March 2009). "A Stranger Here - Ramblin' Jack Elliott". Record Collector . Retrieved 11 May 2025.
10. Keefe, Jonathan (April 5, 2009). "Review: Ramblin' Jack Elliott, A Stranger Here". Slant Magazine . Retrieved May 11, 2025.
11. The pre-WWII country blues that the 77-year-old honed under the tutelage of Woody Guthrie are in full bloom on 'The New Stranger Blues' and 'Soul of A Man'. [Spring 2009, p.77]
12. Allmusic entry for A Stranger Here. Accessed June 7, 2009.