ELVIN BISHOP JOINS BOB DYLAN ON STAGE IN MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA

"A legendary guitarist...impeccable and spirited…a distinguished American player.”  —Rolling Stone

“Deceptively loose but always tight…the raspy chuckle in Bishop’s singing and the sharp sting of his guitar are forceful and fresh, enduring and fun.” —Fresh Air, NPR

Elvin Bishop, Alligator Records recording artist and Rock And Roll Hall Of Famer, was invited by Nobel Prize-winning music legend Bob Dylan to join him on stage and add his blistering slide guitar to Dylan's bluesy composition Early Roman Kings. The performance took place at the Shoreline Amphitheater in Mountain View, California on Saturday, August 3, 2024. Although the two musicians have known each other since the 1960s, this is the first time Bishop has performed on stage with Dylan.

According to Bishop, the whole thing came out of the blue. "Bob called up Maria Muldaur and got my number, and then the next thing you know, there we are."

Watch Elvin Bishop join Bob Dylan and his band for a top shelf rendition of Dylan's Early Roman Kings. “Elvin, how you doing?” says Dylan as they get ready to start the song. Bishop, who was busy fine-tuning his guitar and amp settings, didn’t respond. Dylan then deadpans, “I don’t think he’s paying attention.” 

BIOGRAPHY
Bishop, whose recording career spans six decades, is beloved as a natural storyteller, an endlessly creative guitarist, a slyly good-humored songwriter and an instantly crowd-pleasing performer. Born in Glendale, CA on October 21, 1942, Bishop grew up in Oklahoma, listening to blues music on late night radio. He used his National Merit Scholarship to enroll in the University of Chicago, whose campus was located near dozens of the South Side blues clubs where legendary artists regularly performed. Soon he was spending more time in the clubs than the classroom. 
 
Elvin and Paul Butterfield formed the first Paul Butterfield Blues Band in 1963. The band, including Bishop and Michael Bloomfield, became famous for bringing the sounds of Chicago blues to a new, young audience. They were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame in 2015. Bishop next moved to the San Francisco area and formed his own band, becoming a regular at the famed Fillmore Auditorium. He scored two chart-topping records during the 1970s: Travelin’ Shoes and Fooled Around And Fell In Love (the latter song reached number three on the pop charts and years later was prominently featured in the blockbuster film, Guardians Of The Galaxy). Elvin, who has recorded more than 30 albums, first joined Alligator in 1988. He continues to record and perform, both with his full band and with his pared-down, GRAMMY-nominated Big Fun Trio.

Bishop recently recorded a new version of his original, politically-charged song, What The Hell Is Going On?, with GRAMMY-winning band Los Lobos