Blackjack David (Deluxe Edition / Remastered 2026) Dave Alvin

• 1 Blackjack David (Remastered 2026) 05:02
• 2 Abilene (Remastered 2026) 04:57
• 3 New Highway (Remastered 2026) 03:14
• 4 California Snow (Remastered 2026) 04:00
• 5 Evening Blues (Remastered 2026) 05:33
• 6 The Way You Say Goodbye (Remastered 2026) 04:37
• 7 Mary Brown (Remastered 2026) 04:30
• 8 Laurel Lynn (Remastered 2026) 03:36
• 9 1968 (Remastered 2026) 04:03
• 10 From A Kitchen Table (Remastered 2026) 05:56
• 11 Tall Trees (Remastered 2026) 04:54
• 12 Angel On Your Shoulder 04:15
• 13 Dixie Highway Blues (Remastered 2026) 02:45
• Total Runtime 57:22

Info for Blackjack David (Deluxe Edition / Remastered 2026)

The new deluxe reissue of Dave Alvin’s 1998 album Blackjack David returns October 16.Alvin’s soul-searching storytelling and acoustic sound shine through, from his original traditional title track “Blackjack David” to “Abilene” and “California Snow.” This album strayed from Alvin’s previous work in rock and roll to showcase his powerful vocals, acoustic guitar skill, and ability to connect to the human experience.

The formative 1998 record from Americana icon, Dave Alvin, is back with two bonus tracks. Previously known for his electric guitar chops, Blackjack David taps into Alvin’s acoustic guitar playing, soaring voice, and emotive songwriting that taps deep into the human experience. This reissue features two bonus tracks and new liner notes by Peter Blackstock. Experience the album No Depression says is “a perfect album…an essential part of American music’s rich history,” like never before.

"Dave Alvin earned his crown as "the King of California" the hard way. A fourth-generation Californian, Alvin worked his way through various incarnations in order to arrive at this point. A longstanding monumental force in Los Angeles and California music, Alvin is essentially a blues player who writes and performs what he terms "American folk music." From Celtic and British folk tunes to early rock & roll, from classic blues and country & western to the Bakersfield sound, Alvin knows his stuff. Gleaning from all the genres, Alvin sits firmly upon his throne, creating a brand of music that is intelligent, insightful, and broad in scope. With Alvin at peace with his creative direction, Blackjack David picks up where King of California left off in 1994. More electric, Blackjack David almost rocks in places, as on "Abilene" and "New Highway." It ambles along nicely in other spots, too. The title cut, a traditional tune hundreds of years old, is given new life under the deft Alvin touch and a new arrangement. This effectively connects the past and the present in terms of Alvin and his place in musical history. "1968," written with fellow "405 Freeway Boy" Chris Gaffney, reveals a country twist. As interesting as anything either of them have written individually, the Tom Russell co-write "California Snow" is startling in its intensity. The final cut, "Tall Trees," is haunting and mysterious, displaying all of Alvin's power as a writer and communicator in a subtle fashion that demands attention. A Renaissance man, Dave Alvin continues to make and record music of integrity." (Jana Pendragon, AMG)

"Twenty eight years on and this wonderful re-release is a timely reminder of what Americana music is all about (though it had not been named at that time), and it ranks very highly as one of the best Americana albums of all time. A very worthy addition to anyone’s record collection." (americana-uk.com)

Dave Alvin, vocals, guitar
Chris Gaffney, accordion
Dan McGough, organ
Gregory Boaz, bass
Bob Glaub, bass
David Piltch, bass
Bobby Lloyd Hicks, drums, percussion, background vocals
Greg Leisz, guitar, lap steel guitar, mandolin, banjo, dobro, mandola, pedal steel guitar, slide guitar
Brantley Kearns, fiddle
Dillon O'Brian, accordion, harmonium, piano
Doug Wieselman, clarinet, organ

Digitally remastered

Dave Alvin
a Grammy Award winning songwriter, singer, producer and self described barroom guitarist, is considered by many to be one of the pivotal pioneers of Americana. A fourth generation Californian, Alvin grew up in the town of Downey and got his musical education by listening to late night border radio stations, watching his older cousins play guitar and banjo, collecting dusty, rare 78s, and sneaking underage into bars like the Ash Grove with his brother Phil to see their legendary blues heroes perform live and learn from them first hand.

Since forming the highly influential Roots Rock/R+B band The Blasters, with his brother in 1979, and through his long, critically acclaimed solo career after he left the group in1986, Dave Alvin has mixed his varied musical and literary influences into his own unique, updated version of traditional American music, with highlights including songs like “Fourth of July”, “Long White Cadillac”, “King of California”, “Harlan County Line” and “Marie Marie”.

Combining blues, folk, rockabilly, Bakersfield country, surf and garage rock and roll with lyrical inspiration from writers like Raymond Chandler and John Steinbeck, Alvin says his songs are “like California...a big, messy, melting pot”. Alvin has recorded with such diverse artists as Bobby Rush, Tom Waits, John Mellencamp, Little Milton, Ramblin’ Jack Elliot, Dick Dale, Carolyn Wonderland, X and The Knitters, while his songs have been recorded by performers like Los Lobos, Dwight Yoakam, James McMurtry, Buckwheat Zydeco, Joe Ely, Marshall Crenshaw, Shakin' Stevens, Tom Russell and Nanci Griffith. His music has well also been featured in various movies/TV shows including The Sopranos, Justified, Girls, Crybaby, Dusk To Dawn, The Wire and True Blood.

Special projects include Alvin reuniting with his brother Phil for two blues albums including the Grammy nominated Common Ground, a double album, From An Old Guitar, of twenty years of rare and unreleased solo tracks, four albums with his Psych/Rock/Improvisational super group, The Third Mind, and two albums with beloved Texas Flatlander Jimmie Dale Gilmore including their 2024 release TexCali.

Recent achievements include the 2022 release of his book New Highway: Selected Lyrics, Poems, Prose, Essays, Eulogies and Blues, and in 2023 he was honored with The Chris Strachwitz Legacy Award from The Arhoolie Foundation for his lifetime commitment to American Roots Music, and in 2024 he was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Americana Music Association.

Dave can usually be found somewhere with his band, The Guilty Ones, performing in a barroom, or scribbling notes for his memoir in his journal while on some interstate highway headed to his next gig.

This album contains no booklet.