Serving the songs

"On a Night Like This" will celebrate Bob Dylan and the arrival of his archives

Back in November, Steve Ripley received a call from Stanton Doyle, senior program officer of the George Kaiser Family Foundation (GKFF). Doyle had an idea: he wanted to start an annual concert event tied to the arrival of the Bob Dylan archive, recently acquired by GKFF and the University of Tulsa. Ripley, a former member of Dylan's touring band, was the clear choice to help bring this idea to fruition.

"To be truthful, I didn't like the idea and said no," Ripley told me.

Despite his initial lack of enthusiasm, the idea of having a core band with a few guests stuck with Ripley.

"I haven't played a gig in a long time. I sit on the farm and work on the Leon Russell archives with the State of Oklahoma Historical Society. I keep myself busy, as busy as I want to be, anyhow. But, you know, I did play with Bob and I do love Bob and there is a tangible link, so I thought about it for a few weeks."

Ripley first met Bob Dylan in 1981 through iconic Tulsa-born drummer Jim Keltner, who performed with George Harrison, John Lennon, Neil Young, and Joe Cocker, in addition to Dylan.

Ripley had long joked that he'd give everything he owned to meet Dylan, and one day he had his opportunity.

"[Keltner] calls me up and says Bob wants him to bring a guitar player, do I want to go, and of course I did," Ripley said. "We got there and immediately Bob was just as friendly as could be, started talking Oklahoma, Leon Russell, JJ Cale and that was it. A day turned into a week, week turned into a month and all these years later, here we are."

Ripley is careful to clarify that, although he has worked and performed with him, he does not claim to "know" Dylan on a personal level. "With the band, the rule of thumb is you don't talk about Bob," he said. "And you certainly don't do a tribute."

After being assured by Doyle that this event would ve sanctioned and approved by Dylan, Ripley gave the idea more consideration.

"It hit me. Steve Pryor, Tulsa blues legend, my old time buddy was just right to kick this thing off."

After that revelation things began to just fall into place. A house band comprised of some of the most celebrated musicians in the world came together, including Grammy nominated Okie John Fullbright, Fats Kaplan, Terry 'Buffalo' Ware, Davey Faragher and Pete Thomas, both current members of Elvis Costello's band, Daniel Walker, Jimmy Karstein, the McCrary Sisters, and, of course, Steve Ripley.

Tragically, a few days after my initial interview with Ripley, Pryor died shortly after a motorcycle accident. When I followed up with Ripley, he had this to say: "Steve Pryor was a Tulsa treasure and an iconic fixture of the Tulsa music scene. His guitar playing was oft-times fierce, but his soul was gentle. A loving heart fueled them both. The Tulsa music community now mourns the loss of one of its very best. There will be no 'stand in' or replacement for Steve. His 'opening slot' will simply stand as a small tribute offered up in his honor."

It was important to Ripley that the show include only musicians that truly wanted to be there. The goal was never to have an event full of names, it was to have fun.

John Fullbright will pull double duty as a member of the house band and a featured guest. Other guests include John Moreland (who Ripley calls a "dry genius"), JD McPherson, Kristi Rose, Red Dirt pioneer Jimmy LaFave, The Red Dirt Rangers, Hanson, SiriusXM radio host and singer Elizabeth Cook, and the always entertaining John Calvin Abney.

The concert poster also mentions "special guests,"a tease that invites no small amount of speculation, considering the pedigree of the line-up and the artist at the center of the event.

Calling this show a "tribute" is understandable, but Ripley hates the word. "It rubs me raw." He'd prefer it be seen as a celebration of Dylan's art and staggering impact and a celebration for Tulsa and the arrival of Dylan's archive.

"The importance of the archive finding a home in Tulsa cannot be understated," Ripley said.

Ripley recalls an encounter he had with Dylan a number of years ago backstage at a show in Tulsa. What began with a simple hello, how are you, turned poignant as Dylan answered in a way only he could. "He just got quiet and kinda stared off and said something that has always stuck with me. 'We're just out here to serve these songs.'" And that is what Steve Ripley intends to do on Friday, May 20 at Cain's Ballroom.

On a Night Like This: A Celebration of All Things Bob Dylan.
Friday, May 20, 8 p.m., $30-$35
CainsBallroom.com

Read Jim Edwards's comprehensive review of On a Night Like This here.