John Prine

John Anderson first worked with this American songwriting great in 1997, when filming The Old Town School of Folk Music’s 40th Anniversary Concert at Chicago’s historic Medinah Temple. The program included performances by Prine, Jackson Browne, Emmylou Harris, Lyle Lovett, Kathy Mattea, Arlo Guthrie, Todd Snider and Iris Dement, and is available on DVD as ‘Larger Than Life: A Celebration of Steve Goodman and His Music’, from Red Pajamas Records.

In May 2010, in association with Oh Boy Pictures, Anderson Productions participated in the filming of two concerts Prine and his band performed at John’s HS alma mater, Proviso East, in Maywood, IL. The shows benefited The Maywood Arts Council, and will help bring Arts Education to children in the area.

Bob Dylan calls Prine one of his favorite songwriters. “Prine’s stuff is pure Proustian existentialism. Midwestern mind trips to the nth degree.”

Below are two selections from “Larger Than Life: A Celebration of Steve Goodman and His Music”. Though the venue would only allow two cameras, John Prine’s emotional performances more than compensate.