Dark Chords on a Big Guitar was a 2003 album by Joan Baez

Joan Baez

Joan Chandos Baez is an American folk singer, songwriter, musician and a prominent activist in the fields of human rights, peace and environmental justice....

. The sound was more "rockish" than her prior releases, and it was composed of work by mostly Generation X

Generation X

Generation X, commonly abbreviated to Gen X, is the generation born after the Western post–World War II baby boom ended. While there is no universally agreed upon time frame, the term generally includes people born from the early 1960's through the early 1980's, usually no later than 1981 or...

 songwriters, including Natalie Merchant

Natalie Merchant

Natalie Anne Merchant is an American singer-songwriter and musician. She joined the alternative rock band 10,000 Maniacs in 1981 and left it to begin her solo career in 1993.-Early life:...

, Ryan Adams

Ryan Adams

David Ryan Adams is an American alt-country/rock singer-songwriter, from Jacksonville, North Carolina. Initially part of the group Whiskeytown, Adams left the band and released his first solo album Heartbreaker in 2000...

 and Steve Earle

Steve Earle

Stephen Fain "Steve" Earle is an American singer-songwriter known for his rock and Texas Country as well as his political views. He is also a producer, author, a political activist, and an actor, and has written and directed a play....

. The title was taken from a line in Greg Brown's song "Rexroth's Daughter". Critics and listeners were surprised that Baez's voice had lost little of its original power and beauty, given that she was sixty-two when she made the album.

The album was recorded at Allaire Studios, Shokan, New York

Shokan, New York

Shokan is a hamlet located in the Town of Olive in Ulster County, within the Catskill Park. The population was 1,252 at the 2000 census.-History:...

, January - April 2003.

Album was produced by Mark Spector. Backing musicians included: George Javori and Duke McVinnie.

Baez dedicated the album to Michael Moore

Michael Moore

Michael Francis Moore is an American filmmaker, author, social critic and activist. He is the director and producer of Fahrenheit 9/11, which is the highest-grossing documentary of all time. His films Bowling for Columbine and Sicko also place in the top ten highest-grossing documentaries...

.

Track listing

1. "Sleeper" (Greg Brown) – 4:35
2. "In My Time of Need" (Ryan Adams
   Ryan Adams
   David Ryan Adams is an American alt-country/rock singer-songwriter, from Jacksonville, North Carolina. Initially part of the group Whiskeytown, Adams left the band and released his first solo album Heartbreaker in 2000...
   
   ) – 4:33
3. "Rosemary Moore" (Caitlin Cary
   Caitlin Cary
   Caitlin Cary is an alt-country musician.Born to Hall Cary and Carol Campbell Thomas in East Cleveland, Caitlin Cary was raised with her half-brothers, Brian, Craig, and Keith Thomas, in East Cleveland and Cleveland Heights. She began playing the violin at age six. She attended the College of...
   
   ) – 5:15
4. "Caleb Meyer" (Gillian Welch
   Gillian Welch
   Gillian Welch is an American singer-songwriter. She performs with her musical partner, guitarist David Rawlings. Their sparse and dark musical style, which combines elements of Appalachian music, Bluegrass, and Americana, is described by The New Yorker as "at once innovative and obliquely...
   
    & David Rawlings
   David Rawlings
   David Todd Rawlings is a professional guitarist and singer. He is best known as the longtime musical partner of bluegrass singer-songwriter Gillian Welch.David attended the Berklee College of Music and studied with guitar professor Lauren Passarelli....
   
   ) – 2:31
5. "Motherland" (Natalie Merchant
   Natalie Merchant
   Natalie Anne Merchant is an American singer-songwriter and musician. She joined the alternative rock band 10,000 Maniacs in 1981 and left it to begin her solo career in 1993.-Early life:...
   
   ) – 4:44
6. "Wings" (Josh Ritter
   Josh Ritter
   Josh Ritter is an American singer-songwriter, guitarist and author who performs and records with The Royal City Band. Ritter is known for his distinctive Americana style and narrative lyrics. In 2006 he was named one of the "100 Greatest Living Songwriters" by Paste magazine.- Early life :Josh...
   
   ) – 4:01
7. "Rexroth's Daughter" (Greg Brown) – 5:19
8. "Elvis Presley Blues" (Welch/Rawlings) – 4:40
9. "King's Highway" (Joe Henry
   Joe Henry
   Joseph Lee "Joe" Henry is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, and record producer. Henry's musical style spans several genres, including alt. country, rock, jazz and folk.- Early years :...
   
   ) – 3:28
10. "Christmas in Washington" (Steve Earle
    Steve Earle
    Stephen Fain "Steve" Earle is an American singer-songwriter known for his rock and Texas Country as well as his political views. He is also a producer, author, a political activist, and an actor, and has written and directed a play....
    
    ) – 5:13

Personnel

• Rani Arbo – Background Vocals
• Greg Calbi – Mastering
• Steve Chadie – Assistant Engineer
• Matthew Cullen – Assistant Engineer
• Gail Ann Dorsey
  Gail Ann Dorsey
  Gail Ann Dorsey is an American musician considered one of the premier bass guitarists and vocalists within the alternative rock scene. With a distinguished career as a session musician, it has been most notably her long association performing in David Bowie's band, from 1995 to the present day,...
  
  – Background Vocals
• James Harley – Assistant Engineer
• Byron Isaacs – Electric & Acoustic Bass
• George Javori – Drums
• Brandon Mason – Engineer, Mixing
• Duke McVinnie – Guitar, Bass
• Norman Moore – Art Direction, Design, Photography
• Doug Pettibone – Acoustic Guitar
• Bo Ramsey – Producer
• Mark Spector – Producer
• Greg Tobler – Assistant Engineer
• Tom Tucker – Engineer
• Dana Tynan – Photography