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The Mysterious Violinist Who Transformed Bob Dylan

The Long Island Sound, Music Discovery, Interviews

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Join host Steve Yusko on The Long Island Sound Podcast for a fascinating conversation with Scarlet Rivera, the legendary violinist known for her work with Bob Dylan and the Rolling Thunder Revue.

Https://scarletriveramusic.com

In this episode, Scarlet shares her insights into her musical journey, her collaboration with Dylan on the iconic album "Desire," and her experiences on the legendary Rolling Thunder Revue tour. We also delve into her work with other artists, including Joni Mitchell and Brandi Carlisle.

Summary

In this episode of the Long Island Sound Podcast, host Steve Yusko interviews violinist Scarlett Rivera, who shares her remarkable journey from Joliet, Illinois, to becoming a pioneering female musician in rock music. Scarlett recounts her serendipitous encounter with Bob Dylan, her unique approach to music, and her commitment to environmental advocacy through her art. The conversation explores her diverse musical influences, the challenges of finding her singing voice, and her experiences performing with legendary artists. Scarlett's story is one of resilience, creativity, and the power of music to inspire change.

Don't miss this exclusive interview with a true pioneer of electric violin, Scarlet Rivera!

Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Scarlett Rivera
02:55 Scarlett's Journey to New York City
05:49 The Bob Dylan Encounter
09:09 Pioneering Female Presence in Rock
12:00 The Symbolism of the Sword
14:51 Exploring Musical Genres
17:57 Finding Her Voice
20:49 Performing with Legends
24:10 Environmental Advocacy through Music
27:02 Dylan Dreams and Future Projects

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Sound Bites

"I was going there to accomplish me bringing lead violin."
"This is not an imitation, Bob Dylan. This is the real deal."
"He expects you to be a mind reader."

Takeaways

Scarlett aimed to redefine the role of the violin in contemporary music.
Her encounter with Bob Dylan was a pivotal moment in her career.
Dylan's approach to music emphasized intuition over instruction.
Scarlett's face painting symbolized her desire for mystery and protection.
She initially struggled with finding her singing voice due to her introverted nature.
Scarlett's music spans various genres, reflecting her diverse interests.
Performing with legends like Joni Mitchell was both intimidating and rewarding.
Her environmental advocacy is intertwined with her musical projects.
Scarlett's unique voice has been recognized and appreciated by critics.
Her music is now available on all streaming platforms.

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20 Comments

@wilhelmbeermann2424 1 year ago (edited)

I was first listening to Bob Dylan's Hurricane. That was at top of the charts in 1976 in Germany. I was playing in a youth symphonic orchestra. Listening to Scarlet Rivera forced me to make a radical change. I became a street musician and travelled through South Europe. I made great experiences with all the peopleI met, learned playing the guitar and singing Bob Dylan songs and other songwriter's music. Thanks to Scarlet Rivera ❤🎉, she was such an inspiration for me 😊

@portobellobee2245 1 year ago

I took my husband to see the movie "The Unknown" as I knew he would really enjoy it since he is a Dylan fan. He told me he saw him and Rolling Thunder Revue in his college years. He went on tell me about Scarlet Rivera. I was impressed with his incredible memory over something that happened over fifty years ago. She definitely impressed him with her performance that night. Thank you for the podcast.

@stevejette2329 1 year ago

Before the last song on "The Last Waltz", Dylan slows it down, Levon, Robbie and Rick are looking around, wondering what Bob wants next ...
As soon as Bob launches, they know exactly what to do.

@subg8858 1 year ago

Simple Twist of Fate with Scarlett on the John Hammond special might be my single favorite Bob live performance of all time. I don’t think its on YT anymore for some reason though

@BuffaloRobby 1 year ago

Scarlet was the secret sauce of Desire. Her violin playing was so beautiful and critical to the sound of the songs and the melodies. Unique, interesting, mystical and fantastic. That is my description of Scarlets playing and contribution to this record. I love this album in every way. . Of course Bob wrote fantastic songs, but Scarlets violin left an indelible mark on this incredible record

@blakewhittington4336 1 year ago (edited)

Desire is my favorite Dylan album right now I love how simple it is.
I didn't know she's from Joliet that's cool.
The live version of Simple twist of fate live from tv in 1975 with her is the best version.
Hearing her say Bob didn't like telling people what to play is so cool to hear the best ideas come from improving and he knew it.

@j.p.rosensweig8671 1 year ago

beautiful interview. Thanks so much!

@philovance1940 4 weeks ago

Huge Dylan fan here. My brother- in- law saw her playing in a bar in St. John , New Brunswick. He couldn’t remember her name. All he knew was she was a violinist who played with Bob Dylan. I knew exactly who it was.

@elfinia 1 year ago

Scarlet Rivera. Never to be forgotten. Love her sound.

@Jonsmama1 1 month ago

She was interviewed a year ago? She looks practically the same as when she was younger. She has hardly aged. What a talent she is? I heard her play live at the Hard Rain concert In Ft. Collins, CO., and I loved it. I kept my eyes on her most of the time. She made his Desire album with her violin playing. I'm so glad he hired her. That was a good call Dylan made.

@michelleschaefer9545 1 year ago

Her playing vibed in my soul
🎉❤🎉

@iztokcaks1567 2 days ago

scarlett you have impactall over. lp Desire is my favourite! greetings from Slovenia, EU.

@raycooper3269 1 year ago

Thank you Scarlet!!

@rohan-qd6py 1 year ago

My High School Soundtrack! Thanks Scarlett…

@frankflstf 1 year ago

Scarlet has one of the coolest stories I’ve ever heard that must’ve been so neat for her to bump into Bob Dylan and then become his violinist. It doesn’t get any better than that. I forget Bob Dylan‘s drummer in the 90s Winston his name was Winston. He has a similar story. He just got called out of the blueand Bob Dylan hired him unknown. That’s a great story as well. Winston Watson is his name.

@RalphDavis-qk2xy 1 year ago

Well this turned out to be a great afternoon ofndiscovery. Thank you both, that was swell.

@TheGotoGeek 1 year ago

Thanks so much for this interview, and especially thank you to Scarlet.
Scarlet’s playing on Desire completely transformed how I thought about the violin. Up until then I was reluctant, and not at all good at what I did. She inspired me to really work at my playing, and to become the best violinist I could be. Without Desire, and specifically Hurricane, I probably would have quit when I was 13.

And, yes, I subscribed.

@reederjulian2112 1 year ago

Scarlets brother was my brothers science teacher in Romeoville high school. And has been a family friend ever since.

@rubenpalma4045 9 months ago

I began listening to and liking Dylan only because of the violin in Desire. Then suddenly, more than 50 years later, I got curious about who that incredible violinist was. And here she is: Scarlet Rivera.