Mesabi weaves a thread evoking the spirit of the American experience in panoramic vignettes. In this, his 26th album, Tom draws inspiration from American icons like Bob Dylan, Elizabeth Taylor, James Dean and the perilous border town of Juarez, Mexico, close to where Tom lives. Says Tom, "The puzzle is that Juarez is the most dangerous city in the world and El Paso, just over the bridge, is the safest city in the United States." Toms songs have been recorded by such artists as Johnny Cash, Ian Tyson, Nanci Griffith, Dave Alvin, Jerry Jeff Walker, Doug Sahm and Ramblin' Jack Elliott, among others.

The Mesabi iron range juts into Minnesota, a desolate deposit of minerals and the birthplace of Bob Dylan. American composer and storyteller Tom Russell says that Bob Dylan inspired him to become an artist, and his new 'Mesabi' pays moving tribute with compelling tales that connect the iron range to the border town of Juarez, Mexico and the myth of Hollywood celebrity with cinematic, global revelry. 'Mesabi' is a vast, interwoven collection of tales set to twangy rock, country and Mexican folk and features Calexico, Van Dyke Parks and Lucinda Williams.