So, I was fortunate enough to see Bert Jansch sing and play last week, in an intimate setting right below my house, and despite the disproportionate number of aging boojwahoos in attendance -- as Smog once said, THIS ISN'T A FAMILY VACATION -- the show was, how do you say... formidable!

The music itself was of course top-notch (after all these years his one-of-a-kind singing voice is entirely intact, and his dexterity as a guitarist is a pleasure to witness), but what captivated me most was Bert Jansch The Person.

Indeed, I left the performance with an overwhelming sense of respect for this man! He's a living, breathing legend whose contribution to music is both historically significant and aesthetically remarkable, and yet he's probably the most gracious, down-to-earth dude you could ever hope to meet. I get the feeling we could all learn a lot from this man and the way he carries himself.

Aging well, both as an artist and as a human being, is a feat, not to mention something worth striving toward. As much as I respect Dylan, Cohen, and usual litany of folk/singer-songwriter legends, I hold Jansch in higher regard for his consistancy. He hasn't wavered much. He's just kept on keeping on -- if that makes any sense -- and the work speaks for itself.

If you don't own any Bert Jansch records, turn your computer off and go get some.

Good stuff. I'm not so keen to hear The Black Swan because I didn't really like the previous one.

I haven't listened to Bert & John in ages. Its a great one.

i can get down with the jansch pretty hardcore. needle of death is indeed a great song. on the other hand, i felt pretty weird when courtney love mentioned him in the same breath as sleater-kinney... that we have something in common. aye yai yai.

still, not crap. waffles here and there.

kenoki wrote:i can get down with the jansch pretty hardcore. needle of death is indeed a great song. on the other hand, i felt pretty weird when courtney love mentioned him in the same breath as sleater-kinney... that we have something in common. aye yai yai.

still, not crap. waffles here and there.

*ahem*

kenoki wrote:OMG PEOPLE PLEASE STOP MENTIONING FAIRPORT CONVENTION AND PENTANGLE please? I have nothing against folk or British Isles music, a lot of my favourites are their peers but holy shit y'all. When I first tried then out like 6 or 7 years ago, after a friend mentioned, all I wanted to do was run out and tear a congo drum to shreds. Next someone will be citing Janis Joplin.

I hate to do this Kenoki, but there you go!

I'm with you on Janis Joplin, though.

Cranius wrote:

kenoki wrote:i can get down with the jansch pretty hardcore. needle of death is indeed a great song. on the other hand, i felt pretty weird when courtney love mentioned him in the same breath as sleater-kinney... that we have something in common. aye yai yai.

still, not crap. waffles here and there.

*ahem*

kenoki wrote:OMG PEOPLE PLEASE STOP MENTIONING FAIRPORT CONVENTION AND PENTANGLE please? I have nothing against folk or British Isles music, a lot of my favourites are their peers but holy shit y'all. When I first tried then out like 6 or 7 years ago, after a friend mentioned, all I wanted to do was run out and tear a congo drum to shreds. Next someone will be citing Janis Joplin.

I hate to do this Kenoki, but there you go!

I'm with you on Janis Joplin, though.

uh uh, nope. fairport convention and pentangle are still bad. we're talking jansch solo, right?

Great guitar player.

I've only heard Birthday Blues, but I thought it was a very nice record.