Artist: Bert Jansch
Posted: Sun Jun 10, 2007 11:03 am
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.
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.