Since we’re all a tight-knit music-lovin’ community, we created this segment so that some of our good friends who are doing good things in the industry of human happiness could share the records that they’ve been diggin’ on lately.
Our second edition of Grooves Shared comes from Dog Gone Blog’s Sam Davis, whose blog explores music of all colors. He’s definitely turned me on to some amazing stuff over the past year or so. DGB will also host a Post-Phish extravaganza on Friday, December 30th with Superhuman Happiness and DJ sets by DGB and Unicorn Pudding.
Sam has done a little something different for this edition of Grooves Shared, but I’ll let him explain. Take it away, Sam…
A Tribute to Bert Jansch
As the year draws to a close, many of us begin to look back on the events that have shaped the past 12 months. For me, personally, one such event occurred on October 5th, when the world was forced to bid farewell to acoustic guitar legend Bert Jansch. In the early 1960s, Jansch was one of the key figures behind the British folk revival, performing solo acoustic arrangements as well as being a founding member of the influential group, Pentangle.
Known for his trademark fingerpicking style, the guitarist has been cited as a major inspiration by musicians such as Neil Young, Jerry Garcia, Jimmy Page, Paul Simon, Johnny Marr, Devendra Banhart and many, many more. For this installment of Grooves Shared, I chose to discuss some of my favorite Jansch tunes as a tribute to one of the greatest acoustic guitar players the world has ever known.
“Angie”
“Angie” is a Davy Graham acoustic instrumental featured on Bert’s self-titled debut LP from 1965. Jansch cited Graham as an influence for his fingerpicking guitar style, and this recording shows that style in its early stages. In the late 60s, this was considered the defining guitar piece for aspiring folk artists to learn. Paul Simon slightly altered the title to “Anji” and recorded a version of the tune on Sounds of Silence. However, Simon was forced to use overdubs to imitate what Bert had done on a single guitar.
“Needle of Death”
Perhaps Bert’s most well-known tune. The song tackles the subject of a junkie suffering with addiction, highlighting the melancholy feel that would become Bert’s trademark songwriting style. Showing a contemporary result of Jansch’s influence, the song is covered on Yo La Tengo’s Today is the Day EP from 2003.
“It Don’t Bother Me”
The title track from Jansch’s sophomore LP, also released in 1965. One of the most beautiful songs in the guitarist’s repertoire, featuring his signature syncopated fingerpicking style where he uses a thumb pick to play the bass lines with his fingers independently plucking the melody.
“Do You Hear Me Now”
Recent Rock Hall of Fame inductee Donovan is one of the most outspoken supporters of Jansch’s music, and on his Universal Soldier EP from 1967 he offers a take on the latter’s protest tune “Do You Hear Me Now.” This version helped to spread the word of Bert’s music to a wider, mainstream audience.
“Jack Orion”
The central cut off Jansch’s third album by the same name. The ten-minute epic (a rare occurence on folk albums of the time) adapts the Child ballad “Glasgerion” and features long time collaborator, and future Pentangle band mate, John Renbourne on second guitar.
“A Woman Like You”
Featured on Pentangle’s double live LP Sweet Child, recorded at the Royal Festival Hall in London on June 29, 1968. The highly detailed LP sleeve reads: “a solo by Bert which Bert describes as ‘a cross between a love song and a black magic song.’ Bert uses D tuning on his guitar.”
“Poison”
From Bert’s sixth LP, Birthday Blues, released in 1969. On the album, Jansch steps away from the solo acoustic mold and begins using a backing band that includes members of Pentangle. The song remained a fixture of his live sets until his passing.
“Katy Cruel”
The final album Bert released was 2006’s The Black Swan, which includes an arrangement of the classic folk tune “Katy Cruel” with guest vocals from Beth Orton and Devendra Banhart.
