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Elly Roberts reviews
Sanctuary Records
- Released: September 2006
- Rating: 10/10+
Never one for hogging the limelight, Bert Jansch continues to plough his solitary path, with some additions.
Since his eponymous debut in April 1965, Jansch has influenced musicians allover the world, and enthralled everyone with his guitar wizardry such asLed Zeppelins Jimmy Page.
For Black Swan hes enlisted the diverse talents of fansDevendra Banhart, Noah Georgeson, Devendras bassist as co-producer/mixerand Brit singer Beth Orton. This superb collection of eight originals andtrad covers is his best in a long time. Recorded at his home studio over2004/5 this wonderful album has all the hallmarks of his penchant stylisticfusions – folk, blues and jazz, as he continues to cast his magic spell at 63.
Black Swan is a clever blend of Jansch gig intimacy (that hes madehis living from for the past 30 years) and enhanced gems with an Americanafeel using slide guitar, cello, synths, bass and percussion, featured onatmospheric classic A Woman Like You, which he used to sing in hisPentangle Days.
Best track, jaunty Watch The Stars which he sang (with his girlfriend)when he was sixteen, now has Beth Orton doing the vocals, and its amasterstroke.
Duelling banjos by Jansch and Paul Wassif, with Maggie Boyle on Bolivianflavoured flute, turn the sparkling Magdalinas Dance into an instrumentalwonder.
With all contributors doing a fine job, its still the Jansch solo digitalworkouts that never fail to impress – High Days, Hey Pretty Girl andtrad The Old Triangle. Bob Dylan may have influenced Texas CowboyBlues, because sure as hell sounds like him, with rhythm sectionersNoah Georgeson on bass and drummer Pete Newsom providing a neat shuffle.
This year MOJO magazine awarded him the highly prestigious Merit Award forhis awe-inspiring contribution to music. Hes now inspiring a new generationof musicians, and wowing music critics, including me.
Weblinks:bertjansch.com /myspace.com/bertjansch
The full list of tracks included are :
1. Black Swan
2. High Days
3. When The Sun Comes Up
4. Katie Cruel
5. My Pockets Empty
6. Watch The Stars
7. A Woman Like You
8. The Old Triangle
9. Bring Your Religion
10. Texas Cowboys Blues
11. Magdalinas Dance
12. Hey Pretty Girl
Elly Roberts passed away in 2011, but he was a man who was so passionate about all types of music and loved meeting his musical heroes, such as Mick Hucknall at a book signing at the Trafford Centre, Manchester in 2007.
A former teacher and also a music journalist, DJ and radio presenter on local community station Calon FM, plus appearances on BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Cymru and BBC Radio 2, Elly started doing reviews for DVDfever.co.uk in 2004 and he did the majority of the CD and concerts reviews on the website.
I know also that he loved getting away for the summer to Spain and I hope that wherever he is now he is enjoying the hot sunshine and, as one of his friends has said on his Facebook page, that he is interviewing his musical heroes.