Article Contributed on: 5/26/2009 11:15:47 AM
Following his internationally acclaimed album,
The Black Swan, and fresh from the triumphant UK reunion of the original line up of Pentangle in 2008, Bert Jansch celebrates the long awaited first-time CD release of his three albums recorded for Charisma in the 1970s: the seminal
LA Turnaround,
Santa Barbara Honeymoon and
A Rare Conundrum, with a 22-date tour of North America this summer. Swallow Hill is pleased to host Jansch's Denver stop on Sunday, June 28 at 7 p.m.
Bert Jansch, legendary songwriter and guitarist, is widely acknowledged as one of the most influential musicians of all time. Since the mid-1960s, generation after generation has been held spellbound by his extraordinary ground-breaking guitar playing and classic emotive songs. Jimmy Page, Neil Young, Nick Drake, Johnny Marr, Bernard Butler and Beth Orton have all been devotees, and now yet another new generation of musicians and fans, led by Devendra Banhart, are discovering Jansch for themselves. Jimmy Page says, "At one point, I was absolutely obsessed with Bert Jansch. When I first heard that LP [1965], I couldn't believe it. It was so far ahead of what everyone else was doing. No one in America could touch that."
Jansch began performing his unique synthesis of folk, blues and jazz on the folk club scene of the early 1960s, having hitch-hiked to London from his hometown of Edinburgh. His first self-titled album (played on a borrowed guitar and recorded on a reel-to-reel tape deck) was legendarily sold to the Transatlantic label for £100. On its release in April 1965, Jansch caused a sensation for its innovative guitar technique and powerful songs, and it has been phenomenally influential to this day, cited by legions of guitar players (famous and otherwise) as a major inspiration.
The Black Swan has been hailed internationally as one of his greatest albums.
MOJO called it an "instant classic" and gave it five stars (something hardly ever seen), while in the U.S. it was proclaimed "better than Dylan" (
San Francisco Weekly). Jansch worked with some of the latest musicians to emerge on the scene on The Black Swan, including producer Noah Georgeson (Devendra Banhart -
Cripple Crow, Joanna Newsom -
Milk-Eyed Mender), and musicians and vocalists Beth Orton, Devendra Banhart, Otto Hauser (Espers, Vetiver), Helena Espvall (Espers) and Kevin Barker (Currituck Co.).
In a live setting, his performances are still a rare opportunity to see one of the British music scene's true legends play. His understated, low key approach eschews hollow show business routines, and the audience is treated to a guitar playing master class and an impressive catalogue of some of the most haunting songs in the British canon.
Sparse performer, slyly intelligent country-folk artist, Nels Andrews, will open the show.
For tickets visit
www.swallowhillmusic.org or call (303) 777-1003 x2. Discounts are available for Swallow Hill members. Buy in advance and save! Swallow Hill Music Association is located at 71 East Yale Avenue (just off Broadway) in Denver.