Bert Jansch

Hey All –

A special thanks to Nate for posting for me last week. I was traveling the beautiful country of Spain for the last 12 days and was not around computers very much. I kept my eyes peeled while traveling for a great new band to bring back as a souvenir for all of you, but found very little aside from the very somber, and beautiful, music that encompassed the holy week processions over there. What I did find is that American music greatly influences much of Europe. Many people I talked to from various countries listened largely to American music. Nevertheless, in the spirit of being abroad I will focus this weeks post on one of my favorite musicians from across the pond. Bert Jansch.

Bert Jansch is a legendary folk musician from Scotland. But I don’t think his fame has stretched too far beyond Scotland/England and the folk community. He has been putting out albums since the 1960’s and has worked with many of the most legendary musicians in recent history. He has released over twenty of his own albums, and I must admit I have heard only a portion of them. His most recent offering was “The Black Swan” from 2006. It is a drifty folk album, and one of the finest of its kind that I have ever heard. It is also one of the best rainy day driving albums that I have encountered.

Enjoy,

ben.