Bert Jansch "Acoustic Routes"

[v4c4tion b4y]

Hey all, I know it's been a while since my last post... I spent most of the last month traveling around and recording!  Now I'm back and I'm in W&W mode!

So this one's for fans of Bert Jansch.  I've collected all the clips from the obscure "Acoustic Routes" documentary from 1992 and put them on Work & Worry :

http://workandworry.com/2010/01/17/bert-jansch-acoustic-routes-documentary-1992/

It's a GREAT film, the commentary is fantastic, and there are some really rare little performances... enjoy!

[dermot]

I've had that CD in rotation since it came out, highly recomended!

d.

[Mantula]

Thanks so much for sharing v4c4tion b4by - I'm a huge fan of UK Folk 
And while at it, I subscribed to your fascinating site (congrats on the Pierre Bensusan item as well).

[PCT57]

Thanks for reminding me of this - I have it on video which I recorded when it was first shown on TV here in the UK   

[Randy_R]

Thanks for sharing. I've been a big fan of Bert and John since the 60's

[flatlander]

Thanks much. I'll admit I didn't know about him at all, so thanks for turning me on to him. It's great stuff.

[ncognito]

V4--

Thanks.  I have one Jansch/Renbourn CD.  I don't recall the name, but I really love this kind of music.  I'll check out the movie on Netflix.

           DAVE

[mudbox]

V4c4tion b4y

Thanks for sharing. Good stuff, that.  I was surprised to see Anne Briggs as she's known to be reclusive.  Does she perform now?

mudbox

[Randy_R]

see the Denis Turbide page when you're finished listening to Jansch.

http://workandworry.com/2009/08/17/interview-denis-turbide/

[olchip]

  Thank you so much for this! I had a great time watching!
Sorry, I couldn't help but paste the link on some french forums!!!

[Will Fly]

I remember the documentary when it first appeared on British TV. It was good to revisit it.

My particular hero was Davy Graham and - for me - THE album of choice was his Folk, Blues and Beyond. I was lucky enough to play with DG on several occasions, mainly at the Soho club Les Cousins, where many of us would gather for the Allniter sessions. These, always on a Saturday night, lasted from 11pm - after the evening session had finished - until around 4am in the morning, when we were kicked out to sleep in the Crypt - the basement of an old church, around the corner.

Sadly, Davy fell foul of heroin - by his own choosing - and, at the time this documentary was made, was not at his best. But, for me, he was the greatest guitar innovator in the UK in the 1960s. He influenced Jansch, John Renbourn, Al Stewart, John Martyn, and a host of others. The last time I went to see him live (1968) was a desperately sad experience, and I prefer - in my old age - to remember him in his prime in the mid-60s. He was a deeply intelligent man, and a hugely helpful guitar player to those who, like me, sought him out.

This is not to take anything away from Bert Jansch, who I also met but knew far less well than Davy. I would just say that, without Davy, folk music in Britain would have taken a different path. Interestingly, I have every one of the albums shown in the programme - I bought them at the time and still have them on vinyl! For me, the highlight of the programme was seeing Brownie McGhee...

Thanks for posting.

Will

[v4c4tion b4y]

Hi Will Fly -

I am also an enormous Davy Graham fan, and agree that his influence on the British revival scene was profound.  That's great that you got to play so many times with him at Les Cousins!

I'm friendly with Mark Pavey, who was managing Davy the last few years before his death, and continues to be in charge of most of his recorded catalog.  I'm hoping to play a show with Mark when I travel to the UK in March, and will no doubt have many questions about Davy for him...  In the meantime, I hope to do a full career retrospective about Davy on Work & Worry some time this year, and introduce even more people to where it all began for UK fingerstyle!

- R -

I remember the documentary when it first appeared on British TV. It was good to revisit it.

My particular hero was Davy Graham and - for me - THE album of choice was his Folk, Blues and Beyond. I was lucky enough to play with DG on several occasions, mainly at the Soho club Les Cousins, where many of us would gather for the Allniter sessions. These, always on a Saturday night, lasted from 11pm - after the evening session had finished - until around 4am in the morning, when we were kicked out to sleep in the Crypt - the basement of an old church, around the corner.

Sadly, Davy fell foul of heroin - by his own choosing - and, at the time this documentary was made, was not at his best. But, for me, he was the greatest guitar innovator in the UK in the 1960s. He influenced Jansch, John Renbourn, Al Stewart, John Martyn, and a host of others. The last time I went to see him live (1968) was a desperately sad experience, and I prefer - in my old age - to remember him in his prime in the mid-60s. He was a deeply intelligent man, and a hugely helpful guitar player to those who, like me, sought him out.

This is not to take anything away from Bert Jansch, who I also met but knew far less well than Davy. I would just say that, without Davy, folk music in Britain would have taken a different path. Interestingly, I have every one of the albums shown in the programme - I bought them at the time and still have them on vinyl! For me, the highlight of the programme was seeing Brownie McGhee...

Thanks for posting.

Will

[Will Fly]

I look forward to seeing you over here! Let me know dates and venues and I'll try and get to see you. I don't know Mark Pavey but I've heard of him, of course. Good luck to the man for trying to get Davy's career revived in these latter years - but I think he was on a hiding to nothing, myself.

If you need any harder-edged reminiscences about Davy in his earlier years in London, and the Cousins scene, let me know and I'll put something more detailed from what I know down formally for you.

Cheers,

Will

[PCT57]

You mention the great Davey Graham - in the early nineties my wife and I took our then very young son to London for a few days and one evening whilst walking back to the hotel we passed Andy's guitar shop (I think) and there was a notice saying Davey would be playing that evening. My wife said I could come back and of course I could not miss that - it was really strange because it was a very, very small room and there was only about 5 or 6 people. Unfortunately Davey was not on form and it was quite dissapointing - never the less I saw the 'great man' play sat only a couple of yards in front of him.

[andy thompson]

The hairs on the back of my neck are now standing up....just joined to ask usual string choice question and not only are there Jansch fans but Will Fly who has done the  only Angi  tutorial that made sense, I think Im in the right place.

[v4c4tion b4y]

Welcome, Andy... Yeah, there are some BIG Bert Jansch fans on this forum, and I'm up there with the biggest!

The hairs on the back of my neck are now standing up....just joined to ask usual string choice question and not only are there Jansch fans but Will Fly who has done the  only Angi  tutorial that made sense, I think Im in the right place.

[tubeornot2b]

Now there's a guitar player! Thanks for the link great footage. I sent the link on to an English friend from the era when Jansch emerged on the scene. He loved it and sends his thanks as well.