Drag City
Bert Jansch : The Black Swan (UK/US,2006)****°
This year Bert Jansch celebrated his 60th birthday. And while a whole new pile of artists are launched to give a new meaning to folk, luckily they didn’t forget the old heroes. Lots of names with growing public’s interests were into accompanying Bert Jansch on his new album, which is I think the first in 4 years (because he also did some limited releases which I rarely see offered or listed).
Three tracks were just Bert Jansch on guitar/vocals. The album features on the other tracks, Helena Espvall: cello (1) (Espers), Noah Georgeson: percussion (1), bass (9,10) (The Pleased, producer J.Newsom, D.Banhart), Adam Jansch: keyboards (1,9) (son of Bert, who participated before), Beth Orton: lead vocals (3,4,6,) (new singer-songwriter), Otto Hauser: drums (3,4,5,6,7,9) (Espers, Vetiver), Kevin Barker: percussion (4), lead guitar (6) (Curritck County), Devendra Banhart: second vocals (4) (weird folk s/sw), Paul Wassif: guitar (5), slide guitar (7), banjo (11) (solo guitarist), Richard Good: slide guitar (?) (9), Pete Newsom: drums (Pocket For Corduroy) (10), Maggie Boyle, flute (11) (folk singer who recorded with Steve Tilston and solo. She also recorded an album on Runriver Rec., a label run by Michael Klein (see also Bob Theil), as did Bert Jansch).
I'm not sure if Bert Jansch still needs an introduction. His first solo releases from 1965 showed personality and a very distinctive guitar style. With John Renbourne the next year, on “Jack Orion” he uplifted the English guitar style to more heights. Together with jazz double bass player Danny Thompson, Jacqui McShee, on vocals, and Terry Cox on drums the formed The Pentangle, a highly talented folkrock group with a new fascinating style, who were especially interesting from 1967-1985. John Renbourne after The Pentangle continued a style developed from there, first with Medieval and also Rennaissance leanings, where he evolved to present himself more as a guitar player with several fascinating results during his career, while also Jacqui McShee more recently wrote her next steps to her The Pentangle experiences. Bert Jansch continued with his solo career with various results, due to circumstantial control. With this new album, Bert Jansch has his chance to show the public his dignity, and what can represent it better than a black swan ?
“The Black Swan” is a beautiful song as if it were only slow moves which took Jansch to his destiny. The cello of Helena Espvall adds that dignity with a melancholic big "Why now?..".. "High Days" takes a look on days where everything was taken for granted and with perhaps with more indifference, because there were so many continuations, which now are resumed with a certain distance and a viewpoint of a wiser man. Just now, calmed down, Bert is able to look back, and he doesn't regret all the things that happened. While some people came and went, some might not have forgiven things, others did not always give all the efforts that were expected, and everybody just played their own parts in their own way, perhaps they always will, and that's all right. The next track, "When the Sun comes up" with a band, and sung by Beth Orton, reminds me very much of The Pentangle days (and of some song from that period). But Beth Orson has a very different interpretation to it, slightly Americanised, which is interesting to hear. A beautiful love song of someone who wants to pay tribute to love honestly again after having experienced how things failed some times. Also very successful and moving is the traditional "Katie Cruel" with wonderful acoustic guitar, again beautifully sung by Beth Orion, with nicely colouring backing vocals by Devendra Banhart, and some simple hand percussion by Currituck Co.'s Kevin Barker and by Otto Hauser (Espers). The bluesy traditional "My Pocket's Empty" became another brilliant, recognisable Bert Jansch version, as if it was his own inspiration, and his thoughts. "Watch The Stars" is sung by a more smoky voiced Beth Orton in duet with Bert Jansch, sung as if Bert never was away from the scene (we only didn't notice him so much, as being associated with his inner star). Also nice to hear is an old classic of his, "A Woman Like You", a song which gets here a new light, context and arrangement, slightly slowed down, and sung with heart. "The Old Triangle" is another traditional adapted for Jansch's unique guitar style and singing. "Bring your religion" is the first song on this album with a wider social context. The only track done which might be less understandable, is "Texas Cowboy Blues", a very style related track, which is more of a typical choice for smoky bars to attract those people who usually don't pay attention where the song needs more attention. But why not, it's done well, and for those in the American market that needs such a lift from the other songs, I guess this will help. "Magdalina's Dance" is a pleasant trio on 2 banjos (Jansch, Wassif) and flute (Maggie Boyle), which could have been like a memorable live act. The strong closing track is a happy blues track, "Hey Pretty Girl", with a few surprising guitar switches, about a girl who, as a matter of saying, married a rock'n roll band.
A perfect album and starter for the new generation of those who have these new folk interests.
