"Avocet" by BERT JANSCH and MARTIN JENKINS (2016 Earth Records CD Remaster) - A Review by Mark Barry...

"...Bittern...Stellarus..."

Quite who was listening to Bert Jansch and his two pals Martin Jenkins and Danny Thompson in February 1979 on the 'budget' label Class (part of the Charisma Records group in the UK) is anybody's guess. I doubt anyone was - and that would most definitely have been 'their' loss.

The entirely instrumental "Avocet" album has an 18-minute title track on Side 1 and the other 5 bird-themed flick-and-strums on Side 2 give it a bit of a New Age meets early Americana vibe (high guitars vs. high production values). Budget label or not - in the huge 51-year arsenal (1965 to 2016) of the mighty ex Pentangle Guitar player Bert Jansch - time and a tasteful remaster have been kind to the forgotten but strangely hypnotic "Avocet" album. 

This is a gorgeous record - ambling guitar themes that float over you like a more-mellow Gordon Giltrap or Sufjan Stevens or even the soundscapes of Boards Of Canada. It isn’t all pointless noodling either – there is warmth to this Acoustic music - and at times the whole album’s swirl and sway feel like it was ahead of its Progressive time - pre-dating Nineties sounds by at least twelve years. Time for a tasty reissue - here are the flighty details...

UK released February 2016 - "Avocet" by BERT JANSCH on Earth Records EARTHCD010L (Barcode 809236171092) is a straightforward CD Reissue and Remaster of the 1979 LP and plays out as follows (37:09 minutes):

1. Avocet (17:59 minutes)

2. Lapwing (1:31 minutes) [Side 2]

3. Bittern (7:49 minutes)

4. Kingfisher (3:44 minutes)

5. Osprey (3:16 minutes)

6. Kittiwake (2:48 minutes)

Tracks 1 to 6 are the album "Avocet" - first released 1978 in Denmark on Exlibris Records EXL 30.005 (credited to Bert Jansch and Martin Jenkins). It was then released February 1979 in the UK (credited to only Bert Jansch) on Charisma CLASS 6 and November 1980 in the USA on Kicking Mule KM 310. Recorded in February 1978 at Sweet Silence Studios in Copenhagen, Denmark - Engineered and Produced by Freddy Hansson and Fleming Rasmussen - all songs are by Bert Jansch except "Osprey" which is by Martin Jenkins.

Players:

BERT JANSCH - Guitar and Piano

MARTIN JENKINS - Mandocello, Violin and Flute

DANNY THOMPSON - Double Bass

The artwork for the LP has had three incarnations - the Denmark original 1978 LP with only the Avocet bird in pencil - the British reissue with five birds drawn in colour aside an inset picture of Bert with Guitar - and now this Earth Records 2016 reissue which opts for a simple but very elegant cover. The textured gatefold card sleeve is gorgeous to look at and feel with an 8-page booklet in the left flap and an 'Earth Records' inner sleeve in the right. The booklet has the six birds drawn in beautiful colour by artist HANNAH ALICE - one to each page with their correct anatomical name beneath each - Avocet (Recurvirostra Avosetta), Lapwing (Vanellus Vanellus) and so on. The downside is no liner notes of any kind. You're getting more info from me on the album than you are from the reissue that is a ridiculous situation and something 'Earth Records' needs to rectify in the future. The Remaster has been done by BRIAN PYLE (doesn't say where) and is truly beautiful - as was the original recording anyway.

Side 1 is taken up with the extraordinary "Avocet" - eighteen instrumental minutes of Acoustic Guitar pickings, Violin strokes and heavy Double-Bass meanderings. There's a central musical theme that keeps recurring - but then in goes off in tangents - Jansch on guitar alone - then Jenkins comes in on either Violin or Flute - while Danny Thompson gives it some Nick Drake/John Martyn plucks on his Double Bass. "Lapwing" is only Jenkins on Piano and feels like a Mozart ditty someone plays in a BBC production of "Pride And Prejudice".

You get a real John Martyn feel to "Bittern" circa "Solid Air" where Danny's DB dominates the track. Initially Jansch solos away on Electric and Acoustic Guitars but it slows into an unexpected Thompson solo - huge sliding notes and plucks rattling your speakers (probably my favourite track). "Kingfisher" has a beauty too - Martin Jenkins' Violin playing set against DT's Bass plucking giving the whole thing a 'where have I heard that ancient melody before' feeling - gorgeous stuff. "Osprey" is dominated by Jenkins on Violin as Jansch accompanies on Acoustic Guitar and Danny plucks that Double Bass as only he can. The playing on this song is fabulous as is the Remaster. It ends on the pretty Acoustic assault of "Kittiwake".

"Avocet" is the very definition of 'overlooked gem that shouldn't be' - an album that cries out for rediscovery. Call it Folk - call it England's 1978 answer to 1990s Americana - call it Progressive even - "Avocet" is kind of magical and well done to Earth Records for making it available again...

"Sunday's Child" by JOHN MARTYN - January 1975 UK LP on Island Records (2005 UK Island Masters 'Expanded Edition' CD Remaster) - A Review by Mark Barry of his 1975 LP on Island Records...

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This Review and 204 More Like It Are Available In My

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CAPT. FANTASTIC - 1975

Your All-Genres Guide To

Exceptional CD Reissues & Remasters 

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"...I Believe You Can Make Me Feel Better..." 

In a 10-year period between 1967 and 1977 - John Martyn (onew of the UK's finest Folk-Soul troubadours) made so many albums that it was all too easy to 'not notice' the rough diamonds amongst the polished paste.

Most music fans will be aware of his acknowledged masterpieces - 1973's "Solid Air" and 1977's "One World" – but they miss out on the truly lovely Folk simplicity of his October 1967 Mono debut "London Conversation" (see review) and the gorgeous Nick Drake vibe that flows off his equally forgotten November 1971 album "Bless The Weather". But there’s also "Sunday's Child" - his unfairly ignored LP from early 1975. Featuring some of his loveliest songs - "You Can Discover", "Lay It All Down" and a spine-tingling rendition of an English Traditional "Spencer The Rover" - sat alongside Jazzier pieces like "Call Me Crazy" and the straight-up Pop of "Clutches" – the whole record is a wonderful fusion of trippy Acoustic warmth, Funky-Rock and Echoplex Folk-Soul. There is only one bum note for me (a misplaced Rock song called "Root Love") – but apart from that – it’s another gem from JM...

Recorded in August 1974 at Island's Studios in Hammersmith and released January 1975 - few people outside of diehard fans seemed to heed its release. It was his sixth studio LP (not counting his own privately pressed live album "Live At Leeds") for the ever patient Island Records but the public just weren’t buying in sufficient numbers to make a real break through. Hell even something as obviously brilliant and tuneful as the "One World" LP that hit the UK shop racks in November 1977 would have to wait until February 1978 to chart - and even then it was for only one week at No. 54. 

Martyn toured and promoted the "Sunday's Child" album extensively - joined on stage most nights by his Double Bass playing rhythm section and integral piece of his sound - Danny Thompson. Even Paul Kossoff of Free legendarily pulled out his axe on occasion on that tour (struggling as he was with drug addiction even then). Musically "Sunday's Child" saw Iain David McGeachy in a really good place - married with a daughter and another child on the way (his son would be born after the album’s release in May 1975) - his contented family vibe oozing off tracks like the gorgeous "Lay It On Down" (lyrics from it title this review) and "You Can Discover". 

Time to get to the CD Reissue details...

UK released November 2005 - "Sunday's Child" by JOHN MARTYN on Island Masters IMCD 323 (Barcode 602498307359) is an 'Expanded Edition' CD Remaster that offers the 11-track 1975 LP bolstered up with 7 Previously Unreleased Bonus Tracks and plays out as follows (63:16 minutes):

1. One Day Without You
2. Lay It On Down
3. Root Love
4. My Baby Girl
5. Sunday's Child
6. Spencer The Rover
7. Clutches [Side 2]
8. The Message
9. Satisfied Mind
10. You Can Discover
11. Call Me Crazy
Tracks 1 to 11 are his 8th studio album "Sunday's Child" - released January 1975 in the UK and USA on Island Records ILPS 9296 (same catalogue number for both countries - it didn't chart in either). Produced by JOHN MARTYN - all songs written by JM except "Spencer The Rover" and "Satisfied Mind" which are Traditional Song cover versions.

BONUS TRACKS (all PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED):
12. Ellie Rhee - recorded 26 August 1974 at Island Studios in Hammersmith, London
13. Satisfied Mind (First Mix) - recorded 25 August 1974 at Island Studios in Hammersmith, London
14. One Day Without You
15. You Can Discover
16. My Baby Girl
17. The Message
18. Spencer The Rover - Tracks 14 to 18 recorded 7 January 1975 for a BBC Radio 1 'John Peel Session'

Musicians:
JOHN MARTYN - Guitar, Moog, Clavinet and Lead Vocals (Duet Vocals with Beverly Martyn on "My Baby Girl")
JOHN "Rabbit" BUNDRICK - Piano, Kesh Sathie and Tablas
DANNY THOMPSON - Double Bass
AL ANDERSON - Electric Bass on "One Day Without You"
TERRY WILSON - Electric Bass on "Clutches"
LIAM GENOCKEY - Drums
TONY BRAUNAGEL - Drums on "Clutches"

Compiled for CD by Mark Powell of Esoteric Recordings - the 12-page colour booklet has new liner notes from noted Martyn expert JOHN HILLARBY. They go into a brief history of his career with Island Records (who stuck with him to 1986) - the before, during and after of the album and his sad demise in 2009 - as beloved as ever by fans and those within the music business. There are photos of Martyn in various live poses (usually with his Acoustic Guitar) and a fabulous new PASCHAL BYRNE Remaster that makes everything sing. This is a beautiful sounding CD...and one that comes with genuinely excellent and exciting Bonus Tracks too.

The album opens on a great one-two sucker punch of winning melodies - "One Day Without You" and the immensely touching "Lay It All Down". John Martyn's style at this time had been honed right from 1971 through to "Solid Air" in 1973 - a sort of half Folk-half Jazz feel - all Acoustic Guitars heavily strummed while a funky rhythm section headed up by Upright Bass genius Danny Thompson. I love these songs (especially "Lay It All Down" where he sex-slurs that deep voice of his into a sensual drawl that would make audience knicker-elastic melt at ten paces. 

But then he does what he did on too many albums - he throws in something way too harsh and out of step with the other songs. In this case it's the brash and cynical Hard Rock of "Root Love" - a poor riffage tune that I can't abide even now - 41 years after the event. Side One thankfully gets rescued by a trio of sweethearts - a ballad to their daughter Mhairi (who was born February 1971 and is pictured on the rear sleeve of the original vinyl LP), the sexy Funk of "Sunday's Child" and the gorgeous Traditional acoustic amble of "Spencer The Rover" - a song he wrestled out of Robin Dransfield in the mid Sixties at the Glasgow Folk Centre when he accosted the Guitarist post gig and forced him to teach a 16-year old Martyn the song.

Side 2 opens with the Little Feat boogie funk of "Clutches" - and again - even though it's good - it feels slightly out of place on a largely mellow album. Back to business with "The Message" that incorporates the Traditional Folk ditty "Marie's Wedding" into its lovely rhythms and lyrics. Written by Joe 'Red Hayes and Jack Rhoads - Country superstar Porter Wagoner had a hit in 1955 on RCA Victor with "Satisfied Mind" - here Martyn slows it down into a creeping Blues song - a troubled mind longing for peace (a bit like himself I'm guessing). The Byrds, Dylan and Tim Hardin have covered “Satisfied Mind” amongst many others.

Fans adore "You Can Discover" - a great Martyn groove that turns up on Best Of's and Anthologies - and surely one of the LPs real highlights (the Remaster has brought out Bundrick's piano playing). It ends well. Just when you think you know the measure of the seven and half minute "Call Me Crazy" (Funk Rock) - about 4:20 minutes in - it suddenly grinds to an almost halt and you get an Acoustic three minutes of astonishing beauty. Plucked guitar strings rattle and shimmy - his Acoustic Guitar plugged into an echo chamber while Danny Thompson runs up and down the frets of his Double Bass caressing sliding refrains. It's like a precursor to the beautiful "Small Hours" eight-minute Echoplex and workout on "One World". Fabulous stuff...

Fans will flip for the truly gorgeous "Ellie Rhee" - an entirely Acoustic Folk song dating from the American Civil War with a properly lovely feel and melody. Hillarby reproduces its lyrics in the booklet on Page 10 and it should have replaced the awful "Root Love" on Side 1 in my books. The 'First Mix' of "Satisfied Mind" is superb too but I can hear why the released version was instead. The excellence continues with five recorded for John Peel's Radio 1 show in January 1975. Good news on all fronts - the Audio is shockingly good even if there is a little wobble here and there (especially on "The Message") and the performances (largely Acoustic) are thrilling. He slays "One Day Without You" as he plucks and slaps his Guitar's scratch plate. An equally pretty "You Can Discover" follows but an overloaded tape distortion does for a beautiful version of "Spencer The Rover" - a song that often made me cry and leaves you wondering how come no-one noticed this quality back in the day?

Would it have been different if he'd included "Ellie Rhee" and dropped the 'too heavy' "Root Love" - a song that confused listeners and killed the mood before it had a chance to blossom. Whatever way you look at it I've always felt "Sunday's Child" was a couple of whippets short of a Folk-Soul masterpiece and this wickedly good (and dirt cheap) CD only hammers that home.

"...As valiant a man as ever left home..." he sang on the beautiful "Spencer The Rover". Gorgeous and then some...be with the angels you songsmith hero...

"Spirit Of The Century" by THE BLIND BOYS OF ALABAMA - A Review Of Their 2001 Album (CD) On Peter Gabriel's Real World Records (with Tom Waits, Hen Harper and John Hammond)...

“…I’m Gonna Leave This Place Better…” 

The first thing that hammers you about “Spirit Of The Century” is the truly fabulous sound quality – ‘so’ extraordinarily good. Second - your stroked by the ancient black voices – graveled and wise like Mount Rushmore. Next are the fabulous accompanying musicians classing up every single tune with Bluesy Harmonica (Charlie Musselwhite), Double Bass (Danny Thompson), live Drums (Michael Jerome), Electric and Slide Guitar (David Lindley) and tightly strung Dobro (John Hammond). And then there’s the song choices – Tom Waits, Ben Harper and The Rolling Stones sit easy alongside Gospel songs that go back centuries (never mind this one). The effect is immediate, spirit lifting and effortless cool all at the same time. Not bad for a bunch of visually impaired Octogenarians…

The Blind Boys Of Alabama of today are Clarence Fountain, Jimmy Carter, George Scott and Joey Williams (they alternate lead vocals) and “Spirit Of The Century” was their first album for Peter Gabriel’s Real World Records released April 2001 on CDRW95. Of its 12-tracks (47:14 minutes) Tom Waits contributes “Jesus Gonna Be Here” (Clarence sings lead) and his stunning “Way Down In The Hole” (Jimmy Carter sings lead) which of course famously became the theme song to the critically acclaimed TV Series “The Wire”. Ben Harper stumps up the beautiful and moving “Give A Man A Home” (Clarence sings lead) while “Just Wanna See His Face” was on The Rolling Stones 1972 double-album masterpiece “Exile On Main St.”. The other 8 are Traditional Tunes of varying age.

Amongst the oldies are stunning rocking versions of “Soldier” (“I’m a soldier in the army of the Lord…”) and a slinky slow Dobro Blues on “Nobody’s Fault But Mine”. Danny Thompson’s Double Bass and George Scott’s canyon’s deep bass vocal make “Run On For A Long Time” a funky Gospel gem. And it ends on a gorgeous Acapella take on “The Last Time” (“this may be the last time children…I don’t know…”). They went on to make “Higher Ground” in 2002, “Go Tell It To The Mountain” in 2003 (with even more stellar guests like Mavis Staples, Shelby Lynne, Tom Waits, Aaron Neville and Me’Shell NdegeOcello) and “There Will Be A Light” (with Ben Harper) in 2004. But for me this is the best of a great run.

The Blind Boys Of Alabama have been singing Gospel Music since they were formed in the Talladega Institute For The Blind in 1939 (yes 1939). That they should get such a joyful and creative renaissance at the hands of white boys paying rightful homage is icing on a very lovely cake.

Bluesy, Soulful, Righteous – and in 2015 – “Spirit Of The Century” on CD is dirt cheap to buy. Get this gem in your Spiritual armory and right soon…