An old-time guitar
hero in Fishtown?

Music Row
By Brian Rademaekers

Last week I wrote about the Fairport Convention, a British band that has seen much change and acclaim in its 40 years. On Monday, Philly will see guitar-plucking genius and folksinger Bert Jansch take the stage at Johnny Brenda’s.
While Jansch hails from the same isle as Fairport and has been playing for even longer, he has trailed them in gaining recognition —at least here in the States— and has made sparse changes in his style.
Among the Brits, Jansch is broadly recognized as a pioneering guitar hero and draws large crowds at big venues. That he is still playing the bar circuit on this side of the Atlantic may seem a travesty to those aware of his influence, but it also is a pleasant treat for those who know the secret.
Jansch, a native Scot who emerged out of the London scene in the 1960s, has earned himself the dubious title of a "musician’s musician," arguably making more of an impact on his peers than his own work’s presence on record shelves might show.
Indeed, my introduction to Jansch came not from hearing his own work, but from a Yo La Tengo cover of Jansch’s Needle of Death. Appearing on the 2003 EP Today is the Day, Yo La Tengo’s version of Needle was slow, eerie and lovely. It had me immediately seeking out the original artist, and I soon discovered Jansch’s expansive discography. Stretching back to 1965, Jansch’s work includes nearly 20 studio and live albums, with the latest being 2006’s The Black Swan.
Across those four decades, Jansch never wavers in his ability to deliver his trademark: wildly intricate and complex six-string plucking that is mind-boggling and breathtakingly beautiful. The prickly and harmonious twang that weaves its way through his rolling songs in unmistakable, whether it appears on a 30-year-old acoustic duet or the more rocking work during his years with Pentangle.
Lyrically, Jansch also provides a memorable experience, presenting dark topics in a distinctively unpolished voice that smacks of a warbled Nick Drake.
His music draws on influences from an expansive swath of styles, including traditional folk, blues, British ballads and psychedelic rock. But no matter what he is experimenting with, he always applies his brilliance in guitar work.
His knack on the frets has earned him the accolades of legends like Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page and The Smiths’ Johnny Marr — both of whom cite Jansch as an influence. Neil Young even went so far as to call him the Jimi Hendrix of the acoustic guitar.
Even as he made a deep impression on the icons of his day, Jansch continues to inspire a new generation of musicians. Last September’s The Black Swan is a striking testament to that fact, as well as proof that Jansch hasn’t lost his edge. On it we find some of the most prominent figures in the current psychedelic-folk revival, including Davandra Banhart, Beth Orton and members of Philadelphia’s own freak-folk band, The Espers.
This impressive cast of characters notwithstanding, Jansch emerges on the album as the guitar virtuoso that he always has been. Songs like When the Sun Comes Up strike back to the days of 1967’s Pentangle, with Orton crooning while Jansch slyly picks and slides his way through the bluesy number. Others, like Bring Your Religion, are sparser and shadowy, conjuring the master’s solo works with his beguiling vocals and delicate string-picking.
To soak up Jansch’s long history of making and inspiring incredible music is to realize that something very special is going to go down in Fishtown this Monday. Seeing him live is a privilege not to be shunned. Fans won’t do bad by showing up early to hear opener P.G. Six, either. They’re dropping down from Brooklyn. ••
Brian Rademaekers can be reached at 215-354-3039 or brademaekers@phillynews.com

Check it out . . .
Who: Bert Jansch
What: The hero of guitar heroes, presenting his newest batch of songs.
Where: Johnny Brenda’s, Frankford and Girard avenues in Fishtown.
When: Monday, June 4, at 9 p.m. Tickets are $15.