Search - Bert Jansch :: Birthday Blues & Rosemary Lane

A Tale of Two Berts

Steve Vrana | Aurora, NE | 07/18/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The coupling of 1969's Birthday Blues and 1971's Rosemary Lane showcases Scottish singer-songwriter-guitarist Bert Jansch in two different settings. On Birthday Blues (tracks 1-12), Jansch's fifth album, he is supported in various combinations by Ray Warleigh (alto saxophone, flute), Duffy Power (harmonica), and the Pentangle rhythm section of Danny Thompson (bass) and Terry Cox (drums). As such, much of this album is very much in the vein of his work with Pentangle: wonderful instrumentals ("Miss Heather Rosemary Sewell," "Birthday Blues"), blues-based compositions ("I've Got a Woman," "Promised Land," "Blues"), and traditional folk-derived material ("Come Sing Me a Happy Song...," "Tree Song," "A Woman Like You"). All songs are Jansch originals, except "Wishing Well," which is a Jansch-Briggs composition. [Note: This album was produced by Shel Talmy, who also was the producer for Pentangle's first three albums.]Because of touring and recording commitments with Pentangle, Jansch's sixth solo album would be another two years and was a return to a more traditional approach and featured Jansch only on vocal and guitar. In addition to ten Jansch originals, there are three traditional songs: "Rosemary Lane," perhaps the loveliest song he has ever recorded; "Reynardine," a folk standard that features some beautiful guitar work; and "Sylvie," Jansch's own version of "Once I Had a Sweetheart" which Jacqui McShee sang with Pentangle. Simply put, this is some of the most moving music you'll ever hear.While Jansch is revered in the British Isles as a keeper of the flame of traditional music, he is scarcely known in this country even though artists like Neil Young count him as a major influence. If you're looking for a solid introduction into the music of Bert Jansch this or the recently released The Pentangle Family would be a great way to get started. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED"

Great twofer!

C. H Smith | Bowling Green, Kentucky United States | 08/15/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"These are two of Jansch's earlier albums, originally released in 1969 (Birthday Blues) and 1971 (Rosemary Lane). Both are beautifully intimate and represent Jansch at his best. "Rosemary Lane" is all Bert: vocals and guitar. Nowhere will you find an album that better demonstrates the art of solo guitar accompaniment! Note especially the solo verse in 'Sylvie,' which conveys incredible emotional drama without deviating a single note from the same accompaniment line he uses in all the other verses. But just about every cut, including the three classically-inspired solo instrumentals, also features the last word in intelligent space-filling and inventive fingerings. "Birthday Blues" is not so well known an album, but frames Bert in small combo settings with sidemen like Danny Thompson, Duffy Power, Terry Cox, and Ray Warleigh to produce a charming effect not unlike Jansch's work with Pentangle (and of course Thompson and Cox were also in that group). There's not a poor cut on either album, and by the time you're done listening to them you will amply understand why Bert's style has alternately been referred to as "Baroque blues," or "folk jazz.""