john martyn died today

[st. john]

the singer was only 60.  wrote some beautiful songs.
sad.

[dragonboy]

Oh you're fucking kidding... :'(

http://www.mymorningjacket.com/cgi-bin/forum/YaBB.pl?num=1223987580/13#13

Ah shit that really is too fucking bad. (What a terrible thing to say) but maybe now he will get the recognition he deserves...

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPb1OX8bbeY[/media]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPb1OX8bbeY

Fuck  :'(

[dragonboy]

Ahh shit this hurts so much! I should be tucked up in bed right now but had a fight with 'er in doors (what's new?) & came online...

You will be sorely missed Sir!  :'(

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lusPaLec9TE[/media]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lusPaLec9TE

[dragonboy]

http://www.mojo4music.com/blog/2009/01/john_martyn_1948_2009.html

John Martyn, British folk pioneer and one of the finest guitarists of the last forty years, has died at his home in Glasgow. He was 60.

A statement on his official website reads: "With heavy heart and an unbearable sense of loss we must announce that John died this morning."

Our thoughts are with his family and friends.

A full obituary will follow shortly.

Here's his Old Grey Whistle Test performance of May You Never in 1973:

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LOi_wxypeGc[/media]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LOi_wxypeGc

[st. john]

thank you dragonboy for putting up that clip.
it's my favorite jm song. i think i have heard it almost my entire life and am sure that half the reason i love jj's voice and madness is because of the ground laid down by john martyn.

he was awarded an obe in the queen's honour list at the new year.

bless him where ever he goes now.

[red]

I confess of not really paying much attention to him until today.  RIP, gentle soul.  

"May You Never" -  :'(.  Wow.  I'm heading to the record stores tomorrow and will be looking for 'Solid Air'.  Any others that I should keep an eye out for?

Edit: Ordered 'Solid Air' online tonight, still open to other recommendations, though.

[red]

This song just crushed me.   :'(

[media]http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=pYLVM560Fok[/media]
http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=pYLVM560Fok

[dragonboy]

I'm still working my way through his catalogue...I bought lots of his CDs late last year.

Solid Air is probably my fav (a sound investment K) then Bless The Weather.

This makes me feel so sad  :'(

[dragonboy]

Solid Air is probably my fav (a sound investment K) then Bless The Weather.

Here's a lovely track from Bless The Weather:

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lusPaLec9TE[/media]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lusPaLec9TE

[dragonboy]

[dragonboy]

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_UEkfXy1eBk[/media]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_UEkfXy1eBk

[st. john]

don't some of the fotos remind you of jim.
hope jj watches his ways.
he looked trim and hot and health at msg and looks less so one month later in australia. bet it's all fun but.
only known of mmj for less than a year but over this time more than once has the similarities crossed my mind. u?

guess the saddest bit is too accept just how sad jm was in his life.

[dragonboy]

I'd love to hear Jim cover a few John Martyn songs!

Yeah John definitely went through some rough times. You can really hear it in his music - Hurt In Your Heart & Baby Please Come Home from Grace & Danger are two examples.

[st. john]

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=TkcmB8a1cn8&feature=related

[October]

i lived in scotland for a time and was supposed to see JM live on several occasions, but it always worked out that i missed him.  i've managed to catch bert jansch, but never martyn.  really regret that now.  

[dragonboy]

i lived in scotland for a time and was supposed to see JM live on several occasions, but it always worked out that i missed him.  i've managed to catch bert jansch, but never martyn.  really regret that now.  

Hey October  :)

How was Bert Jansch? He's another of my favourites:
http://www.mymorningjacket.com/cgi-bin/forum/YaBB.pl?num=1227099214/4#4

Like John Martyn, I'm slowly working my way through his amazing catalogue...

[dragonboy]

http://blog.allmusic.com/2009/1/30/in-appreciation-of-john-martyn-1948-2009/

We were deeply saddened to learn that Scottish songwriter, guitarist, and true legend John Martyn passed away early on January 29, only weeks after being awarded Great Britain's OBE (Order of the British Empire)–not bad for a rebellious lifelong Scotsman. His website announced his death with the words: "With heavy heart and an unbearable sense of loss we must announce that John died this morning." As of this writing, the cause of that death is unknown but it hardly matters. What does is that in place of that gruff, slurring, dark, smoky voice and stunning guitar playing completely of his own design, is the silence, the gap, the void, the damn black hole in life that he filled by singing those unbearably emotional songs of his.

Americans know Martyn—if at all– for one track and perhaps one album: Solid Air, written for his friend, the late Nick Drake. And it's our collective loss that we don't know more because he was one of the TRUE giants. He may not have had the massive success he was due, but a quick survey of his fans on the other side of the Atlantic–and to be fair, a relative few here in America— usually place his name alongside those of Dylan, Morrison, and Lennon because his work was on that level. Martyn recorded more than 20 studio albums, and issued countless live dates. Some are better than others to be sure, and he was known to be erratic on stage and off. But he once said of his behavior: "If I could control myself more, I think the music would be much less interesting. I'd probably be a great deal richer but I'd have had far less fun and I'd be making really dull music."

Control wasn't the issue with Martyn. It may have been in his life, but when it came to the music itself, he sought only the truth of the song. His method of compositions and especially of performance was one of direct transmission, from inspiration in the heart, that translated to words and music and went straight back there. His songs were always raw, hardcore autobiography and emotional honesty, and the ones he covered he performed that way Martyn's world was the song, and he was its arbiter, its transmitter; he did everything he could to make the person disappear and have the song stand in his stead. His career was always a shambles but he didn't give a damn about it. He'd lost a leg in 2003 due to septicemia, caused by diabetes due to his substance abuse problems, but it never slowed him down; he simply went on the road in a wheelchair and adapted. Check the video below, recorded in 2007 by Phil Cunningham as an episode in a series on art and emotion. Cunningham interviews Martyn, who also performs one of his most beautiful and moving songs,, "Hurt In Your heart," from his classic "Grace & Danger" album.

From stripped down blues and folk, to electronic inflected pop, chamber-influenced jazz and acid-drenched rock without a care; he pursued only the song itself, which was the driving force in his own heart as a writer, he sought to disappear completely as a person and allow song to stand in his stead. He accomplished this with his utterly original guitar playing—just ask U2's the Edge who's entire style is based on Martyn's—his early use of the wah wah pedal on an acoustic guitar, and more importantly for his employing loop and delay technology—preceding even Brian Eno's and Robert Fripp's, as well as for his truly singular method of singing that slurred lines between notes and modalities, and at times sounded more like a saxophone than a human voice.

Big John, rest easy, and thank you for everything.

[October]

hey dragonboy,

jansch was incredible.  i actually saw him in boston once i moved back home from scotland.  his voice has aged, certainly, but his guitar playing is still amazing.  i will always be glad to have heard him play blackwaterside live, especially as he seems to be touring less and less these days.

as much as i enjoy jansch, though, i prefer martyn and his body of work.  years ago i heard a clapton cover of "may you never" and heard also that clapton had not written the song.  i figured, hey this is really good and sought the originator and that's how i found martyn.  once i moved to edinburgh, he would come through every few months and i always was like: i better make it to this show, but you know how things go.

anyway, I started with Martyn's Island Anthology which i think is a great compilation of his best stuff.  grace & danger, solid air, and bless the weather are great too.  also, on itunes there is an In Session At the BBC album which is wonderful.  rip John.

[Kenny76]

i remember one of my myspace friends (still a weird concept) from england mentioned him and had a picture with him captioned "I met God today".   this was sometime last year, but I never got around to listening to his music.  not until today, sadly. i just listened to two of hs songs and i really enjoyed them. it's somewhat comforting that music lives on forever.

[red]

Really enjoyed my first listen of London Conversation.  His takes on "Cocaine" and "Don't Think Twice, It's Alright" are my early favourites.