Bert Jansch: Fresh as a Sweet Sunday Morning

Bert Jansch is enjoying something of a renaissance these days, with younger musicians such as Beth Orton, Sonic Youth's Thurston Moore, and Pete Doherty (better known as Kate Moss' junkie sometime boyfriend) collaborating with and/or paying homage to the venerable Brit folkie guitarist. Jansch's influence on rock 'n' rollers is not new; his "Blackwaterside," performed during this 23-song concert, was ripped off note for note, sans vocal, by Jimmy Page for Zeppelin's "Black Mountain Side." A former member of the folk "supergroup" Pentangle, Jansch was 62 at the time of this 2006 solo gig in Sheffield, England, and his finger-style playing is masterful, marked by uncommon chord work, bluesy string bending, and a deft virtuosity that makes it look much easier than it is (his singing, expressive but hardly beautiful, is more of an acquired taste). Here Jansch plays his own songs, as well as American blues ("Trouble in Mind," "Courting Blues"), British traditional numbers ("She Moved Through the Fair"), and tunes by little known U.S singer Jackson C. Frank, English folkie Anne Briggs, and others. While there's not a lot of variety in the repertoire (and "Down Under" is the only instrumental), this concert, presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 is recommended, overall. Aud: C, P. (S. Graham)