over on sid's blog word's out that the great guitarist john martyn has flown away. hardly a household name in north america and yet acknowledged as an incredibly talented man in the eyes and ears of musicians everywhere, john crafted some extraordinarily beautiful and memorable works.
i got to see john at larry's hideaway in toronto in the early eighties. drinking heavily, (john and i!) he appeared nervous and unsure, making up for something (who knows what a man of such incredible talent could feel he lacked?) but he slowly found his place on stage and painted colours in the smoky air with his heavily treated and effect-laden guitar.
here are two of his more exquisite works . . .
from 1973 . . .
from 1978 . . .
2 comments:
I worked at Larry's for several years in the 1980's. I remember John Martyn's show. Although I had never heard of him I was absolutely blown away that night. One of the two best shows (and I saw literally hundreds) I ever watched during my time there.
that's extraordinary - amazing to have someone who worked there hook up here! the best show i saw at larry's was shriekback. a thirty minute gig that i heard later on a cassette tape and i still to this day wish i could hear again. it was that incredible. thanks for dropping by!!!!
steven
Post a Comment