Bert Jansch:
Avocet:
Earth Music:
LP/CD:
Out Now:
Originally issued in 1978 on the obscure Denmark imprint Exlibris, Jansch's mercurial Avocet has since been released on the iconic Charisma label, reissued on Castle Communications and now for 2016, repackaged with glorious new artwork on the Earth label. Featuring Danny Thompson on basses and stringsman Martin Jenkins, the whole album sounds like it was lovingly recorded without sounding like a session or a rehearsal.
The vinyl edition comes blessed with six lovely 12"x12" interchangeable inserts and concise sleeve-notes, while the CD edition sports some nifty annotated hardback action that might have even the hardiest of ornithologist in a lather. It's a beautiful package, but what of the music.
Six instrumental tracks named after native seabirds, folky in nature, playful, lively, reflective, aggressive even, Avocet is descriptive even without lyrics. And if you know Jansch, you'll know just how descriptive that means. The title-track is an epic 18 minutes long, a busy musical odyssey that translates the seabird's jaunty inquisitive characteristics into music perfectly. Throughout the primarily acoustic piece, a simple motif deftly appears and reappears as the avocet in question darts around estuaries foraging for food and generally being cool enough to be RSPB's emblem.
Another highlight is the exquisite Bittern which scampers around its core base of Jansch's picked guitar and Thompson's rubbery acoustic double-bass rather like the title of its subject matter.
At £28 average price, the vinyl pressing isn't the greatest I've heard but an accompanying download or the concise hardback CD edition at half the price might sweeten things up a little.
★★★★★★★★☆☆
At £28 average price, the vinyl pressing isn't the greatest I've heard but an accompanying download or the concise hardback CD edition at half the price might sweeten things up a little.
★★★★★★★★☆☆