The Time Between

I’ve been a fan for years I have to say - I think it was the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band version of Mr Bojangles that got me there. “It’s a good night for singing” was the first album I bought of his. Great band (the lost gonzo's were great I have to say although their own records didn't quite hit the spot), great songs, and Jerry Jeff’s (nee Ron Noble I believe – doesn’t have the same ring to it really does it?) vocal styling’s made the record. As I went deeper into Walker country – Hill Country Rain, A man must carry on, Riding High, etc. I got more hooked. He’s sort of the Dean Martin of country rock. It sounds so easy. Like he’s had a few beers (and in the early years that was more than true – my wife saw him in Ann Arbor years ago and he couldn’t stand up) and is in some small bar singing to you. He's also one of the people both my wife and I agree on - and we both came to him independently - and it's always fun to put on some JJW in the car to sing along to.

His choice of songs is pretty darn good. I got to Guy Clark, Paul Seibel, Tom Waits thru Jerry Jeff but he really makes the songs his own. He’s also pretty darn funny (try pissing in the wind for a very obvious start). There’s the obvious downside to Jerry Jeff too – he tends to have two types of fans (kind of like Robert Earl Keen). The guys who like the poetry and the guys who like the drinking (and go on the JJW cruises). I’m sort of in the middle. I like both – listen to some of his early songs, just him and guitar. They evoke a time and place – that seems long lost I have to say. I just got the Todd Snider does Jerry Jeff album. It’s fascinating – all it basically does (at least for me) is take me back to the old albums. It’s not so easy to do this stuff and Todd doesn't get there I'm afraid - but thanks for trying. I’ve seen him a few times and while he throws in the old favorites (redneck mother I don’t need to hear again) he’ll also do the pretty little songs that talk of old friends and porches and connecting to your fellow man. There’s some really lovely stuff here (David And Me for one, Charlie Dunn for another). So if you’ve been put off by the reputation I’d suggest you jump in – start with Riding High and you’ll see what I mean.