Jesse Winchester, whose “blend of folk, blues and country… embodies the spirit of American music,” died on April 11, 2014. He was 69 and had been battling cancer. His manager, Keith Case, told NPR that Winchester died Friday morning in Charlottesville, VA, where he lived.
NPR Music also noted the following: “Winchester ranks among the elite group of singer-songwriters who can captivate an audience with just his words, his voice and an acoustic guitar. The musician is revered by everyone from James Taylor and Lyle Lovett to Rodney Crowell and Emmylou Harris. Winchester even famously brought a tear to Neko Case’s eye after performing ‘Sham-A-Ling-Dong-Ding’ on Elvis Costello’s Spectacle program, which he also performs in this set.”
Winchester’s career was dramatically affected by his decision to leave the US rather than face the draft during the Vietnam War. As World Cafe has written: “Winchester was on track for a successful performing career, but his status as a Vietnam War draft-evader prevented him from touring and gaining a footing in the US. He opted to move north to Montreal in 1967, and developed a strong Canadian following while touring there. Winchester released seven albums in the 1970s and early ’80s, culminating with the Top 40 hit ‘Say What’ in 1981.”
Winchester, like hundreds of thousands of other anti-war protesters who left the country or otherwise avoided the draft, was able to return to the US after President Carter granted them unconditional pardons on his first day in office – Jan. 21, 1977.
Thanks to kneesfudd for sharing the tracks at Dime.
kneesfudd’s notes:
This is the complete early show (the late show was not taped from the board).
Recorded live at the Iron Horse Music Hall, Northampton, MA (early show)
October 12, 1982. Very good mono soundboard.
Personnel:
Jesse Winchester (guitar, vocals)
Jesse Winchester performs during the
New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival on May 7, 2011
Tracklist:
01. introduction 0.35
02. Say What (Winchester) 4.45
03. Talk Memphis (Winchester) 3.29
04. The Head’s Lament () 4.00
05. Bowling Green (Ertel/Slater) 4.23
06. Seems Like Only Yesterday (Edwards) 2:25
07. Little Glass Of Wine (Winchester) 4.19
08. Nothing But A Breeze (Winchester) 3.50
09. Everybody Knows But Me (Winchester) 3.33
10. It Takes A Young Girl (Rose) 2.58
11. Yankee Lady (Winchester) 6.22
12. Let The Rough Side Drag (Winchester) 2.08
13. Don’t I Make You Laugh? (Winchester) 3.50
14. The Brand New Tennesee Waltz (Winchester) 3.54
15. Rhumba Man (Winchester) 6:53
16. The Twelfth Rose (Winchester) 2:43
17. Why Don’t You Love Me Like You Used To? (Williams) 1.39
RIP – JESSE WINCHESTER
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