Can't say as I know the man, hardly. Like for the rest of the folks in this string, he looms somewhat larger than life to me too. Some recollections...

I was doing sound for Jack at a club (since defunct) in Sebastopol, California. I managed to hit him and the audience with a blast of feedback...embarrassing to say the least. Without hesitation, as soon as the noise stopped, he launched into a wonderful story about Herbert, his pet mouse who lives in the speaker and causes feedback. That man's a pure professional and I've never seen him lose audience control under any circumstances.

Another time I was driving the scenic 2-lane boonies along the coast and saw a car for sale by the side of the road. It was old and ratty and looked like something I might be able to afford so I knocked on the door and there was Jack. The dinghy was in the back yard and he was busy working on it. He was busy and wasn't sure he had time to spend so he put on a tape and asked me who was singing. When I was able to identify Woody Guthrie's singing, he relaxed and we had a delightful chat.