Bert Jansch - gem doco.

Subject: Bert Jansch - gem doco.
From: GUEST,CJB
Date: 09 Mar 17 - 10:47 AM

Bert Jansch "Acoustic Routes" Documentary (1992)

A little known doco. from 1992 featuring Bert Jansch and a bunch of amazing guests.

https://workandworry.com/2010/01/17/bert-jansch-acoustic-routes-documentary-1992/

For a long time, I'd known about "Acoustic Routes", the legendary documentary about Bert Jansch which aired in the UK in the early 90's… now, through the magic of YouTube (and thanks to the efforts of user mrcmxoner) this obscure little film is available for all to see! There are so many great moments… Bert and John reunited, Bert playing a blues with Brownie McGhee, one of his first heroes, and commentary from Hamish Imlach, Anne Briggs, Wizz Jones, Archie Fisher… wonderful stuff! The proceedings are affectionately hosted by Billy Connolly (click link to see his nutty Flash site), and I thought I'd embed the entire thing right here, to save everyone the trouble of skipping around on YouTube. Enjoy!

Subject: RE: Bert Jansch - gem doco.
From: GUEST,Richard
Date: 09 Mar 17 - 11:24 AM

Aha - it's "not available due to a copyright claim by Leman Productions"

Subject: RE: Bert Jansch - gem doco.
From: Will Fly
Date: 09 Mar 17 - 11:52 AM

That's not surprising, as it's commercially available as a DVD and a downloadable film from iTunes (£9.99). I purchased it myself from iTunes.

Subject: RE: Bert Jansch - gem doco.
From: Joe Offer
Date: 09 Mar 17 - 03:58 PM

I found a trailer for Acoustic Routes on YouTube, but not the complete film.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IfybDDSUFSc

Subject: RE: Bert Jansch - gem doco.
From: Will Fly
Date: 10 Mar 17 - 03:17 AM

Having been reminded of the Acoustic Routes film by this thread, I went back and watched it on my Mac again last night. Full of memories for me of seeing many of the people in it at the time, and at many of the places shown in the film, with the exception of Archie Fisher and Hamish Imlach and the Edinburgh scene.

My favourite part, as ever, is the final section with Brownie McGhee showing, even as an old man, what a consummate performer and wonderful character he was.

Subject: RE: Bert Jansch - gem doco.
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 10 Mar 17 - 04:09 AM

Yes i saw this one when it came out originally and bought it maybe ten years later.

Bert set an absurdly high benchmark. guitarist of genius. songwriter of great originality. And really all the best work accomplished long before he was thirty years of age, when he was young and fabulously handsome. in some ways he reminded you of the great romantic poets like Keats.

The sight of the middle aged trio - Jansch, Wizz Jones and Al Stewart strolling round the ruins of 60's Soho - trying to summon up the magic of a past era was moving, particularly for those of us who had witnessed it in our youth.

So much has gone. We've lost Jansch, Renbourn, Hamish Imlach, Brownie, Connolly has Alzheimers apparently...just this week we lost Derek Brimstone.

Billy Connolly has to be congratulated on having the foresight to see what was disappearing and record it.

Subject: RE: Bert Jansch - gem doco.
From: Will Fly
Date: 10 Mar 17 - 07:06 AM

I was one of those who, before I moved to London in 1968, used to hitch down from the north for the all-nighters at the Cousins. I recall one magical night when Davy Graham played for hours, with Al Stewart serving coffee from behind the bar, and I got to jam with Alexis Korner and Mox (Gowan) the harp player. Remember Mox? Long red hair and red beard and a bandolier of blues harps around his waist. I last saw him about 1967 playing with the Alex Harvey band. He lives in France now.

We all got turned out around 4am and were led to the Crypt with our sleeping bags, where we could kip until the tubes started to run.

I recall another all-nighter, when I was living in Bayswater, where a bunch of us emerged into a sunny Soho Sunday morning (the Beetle was parked in Soho Square) and were hailed by a happy crowd of black guys at the open door of club, dancing and singing with bottles in their hands.

40 Greek Street is now a flash, "exclusive" place called Club 49, and the developers and local government are doing their best to gentrify Soho. When I worked in Broadcasting House, summer lunchtimes (when they weren't spent drinking and gossiping in the BBC Club in the Langham) were spent either with a sandwich in Soho Square or in Cranks veggi retaurant in Marshall Street.

This morning I dug out some old b&w pics I took of those days - nostalgia!

Subject: RE: Bert Jansch - gem doco.
From: GUEST,CJB
Date: 10 Mar 17 - 02:13 PM

Likely before your time(s) ...

http://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/national-trust-revives-sohos-illicit-1920s-gay-clubs-with-new-queer-city-tours-a3476376.html

Subject: RE: Bert Jansch - gem doco.
From: GUEST,CJB
Date: 10 Mar 17 - 02:30 PM

Memories of Les Cousins - from the Soho Clarion ...

https://www.mediafire.com/folder/3rr5ksgmhe7jc/Les_Cousins_-_Soho

http://www.themuseumofsoho.org.uk

Subject: RE: Bert Jansch - gem doco.
From: GUEST,CJB
Date: 10 Mar 17 - 02:33 PM

Will Fly:

"This morning I dug out some old b&w pics I took of those days - nostalgia!"

The Soho Museum would love scans of our photos I am sure.