calvino Posted May 27, 2009 Share Posted May 27, 2009 I'd love a complete DVD of that show......Jay probably figured the hammer was coming down......and to Jeff's credit, the music came first that night..... -Robert I was lucky enough to be at the show that day. I made a previous comment regarding the pictures that someone posted of the last show agreeing that they did not look like they were having fun...now that I thought about it bit more, they might of looked like that because is was your typical humid Chicago 4th of July at the Petrillo Music Shell, where the concrete emits heat on a cool day. It was a great show from what I remember. I finally listened to the show again this past weekend. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
people are leaving Posted May 27, 2009 Share Posted May 27, 2009 from billybragg.co.uk Jay Bennett RIP26/05/09We are very sorry to have to report the death of Jay Bennett, the former Wilco member who worked with Billy on the hugely successful Mermaid Avenue albums. Jay, a multi-instrumentalist, died of unknown causes in his sleep at home in Illinois over the weekend. Billy said: "I'm very sorry to hear that Jay Bennett has passed away, aged just 45. He was a cat who could get the most beautiful music out of any instrument you put in front of him, which made him a real asset during the Mermaid Avenue sessions. "It was his playing on guitar and keyboards that, more than any of us, defined the sound of those records. He put his heart and soul into everything he played and his loss will be deeply felt among the musicians he worked with. My thoughts are with his family and friends." Grant Showbiz, who produced the Mermaid Avenue albums with Billy and Wilco, said: "Jay Bennett was a wonderful musician with an enormous brain. He was an integral part of the Mermaid Avenue sessions with his ready wit and his ability to pick up any instrument and make it sound great. "We had a large amount of gear set up in a circle around the central booths of Billy and Jeff, and Jay was pretty much 360 degrees involved with the instrumentation. "Billy and I called him 'The Cat In The Hat'... he had that mischievous other-worldlyness of a slightly eccentric professor. He will be sadly missed." Billy's manager, Peter Jenner, added: "Jay was a vital part of the team that put Mermaid Avenue together... He always seemed a key creative person. He could play many instruments and was always positive, innovative and creative on all of them, on any song. "I think we all enjoyed working with Jay, and we have all lost a fine musician and an open, warm human being. An unsung hero." Quote Link to post Share on other sites
boo jim boo Posted May 27, 2009 Share Posted May 27, 2009 Wow, what sad news. Rest in peace. From a blog I check out (sorry if someone already posted this): Tweedy/Bennett 11/20/96 - Torontohttp://ohmpark.com/ You know, that is a great show and really points out one of the best things that Jay brought to the band. On a couple of songs (can't remember which) after they're done playing, Jeff says, "That's the first time Jay's played this on piano" or banjo or whatever Jay happened to pick up. And you know what? It sounded great. Every song, it was a living breathing thing and each time they played it Jay would do SOMEthing different, and amazingly most of the time it really sounded great. And he made it seem so easy, which was really incredible. You saw it a couple times in IATTBYH where he'd be testing out a keyboard part or something and it sounded sick but you knew he just kinda sat down and pounded it out right then and there. And most of the times they didn't even use it! For a songwriter to have an asset like that in the band, its really hard to overestimate the benefit someone like that brings. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
dondoboy Posted May 27, 2009 Share Posted May 27, 2009 Hmm. Actually, that chapter on the DVD is titled "Coming Home From Chipotle". Does it really?! I never noticed that. I'll still think they just smashed every guitar in the place as some glorious finale. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Wendy Posted May 27, 2009 Share Posted May 27, 2009 http://illinoishomepage.net/content/fulltext/?cid=87192 A nice video tribute done by a TV station in Champaign/Urbana, includes Edward Burch and also Jay's brother. The text on the page is mostly a transcript of the video. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Sir Stewart Posted May 27, 2009 Share Posted May 27, 2009 http://illinoishomep...text/?cid=87192 A nice video tribute done by a TV station in Champaign/Urbana, includes Paul Burch and also Jay's brother. The text on the page is mostly a transcript of the video. That was great. Thanks for posting it Wendy.It's something to see the people most affected by his death talking about him. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Sparky speaks Posted May 27, 2009 Share Posted May 27, 2009 Nice TV piece......A question.....At the end of the Austin City Limits tv show from 1999, Jay is playing a white Fender Telecaster. As they are leaving the stage he proudly points to the autograph on the body of the guitar in black marker as Jeff is embracing him. Does anyone know whose autograph that is? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
spongebob Posted May 27, 2009 Share Posted May 27, 2009 This is bullshit. Take no more time. There would be some text somewhere to be of proof.... i wanted to be right, and for him to be alive. this is so sad. so long jay bennett. i will always think of what would have been. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Sir Stewart Posted May 27, 2009 Share Posted May 27, 2009 NP - Being There vinyl Quote Link to post Share on other sites
J_Lefty Posted May 28, 2009 Share Posted May 28, 2009 Nice TV piece......A question.....At the end of the Austin City Limits tv show from 1999, Jay is playing a white Fender Telecaster. As they are leaving the stage he proudly points to the autograph on the body of the guitar in black marker as Jeff is embracing him. Does anyone know whose autograph that is? OMG, I've been wondering this for quite some time, and I didn't think about asking here for some reason. I can't get a good look at it from my recording because the quality isn't great. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
aricandover Posted May 28, 2009 Share Posted May 28, 2009 http://illinoishomepage.net/content/fulltext/?cid=87192 A nice video tribute done by a TV station in Champaign/Urbana, includes Paul Burch and also Jay's brother. The text on the page is mostly a transcript of the video. Edward Burch Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Wendy Posted May 28, 2009 Share Posted May 28, 2009 [quote name='H Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Mrs. Peel Posted May 28, 2009 Share Posted May 28, 2009 Thanks for posting the link, Wendy. It really choked me up. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
uncool2pillow Posted May 28, 2009 Share Posted May 28, 2009 Reading Billy Bragg's comments reminded me of a moment in Man in the Sand when Jay comments humorously about a feud between Jeff and Billy. Something about their egos. I always thought that foreshadowed Jay's eventual exit. Listened to his latest CD finally, having downloaded in months ago. It is tremendous. I've only heard and snippets of his other solo stuff and never heard anything I really liked. This was really good! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
danelectro Posted May 28, 2009 Share Posted May 28, 2009 I like how Jay's death has been adequately covered by the media. Not that I find any good in his passing but it appears he was well respected and aparantly more well known than he often got credit for. I've always tossed his name out there as a personal fave on guitar player forums and not many knew who he was, my posts often got the "who?" response. My fave guitarist's ever are Jay Bennett, Jesse Ed Davis and Danny Kirwan. None are name brand like Jimmy Page or the like but all were extemely special in their own way. Danny is still alive but hasn't been well for many years, Jesse and now Jay have passed on. I haven't been able to spend the time to properly give Jay a personal tribute via an extended listening and watching session but I hope to this weekend. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Speed Racer Posted May 28, 2009 Share Posted May 28, 2009 Listened to his latest CD finally, having downloaded in months ago. It is tremendous. I've only heard and snippets of his other solo stuff and never heard anything I really liked. This was really good! Jeepers, every day at work I read these comments and think, "Ooooh, when I get home," and then forget every night. I really should buy up his solo catalogue. I still don't care for his singing voice, but everyone likes the albums so much I think I could grow to love them too. He was such a busy, busy musician, I have to think he lived twice as long as the rest of us for the 25 years he was making music. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
caliber66 Posted May 28, 2009 Share Posted May 28, 2009 Jeepers, every day at work I read these comments and think, "Ooooh, when I get home," and then forget every night. I really should buy up his solo catalogue. I still don't care for his singing voice, but everyone likes the albums so much I think I could grow to love them too. He was such a busy, busy musician, I have to think he lived twice as long as the rest of us for the 25 years he was making music.Definitely check out Palace at 4 am; a bunch of those songs are sung by Edward Burch. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Sparky speaks Posted May 28, 2009 Share Posted May 28, 2009 From Thrasherswheat Neil Young site.....Link in article to Jays last interview.... http://thrashersblog.com/2009/05/jay-bennett-and-neil-young.html Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Wilco75 Posted May 28, 2009 Share Posted May 28, 2009 Jeepers, every day at work I read these comments and think, "Ooooh, when I get home," and then forget every night. I really should buy up his solo catalogue. I still don't care for his singing voice, but everyone likes the albums so much I think I could grow to love them too. He was such a busy, busy musician, I have to think he lived twice as long as the rest of us for the 25 years he was making music. Speed racer got me thinking about his solo catalog, so i started going to amazon and a few other places and now it looks like his catalog is out of print except for the last cd, not counting the download but the last offical release is the only one i can find,i bought the first titanic love affair cd on ebay for a $1.99, i did see most of the cd's on ebay, but seems as more people find out about his passing or just wanted to hear some of his solo work, the cd's on ebay seem to be selling alittle more.but as of now you can score a copy without it being too expensive. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
aricandover Posted May 28, 2009 Share Posted May 28, 2009 people are selling used copies of his stuff on Amazon for under $10. everything is there, except for (unfortunately) Palace 1919, which happens to be my favorite release of Jay's. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Wilco75 Posted May 28, 2009 Share Posted May 28, 2009 [quote name='H Quote Link to post Share on other sites
grateful dead Posted May 28, 2009 Share Posted May 28, 2009 I still want some more live Jay and Edward! that one show is awesome but sucha tease!!!!!! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Analogman Posted May 28, 2009 Share Posted May 28, 2009 I still want some more live Jay and Edward! that one show is awesome but sucha tease!!!!!! There are two shows up at The Wilco Archive now. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
grateful dead Posted May 29, 2009 Share Posted May 29, 2009 I just realized this sorry haha VENUS STOP THE TRAIN! EVERYBODY KNOWS THIS IS NOWHERE-era COVER, CALI STARS AWESOME THANKS Quote Link to post Share on other sites
grateful dead Posted May 29, 2009 Share Posted May 29, 2009 What band are they with?????????????? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.