So tonight...you know what...I was horribly wrong.
Last week I had the absolute pleasure of seeing and meeting for the first time one of my absolutely favourite musicians in the world...the brilliant Jay Nash. It was an absolute delight having waited some 18 months for Jay to return (since I missed his last tour). But Jay didn't come to the UK alone...oh no, no, no!
Jay came with fellow US singer/songwriter Joey Ryan who is another member of what I call "The extended Californian music scene of brilliant artists".
So here's where the confession starts. Now I knew of Joey before he arrived here, I'd heard some of his tracks before on TV (in adverts and programmes), I'd even seen him in a video with my friend and brilliant musician Greg Holden but for some reason (and I genuinely couldn't tell you why), I had formed a rather, ill-founded and wholly incorrect view that Joey was a rather boring musician. I genuinely don't know why or how I'd formed that opinion having never really looked properly into his music so I guess the best thing I can tell you is that my opinion has been totally changed and I now see the error of my ways.
Joey (who physically really reminds me of a younger, taller and slimmer James May, of Top Gear fame...I think it's the hair) played the most brilliantly absorbing set which had the entire crowd gripped from start to finish (videos of the whole set on my youtube channel). Needless to say that alone changed my opinion and was further enhanced with the two CDs I purchased which have been pretty much played constantly for the past few days.
The first CD, Joey's latest offering of Kenter Canyon features 5 songs which are both wonderfully engaging and full of warmth and sincerity. It's a great example of an extremely intelligent, thoughtful and clever songwriter. From the absorbing Broken Headlights which deals with the weather and releasing pent up feelings for someone, through to Permanent a song which as Joey explains talks about the perils of retail therapy and also the trevails of being a musician, the EP is packed full of beautiful heart-felt lyrics and music.
The second CD, one of Joey's albums with the imaginatively and cleverly titled "With Its Roots Above and Its Branches Below" is jam packed full of brilliant tunes. From the opening We Shall Arrive which resonates with me immensely through to the incredibly intimate and personal Like A Cloak all the way through to the fondest of ode's to Joey's homestate of California the album is bristling full of maginificent songs which'll have you hooked and more than keep your attention.
So to the world, I made a mistake, to Joey you're far from mundane, you're outstanding and the lesson to learn is as follows...don't make an assumption, get off your backside and do the research...then make a call.
Right now Joey and Jay are headed round Europe on an all too brief whistlestop tour (if you ask me) before heading back to the US. Go check him out, he really is THAT good! Oh and whilst you're at it, if you're in any doubt, for goodness sake check Jay Nash out!
Peace reigns over a stifling, muggy and still London (and this blog I believe has taken 4 hours with distractions to write!)
Night all xxx
