Record: John Martyn 'Solid Air' (1973)

I feel that this album is one of the lost treasures of 20th-century music. It's an elusively delightful record that, for the first couple of listens, truly evaded me - then one day it just hit me right, and I got what it was for and about. What I'm saying is - it might take a few tries to get past the slightly off-putting way that Martyn slurs his words together (like the horrible old sot that he in fact was), and the way he turns soft consonants into hard ones. It's undeniably a little odd. But... Patience and an open mind will be amply rewarded when you lock in on the gorgeous tunes (particularly 'Solid Air', 'Over the Hill', and 'May You Never') and the sheer beauty of his voice and guitar playing. This was the record which introduced me to the concept of jazz-folk, which is a surprisingly winning combination, and this record is also one of the finest examples of that genre.

Highlight: seriously kick-ass upright basslines courtesy of the truly great Mr. Danny Thompson (you'll be hearing more about him as this blog progresses), particularly on the title track and on 'Go Down Easy':