Gareth Hedges
British vocalist and finger style guitarist, Gareth Hedges, started his love affair with the acoustic guitar as a teenager in 1960. He visited venues all over London where blues, jazz and folk were performed, meeting Bert Jansch many times at his early performances. Later, he spent many pleasant hours swapping songs and guitar tunings with him at Bert’s guitar shop near Putney Bridge.
Years of international touring led to Gareth meeting American banjo virtuoso Rik Palieri and they teamed up to perform concerts, festivals and on radio, and recorded a CD together. It was Rik who nominated Gareth for the ‘Around the World In 80 Plays’ project and who recently hosted Gareth, with other performers on this journey, on his Folk Radio show from Vermont.
The Cuckoo
A traditional English/American piece for Bert Jansch
Gareth says: “I chose ‘The Cuckoo’ because I wanted to show how important American music was to Bert. When Bert sang a blues, it might have a British feel while an English or Scottish folk song might have a transatlantic twang. The Cuckoo’ is a song that began life in England in Elizabethan times, then crossed the Atlantic and became Americanised – then travelled back and forth again and again. I picked up this version from Tennessee banjo player Clarence Ashley when I was his road manager in 1966. Bert recorded an English version of the song on the Pentangle LP Sweet Child.”
Gareth adds: “I feel the Bert Jansch Foundation, and especially this project, helps newcomers to learn about his pivotal influence on the acoustic guitar and will inspire them to create and perform their own music.”
