0773. John Martyn
Solid Air

At the moment I can't remember which of the seven hundred and seventy-two earlier albums this reminds me of, and that's really annoying. It's the voice and the genre ("folk jazz") that I just know I've heard before.

There are exceptions of course (like Dreams By The Sea, that gets a bit more funky, The Easy Blues, which (as the title explains) is a gritted-voice blues instead of the more mellow sound, and the heavier cover I'd Rather be The Devil).

The title track is dedicated to Martyn's friend Nick Drake, who overdosed a year and a half later, and is a great introduction to the album as a whole.

More of a musician for other musicians, this relatively successful album of course made John release a follow up which was a bit more experimental, driving off the more mainstream fans.