Jesse Winchester - Sham-A-Ling-Dong-Ding

I caught this performance on Elvis Costello's fantastic show "Elvis Costello - Spectacle".

Jesse is a great musician who fled to Canada during the Vietnam War. His career really suffered for it. However, he is considered a real heavyweight in the world of singer-songwriters. Prior to the show, I had no real experience with his music.

When he performed this song, I found myself hanging on every word. I think the moment that really got me was when I saw Neko Case begin to cry towards the end of the song. To see an artist of her caliber be that open and moved by another musician's work was breathtaking. I actually hit rewind just to see her reaction a second time.

The audience roars and Costello gushes.
I almost stood on my couch and cheered.

So, thanks to Elvis Costello for inviting a real artist into my living-room and giving me a great new body of work to explore.

Jesse Winchester deserves your attention. His new album is called "Love Filling Station" and it is worth a listen.