Vale Jay Bennett

I just heard about the overnight death of Jay Bennett, his management company have confirmed the death and advised that he passed away in his sleep.

Jay Bennetts life was more than just his time in Wilco, but its the Wilco time that introduced him to me.

My connection to the music of this ‘band’ is lyrical, it’s the music and it’s the kick-arse amazing shows I’ve seen over the years (though much fewer than I’d hope as it took along time to come here and they rarely come back). I know that Being There and Summerteeth were my turning points from yep I really like this band to wow this band is brilliant.

I spent a large part of last week listening to the new Wilco album and I’m not feeling much outside of the yep, I like this band. Theres no wow this band is brilliant here, same with Sky Blue Sky. The only time I got the wow this band is brilliant feeling on that one was listening to the guitar on Impossible Germany - yep Nels Cline is an amazing guitarist and the band work so well together live but its still not, well just not.

For me they peaked musically with YHF, I’m not overly in love with the easy listening direction of the last two albums, maybe I’m just not yet old enough to like easy listening yet? I don’t know, they seem to do it well though.

As I’m typing this, the radio I am streaming (PBS in Melbourne) is playing a live version of War on War – co-incidences are funny arent they.

I love Wilco, I have loved the music of Wilco for many years and can attribute the soundtrack that accompanied many important moments of life to date to the pen of Jeff Tweedy. Wilco is Jeff Tweedy, there would be no Wilco without Jeff Tweedy, its his band, his songs, his music, and though he has been a bit of a muddled up mess at times, and I’m sure no saint, its his music I keep on coming back too but he didnt do it alone.

A big part of the love for this music, I owe to the contributions of Jay Bennett, its sad that he left the band the way he did, its sad that he fell on hard times both financially and health wise and its sad that such a talented man is dead at 45.

Jay Bennett was ill and his last post on his myspace is heartbreaking in how sadly positive and up it is and how its now going to be the last post he will write. Makes me almost cry.

RIP Jay