I feel a strong affection for John Jasnoch. Lord knows how many times I've seen him play live. Anywhere between 20 and 50 times over 15 years, starting with a gig where he was a third of guitar trio Wire Assembly, who were supporting Hornweb at the Graves Art Gallery in late '86 or early '87. I saw Wire Assembly many times before they split, and continued to see John on many Sheffield bills, playing solo, in duos with Martin Archer, Rob Dainton, Helmut Lemke and Mick Beck, and almost certainly in some configurations I've forgotten.
I believe he sometimes plays at the Klinker Club, and if he comes to Nunhead I must make sure I don't miss him. Uncharacteristically John was one of the few of the Sheffield improv scene with whom I would regularly swap pleasantries at the start of a gig.
Sadly I seem to have lost the sleeve for this three-inch CD. My old CD player couldn't play this format, so I had to put the CD in a plastic annulus to make it up to five inches, and keep it in a separate case. You can, however, see the original sleeve on this label page.
I think I'm right in saying that this is John's only solo release. Peter Stubley's profile and discography doesn't mention any others (though neither does it mention the Wire Assembly cassette).
I have to say I don't think it's his best work. Five tracks totalling around 20 minutes. Only the last and longest of these really engaged me, in the absence of the sight of John's theatrical instrument abuse (which ensures his performances are always entertaining, even when they're musically difficult). He is just playing electric guitar on this recording, plus ancillary 'electronics' like radios, whereas in the last decade or so he has been playing mandolins, mini-electrics and an oud — and treating all with the same lack of respect for their makers' intentions.
| Buy this CD via Nur/Nicht/Nur | Discogs entry for this album |
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