r.i.p. jay bennett

May 26th, 2009

I was shocked and saddened to hear of Jay Bennett’s untimely passing on Sunday. It’s difficult to calculate where I might be without some of the music he helped to create.

After a random ‘mass mailing’ on MySpace a few months back, Jay and I exchanged a half-dozen or so emails, and I found him to be incredibly warm, candid, and genuinely interested in what we were doing. We talked about the merits of recording live to tape, as opposed to ‘dead to computer’ (his quip, not mine). I promised to mail him a copy of Lovers Lookout as soon as it was complete, going so far as to address an envelope to him so I wouldn’t forget. I don’t suppose I’ll be using that envelope now.

While ‘the Wilco sound’ has continued to evolve since Jay’s departure, there is simply no doubt that they could not have become the band we love without his restless creative spirit (and tremendous talent) driving them forward. For that I am truly grateful, and I’m sure they are, too.

Goodbye, Jay. Thanks for the music.

xo

LB

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