One of the reasons I started playing 40 odd years ago was after listening to Bert playing "Reynardine". Haunting and complete, lonely but surrounded with love. I think Rosemary Layne turned a lot of heads around back then towards the raw power of the acoustic guitar and the naked voice. We owe him a lot
I saw Bert last perform in Vienna Va in 2010 and it was a magical concert, with Bert doing two Jackson C. Frank songs, and it was one and half hours of pure utopia. I have seen him perform maybe 20 or so times over the years, and he was such a professional and such an ambassador for traditional folk music.
I saw him in Chicago that summer. Just before he played the Eric Clapton Guitar Festival. Then he went on to opened for Peggy Youngs tour. While waiting for the show, I noticed a gentleman sitting at the bar and by g-d it was Bert. It gave me a chance to say hello, shake his hand, and tell him thanks for the inspiration. Thanks to Rolly Brown I can somewhat play Bert's music. Thats alright I'm an amateur.
