1975 Mekeel Sessions

Description

For years, Jackson C. Frank was a ghostly legend among the most elusive. Even the few record collectors who revered his work often only knew the one album released during his lifetime. For most listeners, Frank had released an incredible record in 1965 before disappearing — despite the fact that this album was produced by Paul Simon. The 1975 Mekeel Sessions features six tracks recorded in the mid-1970s in a studio in Lake Hill, New York, about five miles from Woodstock, where Frank was living at the time. Discovered only decades later, these recordings resonate with the same mysterious warmth that defined Jackson at his peak. His guitar playing, alternating between strummed chords and picking, is perfectly understated. His voice, raw and dark, is more pronounced than the lighter timbre of his first album. Although the Mekeel tapes were intended for Frank's second album, it never came to fruition. What is heard here is not a songwriter in decline, but a unique artist who never stopped trying to build his own world — even when no one was watching. For fans of all those whom Jackson influenced: from Nick Drake, Sandy Denny, and Bert Jansch to more contemporary artists like Elliott Smith, Vincent Gallo, or Iron & Wine, who certainly took inspiration from Frank's stripped-down approach.