Mixtape #5: Six Degrees of Jonathan Wilson

"We met this fellow playing bass for the lovely Jenny Lewis at V Festival, and he gave me one of the best albums I've ever heard, called Gentle Spirit, by him." - Nick Allbrook, Tame Impala guitarist

The internet is such a heavily mapped out place that it's hard for a band to retain any level of mystique or privacy. Yet somehow Jonathan Wilson remains a mystery. His fingerprints can be seen everywhere from Jenny Lewis's Acid Tongue to Elvis Costello's Momofuku and former Jayhawks Gary Louris' Vagabonds. The jam sessions held at his former Laurel Canyon residence have been documented in both the Los Angeles Times and Rolling Stone. Somehow though, whether on purpose or not, the public acclaim has evaded Wilson. Search for a review of his masterful 2007 album Frankie Ray—his only solo work that's been officially released—and you'll find hardly a scrape outside of the local Los Angeles press. Rumors abound about the Emerald Triangle supergroup, the release date of Wilson's second solo record Gentle Spirit and other projects, including a tribute album to the legendary Roy Harper, but concrete release dates don't exist. But maybe it's just part of Wilson's behind-the-scenes strategy, as the work he's been able to help create as a producer, studio and touring musician has yielded some of the most beautiful and organic rock and roll since Joni Mitchell and company first immortalized the Canyon in the 1960s. In a musical era where computers and synthesizers rule, there's nothing more refreshing than the near-Luddite quality of Jonathan Wilson's analog recordings.

Directly or indirectly, these songs are all related to Jonathan Wilson and were chosen to reflect the spirit of his music. Download the mix in its entirety as a zip file below.

Jonathan Wilson - "Can We Really Party Today?" (from Gentle Spirit)

Kevin Barker - "You & Me" (from You & Me)

Gary Louris - "Black Grass" (from Vagabonds)

Jason Boesel - "Hand of God" (from Hustler's Son)

Jenny and Johnny - "Scissor Runner" (from Jenny and Johnny)

Elvis Costello & The Impostors - "Drum and Bone" (from Momofuku)
Vetiver - "Used To Be King" (from Be Yourself: A Tribute To Graham Nash's Songs For Beginners)
Benji Hughes - "Country Love" (from Sargent Singles: Vol. 2)
The Whispertown 2000 - "Done With Love" (from Done With Love EP)

Jonathan Wilson w/ Andy Cabic - "Desert Raven"

Blake Mills - "Hey Lover" (from Break Mirrors)

Dawes - "Love Is All I Am" (from North Hills)

Jonathan Wilson - "Your Ears Are Burning" (from Frankie Ray)

Jenny Lewis - "The Next Messiah" (from Acid Tongue)

Farmer Dave Scher - "Surf Out Sunset" (from Flash Forward To The Good Times)

Johnathan Rice - "The Middle of the Road" (from Further North)

Espers - "Caroline" (from III)
Jonathan Wilson - "WildFIRE" (from Far-Out B-Sides)
Roy Harper - "Hors d'Oeuvres" (from Stormcock)

Six Degrees of Jonathan Wilson.zip

(photo by Courtney Brooke)