Michael’s Musical Musings: Jesse Colin Young
Unbeknownst to him, Jesse Colin Young emerged at critical times along my Life’s journey. Born Perry Miller in 1941 to musical parents in Queens, he passed away recently at 83. A distinctive warm tenor imbued his original songs with a calm assuredness. One critic reflected: “Young's shimmering vocal on ‘Light Shine’ illuminates a path for us, claims the power of joy and courage, and urges us to let our own light shine”. I believe that is, essentially, Jesse’s legacy.
In the early 60s, while exploring folk music, I discovered his first recording, The Soul of a City Boy. It had a bluesy feel to it, with fingerpicking guitar in the vein of another of my favorites, Dave Van Rock, but with a vocal delivery that was the antithesis of Dave’s gravelly voice. Jesse sang with a higher, inviting ambiance in comparison, but no less engaging. What he lacked in angst, he made up in a directness and sincerity that coaxed the listener into a song’s narrative. His single, “Four in the Morning”, moved up the charts and put the young troubadour on the map. He continued playing the Greenwich Village coffeehouse scene and released a second album, Young Blood, in 1965.
We crossed paths again when I purchased the Youngblood’s eponymous album in 1967. As a result of the Beatles, the ensuing British Invasion, and the success of the Monkees TV show, swarms of young musicians were forming bands with electric guitars and drums. Bands like the Byrds and the Lovin’ Spoonful were drawing on the legacies of folk, blues, and jug band music, covering new material and writing original compositions. The Youngblood’s cover of “Come Together” became a modest success when it first hit the airwaves in ’67; however, after it was re-released in ’69, it vaulted to the top of the charts, becoming an anthem for the Woodstock Generation.
The 1969 release of “Elephant Mountain” (a commanding feature near Pt Reyes Station) displayed Young’s writing talents, soon propelling him into a solo career. His original songs “Darkness, Darkness”, “Sunlight”, and “Ride the Wind” stood apart with engaging lyrics and well-developed melody lines. The opening, haunting fiddle by David Lindley sets the stage for the vibrant “Darkness, Darkness”, a song of existential despair, which is simultaneously uplifted by compelling vocals and instrumentation. Many artists have covered the song over the years, but none compares to Jesse’s original, powerful vocal.
By 1973, while attending college in New Haven, CT, I came across yet another album that would significantly influence my life's trajectory. Song for Juli was the first of a trio of recordings cementing his legacy as a singer-songwriter who could skillfully craft captivating material delivered in his immediately recognizable tenor supported by laid-back jazz-fusion instrumentation. The song “Ridgetop” somehow always conjured a daydream with its vivid imagery of his home in Marin. The Youngblood band members had moved from New York to Marin in the late 60s, where Jesse built a house and recording studio in the idyllic town of Inverness. This album celebrated returning to nature, enjoying Life’s simplicity, and becoming a father. It would take a few years to become a reality, but the seeds of my relocation to Northern California were nurtured every time I heard this song.
Upon moving to the Bay Area, I frequented the town of Inverness and Pt Reyes National Seashore. I coveted living there but could never make the proverbial “jump’. I played music with the Youngblood’s Lowell “Banana” Levinger at a jam in Inverness. He was incredibly friendly and down to earth. In 1995, I learned that Jesse’s beloved house and studio had burned in the Mt Vision Fire and he had relocated to Hawai’i. Fortunately, he had purchased land in Kona in the 80s and soon started growing and selling coffee. Purchasing a fair amount of the celebrated coffee from his farm, he would always personally sign the receipt, thanking me for the purchase. It was a small but nice touch.
I finally saw Jesse perform at Yoshi’s a few years ago. I wish I had a time machine to return to those optimistic days of the early 70s. Sometimes, the “sunshine daydreams” seem better than the reality…but I was glad to have seen him perform some of my favorite songs and rekindle his positive influence on my life. Thanks for being there, Jesse…I know you made it to Heaven’s Glorious Ridgetop!
