Jay Bennett, multi-instrumentalist, acclaimed session player and
producer, and former Wilco member, has a simple attitude toward
being a musician. He appreciates it.
“It’s a pretty anti-rock ‘n’ roll image
probably,” Bennett said in a phone interview. “I want
people to know they’re appreciated.”
But the thing is, Bennett loves rock ‘n’ roll.
He’s talking while in transit to a show in Portland with his
current musical soul mate Edward Burch and their live backing band.
And he appreciates this: The tour is largely a full-band rehashing
of the material Bennett and Burch took on an acoustic tour earlier
in the year to support their album “The Palace at 4 a.m.
(Part 1).” Both said the album is the first of what will be
at least a trilogy, documenting their songwriting and musical
collaboration, which Bennett says consists of 100 percent agreement
and no disagreement. And he appreciates that too.
Bennett’s last gig was a different story, and it’s
one people aren’t going to soon forget. His tenure with the
band Wilco was artistically acclaimed, if not without its share of
disagreements. The recently released documentary, “I Am
Trying To Break Your Heart,” chronicles the making of
Wilco’s critical smash and independent chart success
“Yankee Hotel Foxtrot,” the band’s record label
troubles, and Bennett’s dismissal from the band.
From the opening scenes of the band in its homemade studio, it
is clear Bennett doesn’t quite fit. The members of Wilco are
aloof, quiet and introverted ““ but not Bennett. He’s
rushing from place to place, talking about how he thinks this
guitar part “rocks,” or how excited he is to have
co-written eight of the songs with frontman Jeff Tweedy. While
hustling around the studio, he also played guitar, keyboards, and
co-engineered the album.
“It’d be tough to be less energetic than Tweedy
sometimes,” Bennett said.
“I was just extremely engaged, to the extent that other
people might have felt disengaged,” he added later.
During the live performances he bounces around his part of the
stage, while the other band members are more stationary. We see the
Wilco members in a car riding to a show together, but Bennett is
missing. He’s already gone to setup, and everyone takes
ominous special note of this. Then we see what happens when he is
asked to leave the band.
On-screen, Bennett looks hurt. He seems to be rushing for
explanations, but also aware that he was drifting away from the
band. Now, he calls the bandmembers friends and is glad the album
is doing well.
He has made a conscious choice not to see the movie for a while.
Hopefully, one day he’ll be able to look at it like an old
photo album ““ when it’ll be fun.
“Like in 10 years, (when I watch it and say) “˜Oh
shit, I was skinny,'” Bennett said.
The film bids Bennett goodbye, showing him playing an early
version of the song “My Darlin’,” which Wilco
recorded. But the version is actually closer to one Bennett and
Burch released on “The Palace,” and in a way finishes
off the current circle of Bennett’s career.
Bennett says his partnership with Burch is “joyous.”
The two have indulged so far in making a very melodic album with
shades of the sixties, dense instrumentation and much studio
wizardry. Now they are taking their songs on the road with their
acoustic guitars.
It’s good to have a band though. In fact, Bennett
doesn’t want to end the conversation without saying at least
one goofy nice thing (like how “cute” they are, or how
they’re “to die for”) about each of his backing
band members in the car with him. And they’re all in the car
with him. The live band is inspiring to Bennett, and he expects the
effects to be felt in the next Bennett and Burch album.
“It allows a more open feeling,” Bennett said.
“And it’s amazing, a four minute song can actually take
four minutes to record.”
“The Palace,” may not sell nearly as many records as
“Yankee Hotel Foxtrot,” and Bennett’s association
with Wilco may be a big reason people are coming out to see his new
band for the first time ““ but that’s not the point.
There’s even a movie filled with his old band’s
memories, but Bennett sees that as all the more reason to be
touring hard now to let people know he’s doing something new.
For Bennett, the point is that being a musician is a part of who he
is, and always will be. It’s pretty simple, really.
“The only difference of the guy onstage is he’s
three feet taller than you, and that’s just because
he’s on a stage,” Bennett said.
And Bennett’s not the guy to be unappreciative of the fact
that he gets to be on the stage.
Jay Bennett and Edward Burch play at the Troubadour Aug. 13.