Jack Lawrence and Jimmy Gaudreau
Live at ‘The Hobo’s Retreat Country Music Club’, Heywood

“Fortune favours the brave.” It says so right here on page 52 of the best-thumbed book on the shelf in my office: The Writers Guide to Clichés. And it was demonstrated on the night the Jack and Jimmy show rolled into down-town Heywood.

Ask them and they’ll tell you straight. Mavis and Jack Lee, oft-lauded in this very news mag, had never heard of them. It was up to Eric Pollit to persuade them to book blind; and Eric achieved his goal by agreeing to put his head on the block (page 58) and underwrite the gig. He’d do it by selling tickets to the rest of us, of course. But would we buy them?

Mavis and Jack’s usual crowd of ‘good ole boys’ and refugees from the line dance were sceptical about parting with good money - £4 - to see a bunch of hill billies. And so it was that they stayed away in droves. But within days of the deal’s doing, Mavis was on the phone to Eric saying “for God’s sake don’t tell anyone else about this gig! I’ve already had more enquiries than I’ve got space.”

If Eric said 'Thank God for that' I didn’t hear him. I mean, it was never in doubt, was it... ?

So it was with a rare sense of anticipation (page 80) that I arrived at the venue at five after eight, to find there were already “more people in than they got on New year’s Eve” (Jack Lee). How long since we had that kind of a buzz, or don’t I get out enough? Whatever. Regardless of their anonymity within the ‘yee-haa!’ brigade, this was a unique opportunity to see two of the finest bluegrass-style instrumentalists play together. Who knows if it’ll ever be repeated? Jack G’s commitment as ‘Tonto’ to Doc Watson’s ‘Lone Ranger’ is still a full time gig, pretty much; and as part of Chesapeake, Jimmy Gadreau needs a five-year diary too.

Jimmy Gaudreau & Jack Lawrence
Cover photo D.Brandon copyright © NWBN

We got lucky - lucky that Eric was prepared to put his money where his mouth is (page 65), but even luckier that Jack and Jimmy found themselves jamming in Gerry Williams’ motel room at MerleFest ’98. If this story is true, it’s a belter, but I hear that they were having a good old hootenanny and Gerry just happened to suggest - semi seriously, no doubt - “why not whiz over to England for a working holiday?” Seemed like a great idea at the time, after the odd Jim Beam or three, and - miraculously - they’ve both got some unexpected time off. So, why the hell not go to England?

Jimmy told me “It was just one of those things. Moondie (Kline, Chesapeake’s vocalist) was away because his wife was due to have their second child, and Mike Auldridge (dobro maestro) was going on tour with someone, so I was going to be at a loose end for a while. As luck would have it, Jack scraped together a free week, but he’s cutting it fine because he has to be in New York with Doc two nights from now.”

They got here and we’re the better for it. By the time they hit the stage, the place was full and Jack was worrying whether or not there were enough glasses to go round. By the time they’d played their opener, Are You Missing Me, complete with a couple of honest down-home leads from Jack, no-one was planning to head for the bar anyway.

There’s something about Jack Lawrence’s playing that I really like. His improvisation is subtle, sympathetic and rooted in the source of the music. He doesn’t use a piece merely as a vehicle for his considerable musicianship. On the contrary, he draws from within his abilities to communicate the feeling of a song or a tune as effectively as he can. And if something simple works, he’ll work it: Ten Miles to Deep Gap is a wonderful tune, optimistic and excited, but within five minutes of getting home I was knocking it out of my dodgy old Fylde, and at a decent tempo. And don’t forget, I’m ‘Lead Fingers Lefty’, me.

Photo D.Brandon copyright © NWBN

He honours the music by sticking within its’ framework. Other players as technically gifted as Jack, (maybe), would press upon us an individual interpretation of the music drawn from a cornucopia of styles from blues, to jazz, to ragtime. And when he cuts loose, Jack can do all that with eye-popping effectiveness - when the material needs it. And he cut loose this night, that’s for sure. He knows what he’s good at, he knows who his audience are and what appeals to them, and he’s going to be around for a long time by delivering this kind of quality. Hate to say it, and no-one will really fill the void when Doc finally gives up: but Jack Lawrence is worthy of being entrusted with the task of keeping the flag flying.

And what a friend he’s found in Jimmy. Here’s a Yankee boy with album cover good looks, tons of stage presence; an easy, but sparkling line in patter, and unbelievable ability on the mandolin. With all those qualities it’s easy to hate the living guts out of him. For whatever reason, both the ladies and the gentlemen had to prise their eyes of him to gaze at the blur Jack Lawrence calls his fingers.

They played a lot of songs you and I would could pick up in an instant at a session. But they played with such aplomb. Switching lead one to the other and keeping constancy of pace, tone and volume is such a difficult thing to do. I find it so anyway, getting into a lead from rhythm and vice versa. Their control was out of this world. I’ve got more chance of climbing Everest in carpet slippers than ever being that good.

There was no little virtuosity either. Both men offered dazzling highlights, each teasing the other with licks and twists, (so to speak). Not so much ‘duelling’ as collaborating.

Jack Lee mid-monologue (Jack's life story..)

Two sets of magic that no-one wanted to end. But they had a schedule, (back to stay with Eric and Irene, get something to eat, etc.) and the show was over. Besides, Jack Lee had done a monologue so another encore was out of the question. (You follow one of Jack’s monologues and you’ll no what I mean!) They still had time to talk to inquisitors like me, and to answer all kinds of questions about playing, instruments, or whatever the hell you wanted to talk to them about. They were graciousness itself throughout.

I’ll keep the memory of two exceptional talents really enjoying the rarest of opportunities to perform together. You didn’t need to be clairvoyant to see they both had a great time. The chance of more gigs is remote. A CD is an even more unlikely prospect, due to a million legal reasons to do with contracts. So if you missed it, hard luck. If you were there... well: a thing of beauty is a treasure for ever. (page 6)

Copyright © 1999 Ian Reynolds, Blackley, Manchester. Tel: 0161-740-2541
Ian is a professional writer Article: Jack Lawrence with Doc Watson
Fotos: Copyright © D.Brandon May be used if permission requested

Updated 23rd Jan 1999