I’ve just found out that one of my favourite English blues/folk musicians, John Martyn has died today, after a long battle with alcoholism and drug addiction.

Throughout his career, John Martyn blurred the lines between blues, folk, and dub, experimenting with taking the traditional folk sound and adding elecronic effects in the 70’s. he mixed with some of the most influential musicians of the era, including Jimi Hendrix, Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry, David Gilmour and Eric Clapton.

He hit the big-time with his 1973 album, ‘Solid Air’, written in response to the death of his friend, Nick Drake. He followed this up with a number of live album, before the breakup of his marriage inspired John to write ‘Grace and Danger’. The material was so close to the bone that Island Records initially refused to release it. John described himself as ‘going off a cliff’ after it’s release, and started on a downward spiral of drugs and drink.

I first heard John Martyn’s work on a compilation, where he covered Portishead’s ‘Glory Box’ so well that I thought it was the original. Soon afterwards I picked up on of the Cafe del Mar compilations that had Talvin Singh’s remix of ‘Sunshine’s Better’, which is equally fantastic. His ‘Solid Air’ album was such a favourite of mine and my wifes that we played ‘May You Never’ during the signing of the register at our wedding.

John Martyn / May You Never

John Martyn / Glory Box

John Martyn / Sunshine’s Better (Talvin Singh Remix)

I’m sad he’s gone. RIP John Martyn

If you believe the blurb on his website, Clutchy is the son of a Motown engineer, who went to Japan to be Zen Monk, before going to India to study Yoga. As if this wasn’t enough he moved to Nigeria to learn the drums, before being persuaded into becoming a gun runner during their civil war, then went back to the States to release his music, which he’s being doing under different identities since the 70’s before retiring to live in an underground cave in the desert. The album was bought as a set of reels found at a yard sale in 1992.

Obviously, this information could only be revealed by his friend, a Mohave Indian Shaman, making the entire far-fetched tale even more unlikely.

The Internet rumour mill has been working itself into overdrive in an attempt to work out who he really is, with suggestions as to his real identity running from Cut Chemist, via the Beastie Boys, to Money Mark.

All I know is that the album is brilliant, full of dry snare cracks, organic woodwind and shimmering organ lines, perfect for late night listening.

Clutchy Hopkins / Percy’s on the One

Clutchy Hopkins on Myspace

I’d bag a copy now before it turns out to be DJ Shadow in disguise, and copies start turning up on eBay for £200 a time …