#TheClassics: A Tribute to Jesse Winchester

Jesse Winchester is not a huge household name in these whereabouts, although he should be, because he did not seek commercial success:

"I'd rather just hang in there all the time with good music, slow and steady, and share it, rather than set the world on fire all at once."

Someone recently described him to me as "a songwriter's songwriter... a singer's singer." He was highly admired by writers and musicians alike, such as Lyle Lovett, Jimmy Buffett and Bob Dylan. Winchester was diagnosed with cancer of the esophagus in 2011, and died recently in April of bladder cancer. Janice Ian wrote of his death:

"RIP Jesse Winchester. As underrated a singer as Chet Baker. As underrated a guitarist as Willie Nelson. A man who held the audience in the palm of his hand without moving an inch. One of the best songwriters on earth."

Therefore, we make a tribute to this quiet music legend.