RIP Jon Hassell

The great Jon Hassell has died. He had an entry in the second Trouser Press guide, if I recall correctly. He was a marvelous musician with a very distinct sound. Certainly I cannot imagine the second side of David Sylvian's Brilliant Trees without him. His two Fourth World albums are highly recommended.

He'd been suffering from health issues for a couple of years; there was a GoFundMe I contributed to that barely made half of its goal.

I've really gotten into his music in the last few years. He was a unique presence, and his death leaves a hole in contemporary music.

He's actually on my list of artists for whom to do a TP entry. I didn't realize there was one already.

I'd love to see--for the sake of completeness--the reappearance in the Reviews section of all the artists who appeared in at least one edition of the Guide, but were later dropped. Even if the original entries aren't updated, they're still a part (to me) of those classic books, and they reflect where each volume was, culturally speaking, at a particular point in time. I treasure my five editions!

Michael Toland Wrote:
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> He'd been suffering from health issues for a
> couple of years; there was a GoFundMe I
> contributed to that barely made half of its goal.

Let's clarify that the goal was $200,000! That strangers donated a tenth of a million dollars to Jon Hassell's health care can only be seen as a win from my point of view. But a lose for America, which is the only wealthy country where this is necessary.

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/06/2021 11:21PM by That One Guy.

I haven't heard that one yet (which is why I haven't done an entry yet - haven't heard everything).

I'm partial to Last Night the Moon Came Dropping Its Clothes in the Street and Dressing For Pleasure, even though I imagine the latter was an attempt at commercial accessibility. But my favorite thus far may well be Vernal Equinox, his debut. When I was sent the reissue a couple of years ago, I read the synopsis and thought, "I'm probably not gonna care for this, but it is a step in his development, and thus worth the coverage." I ended up finding it absolutely bewitching.

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Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 09/06/2021 11:22PM by That One Guy.

I agree - his "Dressing For Pleasure" era was a trip. Like most, I discovered him via his Eno-infused neo-exotica of the '80s, hearing his breathy horn everywhere for a while. But his explorations into sampling, while surprising, didn't seem like gimmicky sell-out moves, but more like further explorations from an original thinker.

(I used to compare his processed horn sound to a vacuum cleaner. Hey, I was young.)

Learned about Jon Hassell (and Harold Budd for that matter) through my love for Eno’s ambient recordings.
I appreciate the mentions of other works to investigate…. you guys are good; it seems like I’ve been appreciating mentions a lot lately.

“Leaves a hole in contemporary music”…. well said. RIP.