In 1969 Nick Garrie recorded The Nightmare Of J.B. Stanisla, a lush folk/pop album. When collectors discovered it in the ’80s, it began fetching astronomical sums, and it was eventually reissued on CD in 2005. Garrie’s life in obscurity has too many twists to recount, but includes two albums as Nick Hamilton and an opening spot on a Leonard Cohen tour in 1984. The Moon And The Village (Tapete), Garrie’s first release in 23 years, is another subtle charmer. His mellow vocals are supported by arrangements that let his stories glow with a warm inner light. Garrie will be guest editing magnetmagazine.com all week.
Garrie: I’ve played in some nice places but nowhere as beautiful as this. And so I waited with the boatman on the lagoon till just before midnight. Five wooden boats pulled up silently, and I sang my song and it went round the caves and back to me. The clapping seemed to come from distant shores. I watched them disembark for my concert. Children, grandparents, gig lovers, first timers, stern husbands with their doe-eyed wives. I finished, and they wanted more, so when I saw the little lady at the back, I played “Que Sera, Sera,” and they all left singing and laughing.
