Jay Bennett Thoughts

by Bob Boilen

A few more thoughts have crossed my desk, and my mind, in the past few days regarding the death of former Wilco multi-instrumentalist Jay Bennett.

First, this statement from Wilco frontman Jeff Tweedy.

"We are all deeply saddened by this tragedy," Tweedy says. "We will miss Jay as we remember him -- as a truly unique and gifted human being, and one who made welcome and significant contributions to the band's songs and evolution. Our thoughts go out to his family and friends in this very difficult time."

I spent Sunday morning watching the documentary on the making of Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, called I Am Trying to Break Your Heart.

The much-discussed conflicts between Tweedy and Bennett, as documented in the film, have led many to characterize Bennett as a bit of a jerk, but I don't think that's fair. And this isn't just being kind in the light of his death: Watching the film, the disagreements seemed to be about different styles of conversation and different needs. Tweedy just wanted to move forward, and Bennett wanted verbal acknowledgement from Tweedy that he was understood. It just didn't seem like much of a big deal to me.

More importantly, I received this email today from Jay's friends and family.. It's worth reading as a way to understand where Bennett was in his life:

Our good friend Jay Walter Bennett left us this weekend. As news hits the wires so instantaneously these days, we thought it was important to share some thoughts about our friend and brother before any rumors got out of hand.

First, let it be known that Jay was in a really good place these past few years. He had returned to the area he loved -- the "Twin Cities" Champaign-Urbana -- and resurrected his studio, Pieholden Suite Sound, with the assistance of many dear friends and allies. Jay had been busy making music. He recently had released an intimate record entitled Whatever Happened I Apologize, and he was looking forward to wrapping up his new work, Kicking at the Perfumed Air. Proud of finishing a trilogy of records, including Bigger Than Blue, The Beloved Enemy and The Magnificent Defeat, Jay loved the balanced yet ironic album titles. He was also looking forward to engineering and releasing Titanic Love Affair's previously unreleased record, as well as starting work on The Palace at 4 a.m. Part II, the follow-up to his post-Wilco debut with Edward Burch. "Jay the Academic" had also reemerged, pursuing his umpteenth degree at the University of Illinois, and he was thrilled to be taking graduate classes again.

As many of you may be aware, Jay had finally found the courage to put his Wilco issues out into the public forum. After a long, four-year process (and therefore very much unrelated to his impending hip surgery), formal filings against Wilco were finally initiated. This task was very emotional for Jay. He was a "lover," and this confrontation was not easy for him. With the exception of his final period in Wilco, Jay looked back on his time in the band with great fondness and pride. While he was dismayed that some people may have formed a narrow perception of him via the "documentary," all who truly knew him understood that with most entertainment media, editing is usually constructed for dramatic effect and presents only a small part of a larger, more complex reality.

So, please spend some time this week engaging in Jay's favorite passions: listen to a Nick Lowe album, watch some Mythbusters on Discovery, play Warren Zevon's "Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner," rent Pay It Forward (one of his favorite movies), write a song with the TV on and the sound off, and focus on how Jay always concluded his communications:

"Love, Jay"

10:25 AM ET | 05-27-2009 | permalink

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