In 2009 I filmed a session with the amazing Damien Jurado for another project called The Canal Sessions. It was a boat ride to remember, so when he returned to Utrecht this fall, I was more than delighted to film him playing a couple of covers for Onder Invloed. What followed, was one of the quickest sessions so far, and a beautiful selection of songs.

Jurado, a gifted singer and songwriter from Seattle, released his 10th album ‘Saint Bartlett’ in May this year. A week ago, I had to make a list of my Top 10 ‘Albums of 2010’. ‘Saint Bartlett’ is on top of that list, followed closely by Davie Lawson‘s ‘Tree Tumble Wake Mother’, Doghouse Roses‘ ‘This Broken Key’, The Tallest Man On Earth‘s ‘The Wild Hunt’ and Ray LaMontagne’s ‘God Willin’ & The Creek Don’t Rise’. Another favorite album of this year is ‘Other People’s Songs‘ by that same Damien Jurado and Richard Swift. An interesting collection of covers.

Albums that hit you on the first listen are rare, and once you encounter one of them, there’s is nothing you can do but surrender and play it over and over and over and… Songs like Arkansas, Pear, Kansas City and Beacon Hill will stick with me for years and possibly decades to come. Judging on the songs Jurado picked to cover on this session, he himself also loves songs that seem to slowly but steadily plant themselves underneath your skin, close to your heart. Without further ado, I’ll let you off to watch these brilliant covers.

Whale Mountain (Little Wings)

If I Were A Singer (Larry Norman)

My Eyes Are Dry (Keith Green)

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