Sam Baker is an American singer songwriter, artist and photographer. He has a feel for writing words and melodies which are sparse, full of space and humanity and quiet poetry. There is a kind of sage-like quality to his work, that allows for seemingly endless emotional involvement. Live, he is the sort of artist that seems to enrapt his audience into a pin-drop atmosphere, hanging on his words and presence. He is quiet, humble, calming. And it appears that one specific incident can account for the journey that led him to his art and his audience.
In 1986, when travelling on a train to Machu Picchu in Peru, the train was decimated by a bomb planted by a local terrorist group. The three people in his compartment were killed; he survived but with horrific injuries, which took many months and years to recover from. As part of his recovery, he relearned the guitar (left-handed, as skin grafts meant he needed to switch hands). Writing became a therapy for his body and his mind, and gradually the songs started to appear.
It took him a long time to get to the point where he was ready to release anything, but his first album, ‘Mercy’ was packed with songs of hope overcoming hardship, delicate fingerpicking, augmented by the lightest of other instrumental touches, and Baker’s own weary voice like a balm. There were songs which seemed to directly reference his life altering experience, but also songs which looked out to other people’s lives with great compassion – take the opener, ‘Waves’, an ode to an old man who has lost his life partner and retraces his steps to a beach they used to go to together. It is such a moving song, it is hard to listen to without tears, even if you have listened to it many times before.
The whole album was packed with them; these fragile songs celebrating the way we cling to each other, guiding and helping each other through good times and bad; and then came two more albums, ‘Pretty World’ and ‘Cotton’ which trod the same path, each beautifully realised, each adding to a stunningly clear-eyed and yet poetic world view. Together, they have been bound together into the ‘Pretty World’ trilogy, and will definitely be the place to start for any new Baker listeners.
A nice piece Jonathan, about one of the most extraordinary men that it’s ever been my pleasure to encounter. I’ve been a long term admirer of the man and his body of work, often finding myself fortunate enough to be in his company, both here and in Texas. Given the tragedy that he experienced as a younger man, and the challenges that consequently brought him, I continue to be inspired, and uplifted, by his philosophy on life. Which is best described in his own four simple words……….”How beautiful these days”. Amen to that!
Lovely post, David, thanks for sharing 😊
So pleased I know Sam Baker’s music, having attended several gigs and chatting with him. A real gent. ‘Waves’ is one of the saddest, most moving songs, ever.