Jandek

A A A Comments (1) By Chris Gray Wednesday, Apr 1 2009

Jandek: Matinee in the key of Z.

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2:30 p.m. Sunday, April 5, at Rudyard's, 2010 Waugh, 713-521-0521 or www.myspace.com/rudyards

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Calling Jandek a "cult hero" would be about as much of an understatement as calling him "prolific." Since 1978, the eccentric Houston singer-songwriter savant has released more than 50 albums on his own Corwood Industries label, which is accessible only via P.O. box. Jandek's music is rich with imagery steeped in religion, geography and numerology, and played in a style (in tunings of his own devising) that straddles the line between avant-garde art songs and ancient East Texas country-blues. Featured alongside Syd Barrett, Captain Beefheart, Wesley Willis and Daniel Johnston in Irwin Chusid's 2000 book Songs in the Key of Z: The Curious Universe of Outsider Music, Jandek has had a profound influence on minimalist musicians such as Smog's Bill Callahan, the Mountain Goats' John Darnielle and Minnesota trio Low. Paul Friedrichs's 2004 documentary Jandek on Corwood must have shaken something loose in the reclusive artist — up until then, he had never performed live, but now does a handful of shows every year in the U.S., Canada and Europe. Sunday's matinee at Rudyard's, though, is Jandek's first-ever public performance in his hometown; his only other appearance was a walk-on with improvisational duo Loren Conners and Alan Licht in 2006. Come early.