Few past and current artists go as well together as John Hartford and Kristian Matsson, aka The Tallest Man on Earth. Both have a classic American folk sound that ties together the stories told in the lyrics perfectly. It makes sense, then, that Matsson would decide to incorporate a cover of Hartford’s classic song “Gentle on my Mind” into his live repertoire.
Trading in banjo for an electric guitar, Matsson broke out the cover at Coachella to the delight of the crowd. His always-impressive guitar picking skills are on full display, keeping up quite well with the banjo on the original, and his soulful voice is the perfect vehicle for the lyrics. The result is exceptionally pleasant. Watch the video below. (via You Ain’t No Picasso)
The Tallest Man on Earth – Gentle on My Mind (John Hartford cover)
Check out more from The Tallest Man on Earth on his MySpace.
Not bad, after he got over forgetting the first line. I saw Hartford about 20 times so I am a little prejudiced, but his picking sure is right on the money, though I’d sure like to hear him sing this about ten years down the line with a little more age in his throat and soul.