In the 1941 movie The Maltese Falcon, Sam Spade declared, "I don't mind a
reasonable amount of trouble." Neither did Jesse Winchester and he deemed those words a befitting title to his final opus.
Winchester was an American
singer-songwriter and A Reasonable Amount
of Trouble was the bookend to his discography that began in 1970 with his debut
album simply titled, Jesse Winchester. His professional career spanned five decades and his life radiates through his music.
Beginning with the lyrics of Payday, the first song on his first album, to Just So Much, the last song on his final album, Jesse Winchester shared his life journey. His lyrics are honest and insightful. As a young musician, he knew the struggle to earn a living and how good it felt on a big payday. And in his final days he expressed so personally the coming to terms with mortality.
Life is too short for some folks, he once wrote and sadly it was for Jesse Winchester. But the thoughtful, southern gentleman clearly enjoyed the riches of life and left behind a bounty of treasure for all to share.
If you really need to reach me go to nineteen sixty three, playing guitar by the radio, anything in G.
From Ghosts, by Jesse Winchester
