Jandek on Corwood

In 1977 a musician named Jandek released an album in Corwood, Texas. The album featured voice and guitar. The music is something like blues but generally pretty abstract. Then Jandek released a second album and a third. People started to write and talk about his music. Fans of the distinctive sound included Kurt Cobain and the members of Sonic Youth. To date, Jandek has released 34 albums. No one has still ever laid eyes on him, and yet he has been written up in the most important music magazines. Jandek has never performed publicly, never given an interview, never allowed any personal contact. A bizarre telephone call from the eighties and hand written messages are the only clues. Over time, the myth surrounding this invisible musician generated interest in his music. Are the pictures on his album covers really him? Who is the Nancy who performs with him? Sometimes it seems that Jandek’s musical career is the product of an extreme or autistic life. If the statements and speculations in this exciting and entertaining film are to be believed, we must accept the possibility that thirty years ago someone may have set in motion a fantastic artistic gesture. In the age of media and celebrities it provides an artefact of anonymity and nothingness.