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Ed Askew: The Unsung Poet's Final Masterpiece
21 Jul
Summary
- Ed Askew's final album, 'The Final Painting', is released posthumously.
- His music deeply influenced contemporary artists like Bill Callahan and Sharon Van Etten.
- Askew's work, often overlooked, gained a global audience through dedicated discovery.
Ed Askew, a celebrated US poet and musician, has his final album, 'The Final Painting', released posthumously this month, a year after his passing at age 84. Producer Jerry David DeCicca describes Askew's music as possessing a unique 'singularity' that has captivated contemporary artists.
Acclaimed musicians including Sharon Van Etten and Bill Callahan contribute to 'The Final Painting', with Callahan noting a "primordial" and "holy" aspect to Askew's piano-driven compositions. Askew's songwriting, characterized by flâneur-like observations and likened to Cézanne's art, blends the quotidian with the profound.
His song 'Moon in the Mind' was featured in the 2024 Netflix series 'Baby Reindeer'. Askew, who began his musical journey in the 1950s, released approximately 50 albums throughout his life, many self-recorded and self-published.
Jay Pluck, a close friend, highlighted Askew's pioneering role in psych-folk songwriting, noting his brave inclusion of openly gay love songs from the 1960s onwards. Askew's legacy is that of a true artist who lived on his own terms, sharing his unique perspective for others to discover.
