Decades ago, I asked my older brother–a musician–who were the musicians that the musicians he knew were listening to.

He said: “Shawn Colvin and Richard Thompson.”

I had never heard of either of them but I got on the stick but quick. And now both of them have Aspen and/or Snowmass on the itinerary in summer 2007.

In particular, I hope you didn’t miss Richard Thompson Friday night Aspen in front of a sparse crowd. My guess is this was an ordinary night for him–no soaring spectaculars–but even on an average night Richard Thompson is worth every note. He is famously from England–not Scotland as I had thought–with a major dose of folk and folklore, but the world knows him perhaps even better as a guitarist with a completely original sound and attack.

Here’s something I didn’t know about Richard Thompson before the show: he gets up on his tippy-toes when things are really going good.

And here’s the great thing about the Belly Up: even when it’s packed to the gills, you can still make it to the stage to see your hero up close and personal.

I came away with a new appreciation for him as a songwriter and storyteller, traits no doubt gleaned from the folk tradition. I left musing about creativity–Hunter O’Hanian of Anderson Ranch got me thinking about it last week–about how art is defined in the end by its influences, and how Richard Thompson managed to bring Scottish folk and rock together to create something brand-new.

Isn’t that what Bob Dylan did in his “Judas” days? Isn’t that the jangly heart of They Byrds?

In any and all cases, there’s nothing like seeing one of your heroes come to life so close that you could touch him.