An Old Troubadour & His Guitar – Review by Greg Cantrell

By definition, Jim Cogswell is not exactly a troubadour. While he focuses the acoustic music he plays on themes of courtly love, he is not a wanderer, hailing from Leawood. Nor does he compose original music, at least not yet. However, through Jim’s set, he entertains and engages the audience through these songs of love. He’s close enough to the literal definition to satisfy this reviewer.

Jim’s performance, at the Loretto Auditorium, was an enjoyable journey through a cadre of wonderful songs evoking a common theme of love and feelings from our past. Covering songs such as Bobby Darin’s Dream Lover to Ewan MacColl’s The First Time Ever, and Springsteen’s Dancing In The Dark, Jim used his gentle picking of the guitar and his sweet, soft voice to let the audience know he has a deep soul and passion for this music. Cogswell has been performing for many years locally and this reviewer encourages him to vary his musical pace a bit to include a sound that is a little more soulful or dramatic. Overall, his performance was a lovely way to spend the hour!