Bert Jansch

As both a solo artist and a member of Pentangle, Scottish guitarist Bert Jansch was a linchpin of the 1960s/'70s U.K. folk and folk-rock scene. He was born on November 3, 1943 in Glasgow, Scotland and grew up in Edinburgh. In his teens he took up the acoustic guitar and became fascinated with the styles of American folk and blues musicians. He moved London in the early '60s, and began to perform on the folk circuit there, soaking up the influence of traditional British folk. In 1965, Jansch released his self-titled debut album, a lo-fi affair that mixed guitar instrumentals with singer/songwriter fare. He released the follow-up, It Don't Bother Me, later the same year. By the mid '60s, Jansch had become a fixture at British folk hubs like Les Cousins, where he was part of a fertile scene that included Jackson C. Frank, Wizz Jones, Roy Harper, and many more. One of these scenemates, guitarist John Renbourn, soon became Jansch's duo partner; they released the landmark Bert and John album in 1966. The following year, Jansch, Renbourn, and some other Les Cousins cohorts formed The Pentangle. Part of the first wave of British folk rock, Pentangle released its first album in 1968 and became hugely influential in the U.K., mixing their folk and rock influences with a crucial dollop of jazz. Pentangle's initial run lasted until 1973, but Jansch kept up a consistent solo career at the same time, and after the band ran aground he concentrated on his singer/songwriter side. Mid '70s Jansch albums like L.A. Turnaround and Santa Barbara Honeymoon bore an American pop/rock influence and were recorded in California with U.S. players (the former was produced by Michael Nesmith). In 1981 Jansch participated in a Pentangle reunion that ended up lasting until 1995 and saw the release of several albums. By the 2000s, Jansch was the grand old man of U.K. folk; despite failing health, he released his acclaimed final album, The Black Swan, in 2006, aided by disciples like Beth Orton and Devendra Banhart. Jansch lost his life to cancer in London on October 5, 2011 at the age of 67.