Bert Jansch (folk, folk rock, folk baroque / UK)

Herbert "Bert" Jansch (3 November 1943 – 5 October 2011) was a Scottish folk musician and founding member of the band Pentangle. He was born in Glasgow and came to prominence in London in the 1960s, as an acoustic guitarist, as well as a singer-songwriter. He recorded at least 25 albums and toured extensively from the 1960s to the 21st century. 


Instruments: (vocals), guitar, banjo.
Years active: 1965–2011



Jansch's formative years musically were as part of the Glasgow and Edinburgh folk scenes of the late fifties and early sixties.

His debut album, Bert Jansch, was recorded on borrowed guitars in the kitchen of freelance producer Bill Leader's Clapham home in 1964 and then sold extremely cheaply to the Transatlantic label as no-one else was interested. However, his innovatory guitar style quickly established him as one of the leading figures on the sixties folk scene, despite some very amateurish live performances in these early years. It was the folk album of the time.

He developed a close friendship with fellow guitarist John Renbourn, with whom he went on to share a number of flats. Renbourn appeared on a couple of tracks on Jansch's It Doesn't Bother Me album. Since Renbourn was also signed to Transatlantic, it was simple for them to appear on each others albums. This album was more accessible and mainstream than his first effort.

The highpoint of Jansch's partnership with Renbourn was reached on the Jack Orion and Bert And John albums. The former veered towards traditional folk with the nine-minute title cut and Black Water Side probably its finest moments. The latter was a largely instrumental and jazzy album.

One of Jansch's most popular songs in these early days was anti-drug tale Needle Of Death, which was the title track for a 1966 album. The other four cuts were Running From Home, Tinker's Blues, Courting Blues and The Wheel. Donovan was a great fan of Bert's, frequently performing his songs in his live act and dedicating two songs (House Of Jansch and Bert's Blues) to him.

The Nicola album marked a change of musical direction, experimenting with a live orchestra on half of the tracks. It was arranged by David Palmer, who later joined Jethro Tull. The end result was rather elaborate and it is generally considered one of his least successful albums, though it spawned his first single, Life Depends On Love, which made little impact. Woe Is Love My Dear, one of the stronger orchestral pieces, was also earmarked for 45 release, but never emerged in this format. Of the non-orchestrated cuts, Go Your Way My Love was recorded with Anne Briggs and particularly catches the ear.

In mid-1967, along with John Renbourn and Jacqui McShee, Jansch formed Pentangle, which was intended as an experimental outfit blending folk, blues and jazz. During this period, further solo albums were recorded. Birthday Blues showcased his songwriting, arranging and guitar playing admirably. Pentangle members Danny Thompson and Terry Cox assisted him on this album whereas his next effort - Rosemary Lane - was a genuinely solo and rather melancholic album. During this period, Transatlantic also put out a couple of compilations - The Bert Jansch Sampler and Box Of Love - The Bert Jansch Sampler, Vol. 2 - which helped to keep his profile as a solo artist alive. The second of these included a couple of previously unissued cuts:- In This Game and Dissatisfied Blues.

When Pentangle split in March 1973, Jansch resumed his solo career. His next album, Moonshine, had actually been recorded whilst he was still with the band. He was assisted on this by several musicians, including Mary Hopkin. A 45, Oh My Father, was also released but made little impression. After moving to Wales with his wife Heather, he was signed by the emerging Charisma label. The first album to result from this new collaboration was LA Turnaround. It was recorded in Sussex and Los Angeles and produced by Mike Nesmith. The same year saw the release of a non-album 45, In The Bleak Midwinter, produced by Ralph McTell. Ralph's brother, Bruce May, had now become his manager.

Santa Barbara Honeymoon was recorded in California and littered with LA session musicians. Many of the songs reflected on his separation from Heather. A Rare Conundrum was also unexceptional and veered towards a sort of country rock. Although Bert would continue to record spasmodically into the nineties, his best work had certainly gone before him. The album discography gives details of a selection of some of the reissues and compilations which may interest readers.


Needle Of Death:

Bert Jansch 1975 live (4 songs)
("Lady Nothing," 0:00; "Moonshine" 1:59; "In the Bleak Midwinter" 5:53; "Come Back Baby" 9:59. With Ralph McTell, Stefan Grossman, Jan Akkerman, on a show called "Fire Guitarrer" (Four Guitars) originally broadcast on DR2-TV Denmark.):

Discography:


a selection of albums:

1965 – Bert Jansch
1965 – It Don't Bother Me
1966 – Jack Orion (with John Renbourn)
1966 – Bert and John (with John Renbourn)
1967 – Nicola
1969 – Birthday Blues
1971 – Rosemary Lane
1973 – Moonshine
1974 – L.A. Turnaround
1975 – Santa Barbara Honeymoon
1977 – A Rare Conundrum (released 1976 in Denmark and 1977 in UK)
1979 – Avocet (released 1978 in Denmark and 1979 in UK)
1980 – Thirteen Down (credited as "The Bert Jansch Conundrum")
1982 – Heartbreak
1985 – From the Outside (only released officially in Belgium)
1989 – Leather Launderette (with Rod Clements)
1990 – Sketches
1990 – The Ornament Tree
1995 – When the Circus Comes to Town
1998 – Toy Balloon
2000 – Crimson Moon
2002 – Edge of a Dream
2006 – The Black Swan
2012 - Heartbreak 30th Anniversary Edition - 2-CD set, the first CD containing the classic 1982 album Heartbreak (tracks reordered), the second containing a contemporaneous solo live performance at McCabe's Guitar Shop, including some of the same tracks


Sources: Wikipedia and The Tapestry of Delights