Pentangle | Download Music, Tour Dates & Video | eMusic Group Members: Bert Jansch And John Renbourn , Bert Jansch , Bert Jansch Conundrum , Stefan Grossman And John Renbourn , Danny Thompson , John Renbourn Group , The John Renbourn Group , Rod Clements , Peter Kirtley , John Renbourn All Music Guide: Were Pentangle a folk group, a folk-rock group, or something that resists classification? They could hardly be called a rock & roll act; they didn't use electric instruments often, and were built around two virtuoso guitarists, Bert Jansch and John Renbourn, who were already well-established on the folk circuit before the group formed. Yet their hunger for eclectic experimentation fit into the milieu of late-'60s progressive rock and psychedelia well, and much of their audience came from the rock and pop worlds, rather than the folk crowd.

With Jacqui McShee on vocals and a rhythm section of Danny Thompson (bass) and Terry Cox (drums), the group mastered a breathtaking repertoire that encompassed traditional ballads, blues, jazz, pop, and reworkings of rock oldies, often blending different genres in the same piece. Their prodigious individual talents perhaps ensured a brief lifespan, but at their peak they melded their distinct and immense skills to egg each other on to heights they couldn't have achieved on their own, in the manner of great rock combos like the Beatles and Buffalo Springfield. When Pentangle formed around late 1966 or early 1967 (accounts vary), Jansch and Renbourn had already recorded one album together (Bert and John), and done some solo recordings as well. Jansch was more inclined toward blues and contemporary songwriting than Renbourn, who was stronger in traditional British folk music. Jacqui McShee, whose bell-clear, high singing set the standard (along with Sandy Denny) for female British folk-rock vocals, began rehearsing with the pair.

After a false start with a forgotten rhythm section, Thompson and Cox -- who had been working with Alexis Korner -- were brought in to complete the quintet. Pentangle's first three albums -- The Pentangle (1968), the double-LP Sweet Child (1968), and Basket of Light (1969) -- are not only their best efforts, but arguably their only truly essential ones. With Shel Talmy acting as producer, the band rarely took a misstep in its mastery of diverse styles and material. Thompson and Cox gave even the traditional folk ballads a jazz swing and verve; the guitar interplay of Jansch (who was also a capable singer) and Renbourn was downright thrilling, each complementing and enhancing the other without showing off or getting in each other's way. McShee's beautiful vocals, though not as emotionally resonant as her close counterpart Sandy Denny, were an under-appreciated component to the band's success with the pop audience. And Pentangle were very popular for a time, at least in England, where Basket of Light made number five, and "Light Flight" was a small hit single.

They introduced some electric guitars on their early-'70s albums, which generally suffered from weaker material and a less unified group effort. The original lineup broke up in 1973; Jansch and Renbourn (who had never really abandoned their solo careers) continued to record often as soloists, and remained top attractions on the folk circuit. Thompson joined John Martyn for a while, and has remained active as a session musician, in addition to recording some work of his own for the Hannibal label. The original group reunited for the reasonably accomplished Open the Door album in the early '80s, and other versions of the group recorded and toured throughout the '80s and '90s, usually featuring McShee and Jansch as the sole remaining original members.

Bert Jansch & John Renbourn - Listen to Free Music by Bert Jansch & John Renbourn on Pandora Internet Radio more Bert Jansch & John Renbourn In the '60s and '70s, John Renbourn was one of the leading lights of the British folk scene as the founder of the eclectic and innovative folk-rock band the Pentangle , who added the melodic twists and structural freedoms of jazz to the dark but compelling traditions of U.K. folk. After leaving the group, Renbourn went on to a distinguished solo career, where he broadened his repertoire to include classical guitar, and he earned an international reputation as an instrumentalist with remarkable technical skills as well as impressive taste and vision. John McCombe was born on August 8, 1944 in Marylebone, London. His father, Robert McCombe, served in the Royal Highland Tank Regiment during World War II, and died in action when John was very young. John's mother, Dorothy, married a doctor, Edward Tobias Renbourn, in 1952, and John took his stepfather's surname.

John grew up in a musical household -- his mother played the piano, and his great uncle Dan played cello, sometimes accompanying Dorothy at home -- and after the family moved to Surry, young John began taking piano lessons. At the age of 12, John was studying theory and early music, and he soon discovered American folk and blues music after seeing a concert by Josh White . By the time he was 20, Renbourn had taken up guitar (originally studying in the classical style), and while hitchhiking across Europe he crossed paths with U.K. folk-blues artists Davy Graham , Wizz Jones , and Mac MacLeod; Renbourn and MacLeod spent a few years busking together, and cut some demo tapes that failed to lead to a record deal. After a brief spell in a rhythm & blues combo, Renbourn met Dorris Henderson, an American folk, blues, and gospel singer, and he signed on as her accompanist, cutting two albums with Henderson, 1965's There You Go and 1967's Watch the Stars.

The year 1965 also saw the release of Renbourn's first solo album, simply titled John Renbourn; on a pair of songs, John was accompanied by Bert Jansch , a like-minded guitarist with whom he was sharing a flat, and in 1966, the two cut an album together, Bert & John. In 1968, Renbourn released another solo album, Sir John Alot of Merrie Englandes Musyk Thyng & ye Grene Knyghte, which combined his passion for British folk and early music with more contemporary sounds; later that same year, Renbourn's desire to explore new boundaries within the folk tradition led to the formation of the group the Pentangle , with Renbourn and Bert Jansch on guitars, Jacqui McShee (who appeared on Renbourn's second solo effort, 1967's Another Monday) on vocals, Terry Cox (who played on Sir John Alot) on percussion, and Danny Thompson on bass.

The Pentangle (later simply Pentangle ) became one of the most popular groups on the British folk-rock scene, rivaling Fairport Convention and Steeleye Span , and they frequently toured in the U.K., Europe, and the United States. Pentangle released six albums between 1968 and 1972, when the original lineup split up, falling victim to the fatigue of their busy schedule. During this period, Renbourn still maintained his solo career, releasing The Lady and the Unicorn in 1970 and Faro Annie in 1972, and after Pentangle folded, he began playing solo shows and published the first of many books of classical and folk guitar pieces. Renbourn continued to record and perform with Bert Jansch on occasion, and Jacqui McShee sang with John's post- Pentangle project the John Renbourn Group, whose 1981 concert album Live in America earned a Grammy nomination. Renbourn also cut several albums with the American guitarist Stefan Grossman , the first a self-titled effort in 1978.

In 1982, Renbourn enrolled at Darlington College in Darlington, England, where he spent three years studying composition, early music, the sitar, and the shakuhachi (a Japanese flute). Renbourn told an interviewer that his studies were "an awesome experience," though Renbourn continued to record and perform as time permitted, and at one point had to arrange to postpone an exam because it would interfere with a concert date -- sharing a bill with Doc Watson at Carnegie Hall in New York City. Renbourn would later return to academia as an instructor, teaching a degree-level course in steel-string guitar at Darlington and leading International Guitar Seminars in Quebec, Vancouver, and New York City. In 1987, for a concert in New York, Renbourn assembled a group he called Ship of Fools, with Maggie Boyle (vocals and flute), Steve Tilston (guitar and mandolin), and Tony Roberts (wind instruments), and he was happy enough with the results that the group stayed together for several years. Renbourn also participated in a Pentangle reunion tour in 1983, though he left before the group recorded the album Open the Door later that year.

Renbourn stayed busy in the '90s and the new millennium, as he taught, composed, toured internationally, and periodically recorded, and in 2007, when Pentangle received a lifetime achievement award from the BBC Folk Awards, Renbourn joined his bandmates from the original lineup to accept their honors from Sir David Attenborough and perform for the occasion. In 2008, Renbourn joined Pentangle for a short tour, followed by teaching projects in Ireland and the South of France. In 2010, the Martin Guitar Company bestowed a unique honor by introducing a John Renbourn signature model, and in 2011, Pentangle played the U.K.'s biggest annual music event, the Glastonbury Festival, and staged a farewell concert at London's Festival Hall.

( Bert Jansch died a few months after the London show, in October 2011.) In March 2015, Renbourn was in the midst of a tour with his friend and mentor Wizz Jones when, after he failed to arrive for a concert date, he was found dead in his home on March 26, 2015, claimed by a heart attack at the age of 70. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi John Renbourn | Biography & History | AllMusic google+ Artist Biography by Mark Deming In the '60s and '70s, John Renbourn was one of the leading lights of the British folk scene as the founder of the eclectic and innovative folk-rock band the Pentangle , who added the melodic twists and structural freedoms of jazz to the dark but compelling traditions of U.K. folk. After leaving the group, Renbourn went on to a distinguished solo career, where he broadened his repertoire to include classical guitar, and he earned an international reputation as an instrumentalist with remarkable technical skills as well as impressive taste and vision. John McCombe was born on August 8, 1944 in Marylebone, London.

His father, Robert McCombe, served in the Royal Highland Tank Regiment during World War II, and died in action when John was very young. John 's mother, Dorothy, married a doctor, Edward Tobias Renbourn, in 1952, and John took his stepfather's surname. John grew up in a musical household -- his mother played the piano, and his great uncle Dan played cello, sometimes accompanying Dorothy at home -- and after the family moved to Surrey, young John began taking piano lessons. At the age of 12, John was studying theory and early music, and he soon discovered American folk and blues music after seeing a concert by Josh White . By the time he was 20, Renbourn had taken up guitar (originally studying in the classical style), and while hitchhiking across Europe he crossed paths with U.K. folk-blues artists Davy Graham , Wizz Jones , and Mac MacLeod ; Renbourn and MacLeod spent a few years busking together, and cut some demo tapes that failed to lead to a record deal.

After a brief spell in a rhythm & blues combo, Renbourn met Dorris Henderson , an American folk, blues, and gospel singer, and he signed on as her accompanist, cutting two albums with Henderson , 1965's There You Go and 1967's Watch the Stars . The year 1965 also saw the release of Renbourn 's first solo album, simply titled John Renbourn ; on a pair of songs, John was accompanied by Bert Jansch , a like-minded guitarist with whom he was sharing a flat, and in 1966, the two cut an album together, Bert & John .

In 1968, Renbourn released another solo album, Sir John Alot of Merrie Englandes Musyk Thyng & ye Grene Knyghte , which combined his passion for British folk and early music with more contemporary sounds; later that same year, Renbourn 's desire to explore new boundaries within the folk tradition led to the formation of the group the Pentangle , with Renbourn and Bert Jansch on guitars, Jacqui McShee (who appeared on Renbourn 's second solo effort, 1967's Another Monday ) on vocals, Terry Cox (who played on Sir John Alot ) on percussion, and Danny Thompson on bass. The Pentangle (later simply Pentangle ) became one of the most popular groups on the British folk-rock scene, rivaling Fairport Convention and Steeleye Span , and they frequently toured in the U.K., Europe, and the United States. Pentangle released six albums between 1968 and 1972, when the original lineup split up, falling victim to the fatigue of their busy schedule.

During this period, Renbourn still maintained his solo career, releasing The Lady and the Unicorn in 1970 and Faro Annie in 1972, and after Pentangle folded, he began playing solo shows and published the first of many books of classical and folk guitar pieces. Renbourn continued to record and perform with Bert Jansch on occasion, and Jacqui McShee sang with John 's post- Pentangle project the John Renbourn Group , whose 1981 concert album Live in America earned a Grammy nomination. Renbourn also cut several albums with the American guitarist Stefan Grossman , the first a self-titled effort in 1978. In 1982, Renbourn enrolled at Darlington College in Darlington, England, where he spent three years studying composition, early music, the sitar, and the shakuhachi (a Japanese flute). Renbourn told an interviewer that his studies were "an awesome experience," though Renbourn continued to record and perform as time permitted, and at one point had to arrange to postpone an exam because it would interfere with a concert date -- sharing a bill with Doc Watson at Carnegie Hall in New York City.

Renbourn would later return to academia as an instructor, teaching a degree-level course in steel-string guitar at Darlington and leading International Guitar Seminars in Quebec, Vancouver, and New York City. In 1987, for a concert in New York, Renbourn assembled a group he called Ship of Fools , with Maggie Boyle (vocals and flute), Steve Tilston (guitar and mandolin), and Tony Roberts (wind instruments), and he was happy enough with the results that the group stayed together for several years. Renbourn also participated in a Pentangle reunion tour in 1983, though he left before the group recorded the album Open the Door later that year. Renbourn stayed busy in the '90s and the new millennium, as he taught, composed, toured internationally, and periodically recorded, and in 2007, when Pentangle received a lifetime achievement award from the BBC Folk Awards, Renbourn joined his bandmates from the original lineup to accept their honors from Sir David Attenborough and perform for the occasion. In 2008, Renbourn joined Pentangle for a short tour, followed by teaching projects in Ireland and the South of France.

In 2010, the Martin Guitar Company bestowed a unique honor by introducing a John Renbourn signature model, and in 2011, Pentangle played the U.K.'s biggest annual music event, the Glastonbury Festival, and staged a farewell concert at London's Festival Hall. ( Bert Jansch died a few months after the London show, in October 2011.) In March 2015, Renbourn was in the midst of a tour with his friend and mentor Wizz Jones when, after he failed to arrive for a concert date, he was found dead in his home on March 26, 2015, claimed by a heart attack at the age of 70. Renbourn 's final material, Joint Control , recorded with Jones just before his death, was released in September 2016.

Bert Jansch obituary | Music | The Guardian Bert Jansch obituary Innovative, influential guitarist and founder member of the groundbreaking folk band Pentangle Pentangle on the Journey into Love TV programme in 1971, from left, John Renbourn, Danny Thompson, Jacqui McShee, Terry Cox and Bert Jansch. Photograph: ITV / Rex Features Wednesday 5 October 2011 07.48 EDT First published on Wednesday 5 October 2011 07.48 EDT Share on Messenger Close Of all the guitarists to emerge from the early days of the British folk music revival, it was Bert Jansch , who has died aged 67, who had the most sustained influence, not only within folk circles, but also on the wider music scene. To Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page, Jansch was "the innovator of the time … so far ahead of what anyone else was doing". Johnny Marr of the Smiths described Jansch's effect on his musicianship as "massive … one of the most influential and intriguing musicians to have come out of the British music scene".

Other artists he influenced included Paul Simon, Donovan and Neil Young, with whom Jansch toured in the US in 2010. On stage, he was an introverted, shy, yet riveting solo performer. In his early days especially, he was often unkempt on stage and unconventional off it – a non-conformist who cared little for personal possessions and who often had no fixed address. It was as a member of the groundbreaking folk band Pentangle that he first achieved recognition beyond the folk scene. Formed in 1967, the band toured extensively until 1972, and although all the original members reunited in 1982, it was only Jansch and Jacqui McShee who stayed the course until the band folded in 1995. His finger-picking playing style included a good deal of improvisation, bending the strings and varying the time signatures to fit the natural rhythm of the words of a song. Jansch, whose forebears had come from Germany in the 19th century, was born in Glasgow but the family moved to Edinburgh, where he attended Ainslie Park secondary school.

He worked, briefly, as a nurseryman, spending his early wages on a guitar. He sought lessons at the Howff folk club, wishing to emulate the guitar style of the American Big Bill Broonzy. Soon, Jansch had become resident unofficial caretaker at the Howff, spending much of his time developing his playing skills, with the Scottish singer Archie Fisher as a significant influence. In the early 1960s, Jansch graduated from playing for his own pleasure to performing for an audience. He was one of the first guitarists to understand and then interpret and popularise Davy Graham's guitar solo Anji. At the time, his personal, self-composed songs contrasted with the usual traditional or political repertoire of folk singers. After busking in Europe in 1964, he moved to London, where his instrumental and songwriting skills were recognised by the producer Bill Leader, who recorded his eponymous first album, released on the Transatlantic label in 1965. The album included Needle of Death, a stark anti-drugs song written after a friend died of an overdose. His second record, It Don't Bother Me, followed the same year.

It was a time of innovation in traditional song accompaniment. Graham had already brought his jazz and Arabic rhythms to a joint recording project with the folk singer Shirley Collins, and Jansch was by then greatly influenced by the young singer Anne Briggs. The traditional folk songs she taught him, plus his bluesy, improvised guitar accompaniment, dominated his third solo album, Jack Orion (1966), which featured John Renbourn on guitar. A joint album the same year, Bert and John, laid the foundations of Pentangle. Jack Orion included Blackwaterside, a traditional song Jansch learned from Briggs. His arrangement was copied by Page, who recorded the song with Led Zeppelin. The success of Jansch's albums led to sell-out concerts in London and a tour of provincial city concert halls. Renbourn was already performing with McShee when the idea of a band was suggested by Jansch; Danny Thompson (bass) and Terry Cox (percussion) added a jazz flavour to the mix of folk and blues. Pentangle's performances were characterised by extended solos and improvisation, with McShee's distinctive voice singing a mixture of traditional and band-composed songs.

After a debut at the Royal Festival Hall in 1967, they began a relentless touring schedule as well as doing TV and radio work. The opening track of their third album, Basket of Light, was Light Flight, which became the theme tune of the popular television series Take Three Girls (1969). The album reached number five in the charts, and the band appeared on Top of the Pops. During the Pentangle years, Jansch recorded three solo albums, notably Rosemary Lane (1971), a stark, reflective work that included the traditional song Reynardine, learned from Briggs, alongside his own compositions. Jansch found the touring with Pentangle too much, and he forced the band to split in early 1973. He retreated to his farm in Wales, but he needed musical challenges, and also to relearn his craft as a solo performer. By the time his album LA Turnaround was released in 1974, he had separated from his second wife, Heather, and moved back to London. At this point, his heavy drinking was taking its toll on his performances and reliability.

Appreciative audiences worldwide and the need to earn a living meant a return to international touring, and Jansch teamed up with the multi-instrumentalist Martin Jenkins. Their concept album Avocet (1979) contained an 18-minute title track inspired by the traditional song the Cuckoo, and five further pieces named after birds. Pentangle re-formed in 1982, but within a couple of years Renbourn, Thompson and Cox had left. Replacements were found, but the nostalgia surrounding the part-time band had a detrimental effect on Jansch's already diminishing solo career. In 1987 Jansch became seriously ill and he gave up alcohol. His biographer, Colin Harper, wrote that "Bert's creativity, reliability, energy, commitment and quality of performance were all rescued dramatically" by this decision. In 1995 he left Pentangle, which then re-formed as Jacqui McShee's Pentangle. His back catalogue emerged on CD, and a new generation of musicians discovered his work. He continued to write songs and make albums.

When the Circus Comes to Town (1995), with its tribute to the doctor who saved him – The Lady Doctor from Ashington – led to extensive international touring and a television appearance on Later with Jools Holland. The television documentaries Acoustic Routes (1992) and Dreamweaver (2000), as well as Harper's biography, Dazzling Stranger (2000), helped cement his renewed reputation. In 2001 Jansch received a lifetime achievement award at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards and, in 2007, so did Pentangle. The original line-up performed at the award ceremony and on a 2008 reunion tour. He received an honorary doctorate from Edinburgh Napier University in 2007. That year, he performed with the Babyshambles singer Pete Doherty, and the singer-songwriter Beth Orton guested on his 2006 album The Black Swan. Jansch had heart surgery in 2005, and a further operation for lung cancer led to the cancellation of his 2009 tour of the US.

But in the summer of 2010, he joined Young on his Twisted Road tour of the US. Last summer, he and the other original members of Pentangle were reunited at Glastonbury, Cambridge folk festival and the Royal Festival Hall . Jansch was married three times: briefly to Lynda Campbell in 1963, to the sculptor Heather Jansch , and to Loren Auerbach, who survives him. He is also survived by his sons, Kieron and Adam. Another son, Richard, by Gill Cook , former manager of Collet's record store, predeceased him. Robin Denselow writes: Bert Jansch was that rarity, a musician who really did deserve to be regarded as a legend, and who retained that status throughout his career. He was an extraordinary guitarist and a thoughtful songwriter, and generations of would-be pickers sat at his concerts watching his fingerwork with envy and astonishment. He was influenced by traditional songs, blues and the "folk-baroque" of Davy Graham, but his distinctive style always allowed him to take chances and work with different musicians.

When I first met him, as a student journalist in the 1960s, he was outselling Bob Dylan in the folk shops along the Charing Cross Road, and told me: "I'm not recording for anyone, just myself." Years later, visiting him at his garden flat in Kilburn, it always struck me how little he had changed – he was still a tousled-haired figure with a slight mumble and quiet sense of humour, happiest when picking up a guitar and discussing music. One of the most memorable of Bert's shows was his 60th birthday celebration at London's South Bank, when he ran through the full gamut of his work, joined by younger fans including Johnny Marr, Bernard Butler and Hope Sandoval. He was a unique performer. • Bert (Herbert) Jansch, guitarist, born 3 November 1943; died 5 October 2011 Pentangle | New Music And Songs | Pentangle About Pentangle Were Pentangle a folk group, a folk-rock group, or something that resists classification?

They could hardly be called a rock & roll act; they didn't use electric instruments often, and were built around two virtuoso guitarists, Bert Jansch and John Renbourn, who were already well-established on the folk circuit before the group formed. Yet their hunger for eclectic experimentation fit into the milieu of late-'60s progressive rock and psychedelia well, and much of their audience came from the rock and pop worlds, rather than the folk crowd. With Jacqui McShee on vocals and a rhythm section of Danny Thompson (bass) and Terry Cox (drums), the group mastered a breathtaking repertoire that encompassed traditional ballads, blues, jazz, pop, and reworkings of rock oldies, often blending different genres in the same piece. Their prodigious individual talents perhaps ensured a brief lifespan, but at their peak they melded their distinct and immense skills to egg each other on to heights they couldn't have achieved on their own, in the manner of great rock combos like the Beatles and Buffalo Springfield.

When Pentangle formed around late 1966 or early 1967 (accounts vary), Jansch and Renbourn had already recorded one album together (Bert and John), and done some solo recordings as well. Jansch was more inclined toward blues and contemporary songwriting than Renbourn, who was stronger in traditional British folk music. Jacqui McShee, whose bell-clear, high singing set the standard (along with Sandy Denny) for female British folk-rock vocals, began rehearsing with the pair. After a false start with a forgotten rhythm section, Thompson and Cox -- who had been working with Alexis Korner -- were brought in to complete the quintet. Pentangle's first three albums -- The Pentangle (1968), the double-LP Sweet Child (1968), and Basket of Light (1969) -- are not only their best efforts, but arguably their only truly essential ones. With Shel Talmy acting as producer, the band rarely took a misstep in its mastery of diverse styles and material.

Thompson and Cox gave even the traditional folk ballads a jazz swing and verve; the guitar interplay of Jansch (who was also a capable singer) and Renbourn was downright thrilling, each complementing and enhancing the other without showing off or getting in each other's way. McShee's beautiful vocals, though not as emotionally resonant as her close counterpart Sandy Denny, were an under-appreciated component to the band's success with the pop audience. And Pentangle were very popular for a time, at least in England, where Basket of Light made number five, and "Light Flight" was a small hit single. They introduced some electric guitars on their early-'70s albums, which generally suffered from weaker material and a less unified group effort. The original lineup broke up in 1973; Jansch and Renbourn (who had never really abandoned their solo careers) continued to record often as soloists, and remained top attractions on the folk circuit. Thompson joined John Martyn for a while, and has remained active as a session musician, in addition to recording some work of his own for the Hannibal label.

The original group reunited for the reasonably accomplished Open the Door album in the early '80s, and other versions of the group recorded and toured throughout the '80s and '90s, usually featuring McShee and Jansch as the sole remaining original members. ~ Richie Unterberger, Rovi Hear more of John Renbourn | New Music And Songs | John Renbourn About John Renbourn In the '60s and '70s, John Renbourn was one of the leading lights of the British folk scene as the founder of the eclectic and innovative folk-rock band the Pentangle, who added the melodic twists and structural freedoms of jazz to the dark but compelling traditions of U.K. folk. After leaving the group, Renbourn went on to a distinguished solo career, where he broadened his repertoire to include classical guitar, and he earned an international reputation as an instrumentalist with remarkable technical skills as well as impressive taste and vision. John McCombe was born on August 8, 1944 in Marylebone, London. His father, Robert McCombe, served in the Royal Highland Tank Regiment during World War II, and died in action when John was very young.

John's mother, Dorothy, married a doctor, Edward Tobias Renbourn, in 1952, and John took his stepfather's surname. John grew up in a musical household -- his mother played the piano, and his great uncle Dan played cello, sometimes accompanying Dorothy at home -- and after the family moved to Surrey, young John began taking piano lessons. At the age of 12, John was studying theory and early music, and he soon discovered American folk and blues music after seeing a concert by Josh White. By the time he was 20, Renbourn had taken up guitar (originally studying in the classical style), and while hitchhiking across Europe he crossed paths with U.K. folk-blues artists Davy Graham, Wizz Jones, and Mac MacLeod; Renbourn and MacLeod spent a few years busking together, and cut some demo tapes that failed to lead to a record deal.

After a brief spell in a rhythm & blues combo, Renbourn met Dorris Henderson, an American folk, blues, and gospel singer, and he signed on as her accompanist, cutting two albums with Henderson, 1965's There You Go and 1967's Watch the Stars. The year 1965 also saw the release of Renbourn's first solo album, simply titled John Renbourn; on a pair of songs, John was accompanied by Bert Jansch, a like-minded guitarist with whom he was sharing a flat, and in 1966, the two cut an album together, Bert & John.

In 1968, Renbourn released another solo album, Sir John Alot of Merrie Englandes Musyk Thyng & ye Grene Knyghte, which combined his passion for British folk and early music with more contemporary sounds; later that same year, Renbourn's desire to explore new boundaries within the folk tradition led to the formation of the group the Pentangle, with Renbourn and Bert Jansch on guitars, Jacqui McShee (who appeared on Renbourn's second solo effort, 1967's Another Monday) on vocals, Terry Cox (who played on Sir John Alot) on percussion, and Danny Thompson on bass. The Pentangle (later simply Pentangle) became one of the most popular groups on the British folk-rock scene, rivaling Fairport Convention and Steeleye Span, and they frequently toured in the U.K., Europe, and the United States. Pentangle released six albums between 1968 and 1972, when the original lineup split up, falling victim to the fatigue of their busy schedule.

During this period, Renbourn still maintained his solo career, releasing The Lady and the Unicorn in 1970 and Faro Annie in 1972, and after Pentangle folded, he began playing solo shows and published the first of many books of classical and folk guitar pieces. Renbourn continued to record and perform with Bert Jansch on occasion, and Jacqui McShee sang with John's post-Pentangle project the John Renbourn Group, whose 1981 concert album Live in America earned a Grammy nomination. Renbourn also cut several albums with the American guitarist Stefan Grossman, the first a self-titled effort in 1978. In 1982, Renbourn enrolled at Darlington College in Darlington, England, where he spent three years studying composition, early music, the sitar, and the shakuhachi (a Japanese flute). Renbourn told an interviewer that his studies were "an awesome experience," though Renbourn continued to record and perform as time permitted, and at one point had to arrange to postpone an exam because it would interfere with a concert date -- sharing a bill with Doc Watson at Carnegie Hall in New York City.

Renbourn would later return to academia as an instructor, teaching a degree-level course in steel-string guitar at Darlington and leading International Guitar Seminars in Quebec, Vancouver, and New York City. In 1987, for a concert in New York, Renbourn assembled a group he called Ship of Fools, with Maggie Boyle (vocals and flute), Steve Tilston (guitar and mandolin), and Tony Roberts (wind instruments), and he was happy enough with the results that the group stayed together for several years. Renbourn also participated in a Pentangle reunion tour in 1983, though he left before the group recorded the album Open the Door later that year. Renbourn stayed busy in the '90s and the new millennium, as he taught, composed, toured internationally, and periodically recorded, and in 2007, when Pentangle received a lifetime achievement award from the BBC Folk Awards, Renbourn joined his bandmates from the original lineup to accept their honors from Sir David Attenborough and perform for the occasion. In 2008, Renbourn joined Pentangle for a short tour, followed by teaching projects in Ireland and the South of France.

In 2010, the Martin Guitar Company bestowed a unique honor by introducing a John Renbourn signature model, and in 2011, Pentangle played the U.K.'s biggest annual music event, the Glastonbury Festival, and staged a farewell concert at London's Festival Hall. (Bert Jansch died a few months after the London show, in October 2011.) In March 2015, Renbourn was in the midst of a tour with his friend and mentor Wizz Jones when, after he failed to arrive for a concert date, he was found dead in his home on March 26, 2015, claimed by a heart attack at the age of 70. Renbourn's final material, Joint Control, recorded with Jones just before his death, was released in September 2016. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi Hear more of Pentangle - Music on Google Play Pentangle About the artist Pentangle are a British folk-jazz band with an eclectic mix of folk, jazz, blues and folk rock influences.

The original band were active in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and a later version have been active since the early 1980s. The original line-up, which was unchanged throughout the band's first incarnation, was: Jacqui McShee, vocals; John Renbourn, vocals and guitar; Bert Jansch, vocals and guitar; Danny Thompson, double bass; and Terry Cox, drums. The name Pentangle was chosen to represent the five members of the band, and is also the device on Sir Gawain's shield in the Middle English poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight which held a fascination for Renbourn. In 2007, the original members of the band were reunited to receive a Lifetime Achievement award at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards and to record a short concert that was broadcast on BBC radio. In June 2008, the band, comprising all five original members, embarked on a twelve-date UK tour. 1 $9.49 Open the Door is an album by Pentangle. The band had split in 1973 and reformed in the early 1980s.

By the time this album was recorded, John Renbourn had left the band to enroll in a music degree ... 1 $9.49 Reflection was an album recorded in 1971 by folk-rock band Pentangle. The album was recorded over a three-week period in March 1971, at a time when the tensions between the band members were high. ... 1 1 $9.49 Basket of Light is a 1969 album by the folk rock group Pentangle. It reached #5 on the UK charts largely on the basis of the single "Light Flight", the theme from BBC1's first colour drama series T... 1 1 $16.99 Sweet Child was a 1968 double album by the British folk-rock band Pentangle: Terry Cox, Bert Jansch, Jacqui McShee, John Renbourn and Danny Thompson. One album was recorded at Pentangle's live conc... 1 1 $9.49 The Pentangle was the 1968 debut album of the band Pentangle: Terry Cox, Bert Jansch, Jacqui McShee, John Renbourn and Danny Thompson.

It brought together their separate influences of folk, jazz, b... 1 Fairport Convention 0 Fairport Convention are an English folk rock and electric folk band. Formed in 1967, they are widely regarded as a key group in the English folk rock movement. Their seminal album Liege & Lief is c... 0 Bert Jansch 0 Herbert "Bert" Jansch 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... 0 John Renbourn 0 John Renbourn was an English guitarist and songwriter. He was possibly best known for his collaboration with guitarist Bert Jansch as well as his work with the folk group Pentangle, although he mai... 0 Steeleye Span 0 Steeleye Span are an English folk rock band formed in 1969. Still active today, along with Fairport Convention, they are amongst the best known acts of the British folk revival, and were among the ...

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0 The Watersons 0 The Watersons were an English folk group from Hull, Yorkshire. They performed mainly traditional songs with little or no accompaniment. Their distinctive sound came from their closely woven harmonies. 0 Shirley Collins 0 Born in Hastings in 1935, Shirley was fascinated by folk songs as she was growing up, songs she heard on the radio or sung by her grandparents in Anderson shelters. She left home for London to imme... 0 Learn and talk about John Renbourn, British folk rock musicians, English folk guitarists, English songwriters, Fingerstyle guitarists The John Renbourn Group , Ship of Fools John Renbourn (8 August 1944 – 26 March 2015) was an English guitarist and songwriter. He was possibly best known for his collaboration with guitarist Bert Jansch as well as his work with the folk group Pentangle , although he maintained a solo career before, during and after that band's existence (1967–1973). [1] While most commonly labelled a folk musician, Renbourn's musical tastes and interests took in early music, classical music , jazz , blues and world music.

His most influential album, Sir John Alot (1968), featured his take on tunes from the Medieval era . Contents Biography[ edit ] John Renbourn studied classical guitar at school and it was during this period that he was introduced to Early Music. In the 1950s, along with many others, he was greatly influenced by the musical craze of " Skiffle " and this eventually led him to explore the work of artists such as Lead Belly , Josh White and Big Bill Broonzy . In the 1960s the new craze in popular music was Rhythm and Blues, also the impact of Davey Graham was being felt. In 1961 Renbourn toured the South West with Mac MacLeod and repeated the tour in 1963.On returning from the South West Renbourn and MacLeod recorded a demo tape together. Renbourn briefly played in an R&B band while studying at the Kingston College of Art in London. Although the British "Folk Revival" was underway, most folk clubs were biased towards traditional, unaccompanied folk songs, and guitar players were not always welcome.

However, the Roundhouse in London had a more tolerant attitude and here, John Renbourn joined blues and gospel singer Dorris Henderson , playing backing guitar and recording two albums with her. Possibly the best known London venue for contemporary folk music in the early 1960s was " Les Cousins " on Greek Street, Soho , which became the main meeting place for guitar players and contemporary singer-songwriters from Britain and America . Around 1963, Renbourn teamed up with guitarist Bert Jansch who had moved to London from Edinburgh , and together they developed an intricate duet style that became known as " folk baroque ". Their album Bert and John is a fine example of their playing. Renbourn released several albums on the Transatlantic label during the 1960s. Two of them, Sir John Alot and Lady and the Unicorn, sum up Renbourn's playing style and material from this period. Sir John Alot has a mixture of jazz/blues/folk playing alongside a more classical/early music style. Lady and the Unicorn is heavily influenced by Renbourn's interest in early music.

At around this time, Renbourn also started playing and recording with Jacqui McShee who sang traditional English folk songs, and with American fiddler Sue Draheim . Together with Bert Jansch , bassist Danny Thompson and drummer Terry Cox, they went on to form Pentangle . The group became very successful, touring America in 1968, playing at Carnegie Hall and the Newport Folk Festival . Renbourn went on to record more solo albums in the 1970s and 1980s. Much of the music is based on traditional material with a Celtic influence, interwoven with other styles. He also collaborated with American guitarist Stefan Grossman in the late 1970s, recording two albums with him, which at times recall his folk baroque days with Bert Jansch. In the mid-1980s Renbourn went back to the university to earn a degree in composition at Dartington College of Arts . Subsequently he focused mainly on writing classical music, while still performing in folk settings. He also added acoustic guitars for the movie soundtrack Scream for Help , a studio project with his neighbour John Paul Jones .

In 1988, Renbourn briefly formed a group called Ship of Fools with Tony Roberts (flute), Maggie Boyle (lyrics, misc. instruments) and Steve Tilston (guitar). They recorded one eponymous album together. After practising by mailing tapes to each other in England, they held their first concert, comprising two sold-out shows, at Harvard 's Hasty Pudding Club Theater. Regrettably, the soundboard bootleg tape was not saved due to a dispute between the concert promoter and the audio engineer. Renbourn continued to record and tour. He toured the USA with Archie Fisher . In 2005 he toured Japan (his fifth tour of that country) with Tokio Uchida and Woody Mann . In 2006 he played at number of venues in England, including the Green Man Festival in Wales and appearances with Robin Williamson and with Jacqui McShee. In the same year, he was working on a new solo album and collaborated with Clive Carroll on the score for the film Driving Lessons , directed by Jeremy Brock . In 2011 he released Palermo Snow, a collection of instrumental guitar solos also featuring clarinetist Dick Lee.

The title track is a complex mix of classical, folk, jazz and blues. This piece is a departure, in that there is a classical core, with other styles intermixing, rather than the core style being blues, folk or jazz. Since 2012 he had toured with Wizz Jones , playing a mixture of solo and duo material. Renbourn previously appeared on Jones's album "Lucky the Man" (2001) with other former members of Pentangle . In 2016, an album by the pair, titled Joint Control, was released. [2] Renbourn died on 26 March 2015 from a heart attack at his home in Hawick in the Scottish Borders , aged 70. [3] [4] Equipment[ edit ] In Renbourn's early recordings, he was using a Scarth guitar. Scarths were English-made guitars, mainly used by dance-band players, having maple back and sides, arched top, and tailpiece (like most jazz guitars), but featuring a round soundhole. The guitar is clearly visible on the cover of the 1965 John Renbourn album.

In the mid-1960s, he acquired a Gibson J-50 . This was the main acoustic guitar that he used through the late 1960s and early 1970s: for example, he is seen playing it in the cover picture of the 1966 Another Monday album. Through that period, he also used a Gibson ES-335 "dot", semi-acoustic guitar, playing it fingerstyle as well as for lead lines. In the mid-1970s, Renbourn acquired a Guild D-55 which he used on several albums, including his collaborations with Stefan Grossman. Later in the 1970s, having seen the Franklin guitar owned by Grossman, he started using a Franklin OM guitar, based on the style of Martin OM guitars, made by Nick Kukich who founded the Franklin guitar company. Renbourn continued to use this guitar and another OM-style instrument, made by Ralph Bown of York, UK, in 1985. He also had a signature model guitar, no longer in production, from C. F. Martin & Company .

So Early in the Spring (1979) One Morning Very Early (1979) The Enchanted Garden (1980) Folk Blues of John Renbourn (1988) John Renbourn's Ship of Fools (1988) Medieval Almanac (1989) Will the Circle Be Unbroken (1995) Lost Sessions (1996) Original courtesy of Wikipedia: — Please support Wikipedia. This page uses Creative Commons Licensed content from Wikipedia . A portion of the proceeds from advertising on Digplanet goes to supporting Wikipedia. We're sorry, but there's no news about "John Renbourn" right now. Limit to books that you can completely read online Include partial books (book previews) Oops, we seem to be having trouble contacting Twitter Support Wikipedia A portion of the proceeds from advertising on Digplanet goes to supporting Wikipedia. Please add your support for Wikipedia! Searchlight Group Digplanet also receives support from Searchlight Group. Visit Searchlight Copyright © 2009-2016 Digparty. All rights reserved.

Pentangle | Biography & History | AllMusic google+ Artist Biography by Richie Unterberger Were Pentangle a folk group, a folk-rock group, or something that resists classification? They could hardly be called a rock & roll act; they didn't use electric instruments often, and were built around two virtuoso guitarists, Bert Jansch and John Renbourn , who were already well-established on the folk circuit before the group formed. Yet their hunger for eclectic experimentation fit into the milieu of late-'60s progressive rock and psychedelia well, and much of their audience came from the rock and pop worlds, rather than the folk crowd. With Jacqui McShee on vocals and a rhythm section of Danny Thompson (bass) and Terry Cox (drums), the group mastered a breathtaking repertoire that encompassed traditional ballads, blues, jazz, pop, and reworkings of rock oldies, often blending different genres in the same piece. Their prodigious individual talents perhaps ensured a brief lifespan, but at their peak they melded their distinct and immense skills to egg each other on to heights they couldn't have achieved on their own, in the manner of great rock combos like the Beatles and Buffalo Springfield .

When Pentangle formed around late 1966 or early 1967 (accounts vary), Jansch and Renbourn had already recorded one album together (Bert and John), and done some solo recordings as well. Jansch was more inclined toward blues and contemporary songwriting than Renbourn , who was stronger in traditional British folk music. Jacqui McShee , whose bell-clear, high singing set the standard (along with Sandy Denny ) for female British folk-rock vocals, began rehearsing with the pair. After a false start with a forgotten rhythm section, Thompson and Cox -- who had been working with Alexis Korner -- were brought in to complete the quintet. Pentangle 's first three albums -- The Pentangle (1968), the double-LP Sweet Child (1968), and Basket of Light (1969) -- are not only their best efforts, but arguably their only truly essential ones. With Shel Talmy acting as producer, the band rarely took a misstep in its mastery of diverse styles and material.

Thompson and Cox gave even the traditional folk ballads a jazz swing and verve; the guitar interplay of Jansch (who was also a capable singer) and Renbourn was downright thrilling, each complementing and enhancing the other without showing off or getting in each other's way. McShee 's beautiful vocals, though not as emotionally resonant as her close counterpart Sandy Denny , were an under-appreciated component to the band's success with the pop audience. And Pentangle were very popular for a time, at least in England, where Basket of Light made number five, and "Light Flight" was a small hit single. They introduced some electric guitars on their early-'70s albums, which generally suffered from weaker material and a less unified group effort. The original lineup broke up in 1973; Jansch and Renbourn (who had never really abandoned their solo careers) continued to record often as soloists, and remained top attractions on the folk circuit. Thompson joined John Martyn for a while, and has remained active as a session musician, in addition to recording some work of his own for the Hannibal label.

The original group reunited for the reasonably accomplished Open the Door album in the early '80s, and other versions of the group recorded and toured throughout the '80s and '90s, usually featuring McShee and Jansch as the sole remaining original members. John Renbourn obituary | Music | The Guardian John Renbourn obituary Guitarist and founder with Bert Jansch of jazz-folk band Pentangle John Renbourn in 1966, the year in which his joint album with Bert Jansch, Bert and John, set the scene for their Pentangle collaboration. Photograph: Brian Shuel/Redferns Friday 27 March 2015 14.47 EDT Last modified on Monday 30 March 2015 07.04 EDT Share on Messenger Close John Renbourn , who has died aged 70, was one half of the powerful guitar duo of Pentangle, the innovative jazz-folk band of the 1960s and 70s.

While his fellow guitarist, Bert Jansch , brought great emotion and inventiveness to his playing, it was Renbourn who provided a high level of technical accomplishment. They revelled in one another’s virtuosity. The two men first met when Renbourn went to a Jansch gig at Bunjies coffee bar, London, in 1964. At the time Renbourn was performing informally at clubs in London, and as an accompanist for the African-American blues and gospel singer Dorris Henderson , from Los Angeles, with whom he recorded two albums, There You Go (1965) and Watch the Stars (1967). By early 1965, Renbourn and Jansch were flat-sharing, playing guitar together by day and performing in the evenings, developing a style that became known as “folk baroque”. Jansch played on a couple of tracks on Renbourn’s eponymous first solo album for Transatlantic Records in 1965, and Renbourn repaid the compliment on Jansch’s Jack Orion (1966).

Both were influenced by the guitarist Davey Graham , and their joint, largely instrumental album, Bert and John (1966), set the scene for their Pentangle collaboration with its modern jazz influences. By the time of Renbourn’s second solo album, Another Monday (1967), he was collaborating with the folk singer Jacqui McShee, whose renditions of traditional songs inspired him to make jazz-blues rhythmic accompaniments similar in style to those in Graham’s 1964 Folk Roots, New Routes album with Shirley Collins. Pinterest John Renbourn was still performing, and for the past two years had been touring with the folk and blues guitarist Wizz Jones. Photograph: Mairo Cinquetti/Corbis Renbourn was the catalyst who brought together his two performing partners – Jansch and McShee – plus the jazz musicians Terry Cox, a percussionist, and the upright bass player Danny Thompson to form Pentangle. After a residency at the Horseshoe pub in central London, which McShee later described as public rehearsals, they made their concert debut at the Royal Festival Hall in May 1967.

Their performances brought together all their wide and varied influences – jazz, blues, traditional folk, original songs, medieval themes – in a fluid, improvisatory style. Often described misleadingly as a folk-rock band – Renbourn’s rhythmic accompaniment and Cox’s percussion matched the patterns of the songs without imposing a rock beat – Pentangle paved the way for further innovations in folk music. Their first album, The Pentangle (1968), was released to critical acclaim, and by 1969 they were touring the US, appearing at Carnegie Hall, the Newport folk festival and Fillmore West in San Francisco with the Grateful Dead, as well as the Isle of Wight festival in the UK. Their third album, Basket of Light (1969), took them into the charts when the opening track, Light Flight, was chosen as the theme tune for the television series Take Three Girls . During this time there was little space in the schedules for Renbourn’s solo concerts, although he recorded solo albums, The Lady and the Unicorn (1970), with an emphasis on medieval music, and Faro Annie (1971), which revisited his folk and blues repertoire.

The relentless touring with Pentangle took its toll and they disbanded in early 1973. Renbourn returned to solo concerts and occasional duo performances with Jansch, then embarked on a new band collaboration with McShee – the John Renbourn Group – plus Tony Roberts, Keshav Sathe and Sue Draheim . Two albums, A Maid in Bedlam (1977) and Enchanted Garden (1980), were followed by Live in America (1981), which received a Grammy nomination. Solo albums such as The Hermit (1976) and The Black Balloon (1979) emphasised his continuing interest in early music. Renbourn was born John McCombe in Marylebone, London: his father, Robert, was killed in the second world war, and his mother, Dorothy (nee Jopling), married Edward Renbourn, a physician, in 1952, when John’s surname was changed by adoption. The family moved to Surrey, where John had piano lessons and was introduced to early music. He took grade examinations in classical guitar, which influenced his later folk and blues guitar arrangements.

Pinterest John Renbourn playing his composition Rosslyn By the 1980s, Renbourn was taking a more analytical approach to his music, wanting to build upon his earlier formal music studies. From 1972 he had been producing books of compositions and guitar tablature, and in 1982 he enrolled on a degree course in composition and orchestration at Dartington college in Devon. He described this as “an awesome experience”, covering much music of which he had been completely unaware. On one occasion he had to request special permission to re-sit an examination as it clashed with an appearance at Carnegie Hall with the legendary American musician Doc Watson . His new musical awareness led to invitations in guitar teaching, and he produced further publications. In 1988 he joined the staff at Dartington to head up the first degree course in steel-string guitar. But concert performances and collaborations continued. He formed a duo and recorded several albums with the American guitarist Stefan Grossman, and worked with Robin Williamson of the Incredible String Band. He formed Ship of Fools, initially for a concert in New York, with Maggie Boyle , Steve Tilston and Tony Roberts, and his solo concerts took him to Hong Kong, Malaysia, Japan and Alaska.

Renbourn was only briefly a member of the re-formed Pentangle in the 1980s, but in 2007 he joined the other original members to receive a lifetime achievement award from Sir David Attenborough at the BBC Radio 2 Folk awards, at which Pentangle performed. The band formally came together the following year with concerts, including Glastonbury festival, and television appearances. For the last couple of years Renbourn had been touring with one of his early 1960s colleagues, the folk and blues guitarist Wizz Jones . They were coming towards the end of their tour when Renbourn died. He is survived by three of his four children: Joel and Jessie from his first marriage, to Judy Hills; and Ben from his second marriage, to Jo Watson – their other child, Jake, died in 2014. • John William Mark Renbourn, guitarist, born 8 August 1944; died 26 March 2015

Question: John Renboum, Bert Jansch and Danny Thompson were three of the founder members in 1967 of which British folk-rock group?
Answer: Pentangle