Jansch

Jansch

Ice Alexander

Bert Jansch is slowly creeping into your existence. On the Pentangle album (Reprise 6315) Bert is one of the two fine acoustic guitarists featured. However, Jansch, as some of you may know, is by no means at the beginning of his career. Vanguard released his first English album over here (VSD 9212) many albums ago, and it roared into the album charts ast

number 234. Undaunted by this terrific response, Vanguard stuck to her principles that true talent deserves exposure, and declined to release anything else by him.

Since he first left his native Scotland in 1959 at the age of 16, Bert Jansch has been generally living after the fashion of a true bohemian in Lond’s sick society of junkies, whores, members of parliment, etc; whilst also becoming one of the finest song-writers and guitarists around. His first album was largely dependent upon the beatnik songs which were fashionable at this time (very early Donovan Dynasty when Dylan had just been acclaimed the King and anyone else who looked at an acoustic guitar was “one of Dylan’s children”; and there were many who deserved the title — still do, come to think of it).

However, Jansch started with an advantage by being ,able to play beautifully intricate, haunting melodies on his instrument. His voice at this time, as it is now, was almost atrocious, but his words were worth any discomfort caused by his vocal disabilities.

So whilst album after album was produced and sold well in England, Bert Jansch slowly seeped into the USA folk circles. Then, last year, Jansch, John Renbourn, and Jacqui McShee, who had all worked from time to time on each other’s albums, decided that it would be better for them to work together permanently and to add a rhythm section so as to give the talented fingers of Jansch and Renbourn much more freedom. Danny Thomson (bass) and Terry Cox (drums), both well renowned “session men”, joined for this purpose and soon everyone discovered the “pentangling” was developing into a recognizable and original form of music, which related equally to each member of the ensemble. (It is unkind to call Pentangle a group, for they truly are an ensemble’) Reprise records, home ofi Frank Sinatra and Jimi Hendrix (now there’s a super-session for you), saw a way of making money so they released Pentangle over in the U. S. of A. on their own lable and pretty soon saw the album start to creep up on the charts.

Now, let us have all of Bert Jansch’s earlier albums released in this country and then people may see and hear the transitions which Jansch made in his music from folk singer and very good guitarist to a non-singing master of his

instrument. For today, as he goes merrily Pentangling, Bert Jansch is a superb well-rounded guitarist, and easily ranks in the top five non-classical virtuosos on that instrument. So be warned, right this moment, Bert Jansch (pronounced YANSH) is pentangling happily into your existence. Keep your ears open and give him the welcome he deserves.