Subject: RIP Bert Jansch. From: Folkiedave Date: 05 Oct 11 - 04:34 AM Mike Harding posted on Facebook that Bert Jansch passed away last night after a losing battle with cancer. |
Subject: RE: RIP Bert Jansch. From: Will Fly Date: 05 Oct 11 - 04:37 AM Well, well, another good man gone. I recall seeing him and John Renbourn, drinking pints of Youngers Scotch Bitter in the "Pillars of Hercules" in Greek Street, prior to dropping in to the "Cousins" for the all-nighters. Hugely influential in his day. RIP Bert. |
Subject: RE: RIP Bert Jansch. From: David C. Carter Date: 05 Oct 11 - 04:39 AM This is terrible news! So many fond memories of listening,cajoling him to get up and play! Buying him pints etc. I'm lost for words! RIP Bert. David |
Subject: RE: RIP Bert Jansch. From: nager Date: 05 Oct 11 - 04:45 AM A great inspiration to so many of us. RIP Bert. Paul |
Subject: RE: RIP Bert Jansch. From: Dave MacKenzie Date: 05 Oct 11 - 04:49 AM I didn't know him well, but had bumped into him a few times over the years. A great loss. |
Subject: RE: RIP Bert Jansch. From: theleveller Date: 05 Oct 11 - 04:53 AM Tha5's really sad - he was a great inspiration from way back in the mid-60s. I too remember him at the Cousins, and later at the 12 Bar Club. RIP, Bert and thanks for all the pleasure. |
Subject: RE: RIP Bert Jansch. From: banksie Date: 05 Oct 11 - 05:02 AM Indeed sad news. I first saw him at The Blacksmith's Arms in St Albans in 1964(sh). Definitely one of those moments when phrases such as `bloody hell' and `stone me' were very appropriate. Very much one of my early influences, including learning to cope with realising I was unklikely to be ever able to play like him. But he was the first player I saw to show what was possible with a guitar, and in my own way I have happily tried to follow his lead - albeit from a safe and increasing distance. |
Subject: RE: RIP Bert Jansch. From: fat B****rd Date: 05 Oct 11 - 05:10 AM The first 'folk-blues' player I ever heard. I saw him at the Sunderland Empire in 1976. A wonderful player and a huge influence. RIP Bert. Dazzling Stranger indeed. |
Subject: RE: RIP Bert Jansch. From: GUEST,Tunesmith Date: 05 Oct 11 - 05:10 AM Bert was so good, and back in the 60s his music meant so much to me. That first album was terrific. There was a marvelous inventiveness about his playing. I don't return to many of my 60s folk albums but Bert's albums still thrill me. Bert must have had a wonderful ear because, back then, he was always spot on with his tuning - unlike a lot of other folkies. A great, great talent. |
Subject: RE: RIP Bert Jansch. From: Nigel Paterson Date: 05 Oct 11 - 05:19 AM I remember his many appearances at Chelmsford Folk Club back in the mid 60s...enthralling, captivating are words that come to mind. Listening to Bert singing 'Needle of Death'...one of those 'hair on the back of the neck' moments. When he played I always watched his hands as closely as I could, just to try & figure out how he created those stunning accompaniments. Never got close! One of a kind...a huge loss to our musical life. Nigel. |
Subject: RE: RIP Bert Jansch. From: Big Al Whittle Date: 05 Oct 11 - 05:38 AM Last night I saw Ralph McTell in concert at Wimborne. Ralph mentioned from the stage that Bert was ill and prior to the concert and after - the blue album was playing. It sounded so good. Strlling Down the Highway, Kasbah, Angie.... on the house system. Last night Ralph sang a beautiful song in tribute to Bert and Anne Briggs. Met BJ a few times. He had everything...the natural ability, the vision, the imagination. Quiet and unassuming for such a great talent. Roger Brooks used to say when you jam with Bert at some point - he just goes into another gear and seems to have thoughts and ideas that you just can't follow - the thing to do is let him soar. |
Subject: RE: RIP Bert Jansch. From: evansakes Date: 05 Oct 11 - 05:53 AM RIP Bert. How many guitarists out there could play like this? Moonshine (with Ralph McTell) |
Subject: RE: RIP Bert Jansch. From: Roger the Skiffler Date: 05 Oct 11 - 06:16 AM Very sad. I saw him in a pub in London, rather the worse for wear but playing well, in 1969 and again some 40 years later, playing even better and obviously more sober, now only the recordings remain. RIP. RtS |
Subject: RE: RIP Bert Jansch. From: GUEST, Sminky Date: 05 Oct 11 - 06:29 AM A truly inspirational musician. Never afraid to take risks, he took guitar playing to new levels. And a highly gifted song-writer. Bert was the reason I started playing guitar, for which I will be forever grateful. RIP Bert - and thanks for everything. |
Subject: RE: RIP Bert Jansch. From: bubblyrat Date: 05 Oct 11 - 06:35 AM Regret I never saw him "live " ,although he was such a well-known figure back in the '60s , along with Renbourn (whom I did ) et al. I believe he always used Yamaha guitars ; is that so ? RIP Mr Jansch. |
Subject: RE: RIP Bert Jansch. From: Phil Edwards Date: 05 Oct 11 - 06:42 AM Maybe this is a bit like saying that Picasso could also cook, but Bert Jansch was always an inspiration to me as a singer. Part of it was the richness and character of his voice (particularly when he was younger), and the sense of intimacy that's created by his close-miked recording style - a folk Chet Baker. But there's a lot more to it than that. Listening to him singing Sally Free and Easy (in 1993) or Blackwaterside (much earlier), the casual delivery and lazy syncopation are only superficial: the pitching and timing were rock-solid & he clearly knew the songs he was singing from the inside out. It's as if the guitar part is an improvisation around the melody, but when he sings the melody he does it as an improvisation over the guitar part. This (music starts at 0:50) isn't his best work, but it's resonant this morning. Wherever I've been and gone... RIP. |
Subject: RE: RIP Bert Jansch. From: Wesley S Date: 05 Oct 11 - 06:42 AM What an influence on all of us who've picked up a guitar. Thanks Burt. |
Subject: RE: RIP Bert Jansch. From: Wesley S Date: 05 Oct 11 - 06:49 AM Here's an Obit. |
Subject: RE: RIP Bert Jansch. From: Lox Date: 05 Oct 11 - 06:53 AM Consummate musician. Great man. Very individual and determined in a world that seemed to be doing its best to eclipse him and his ilk. Thanks Bert!! RIP |
Subject: RE: RIP Bert Jansch. From: Jean(eanjay) Date: 05 Oct 11 - 06:56 AM So sorry to hear this sad news; a great loss. |
Subject: RE: RIP Bert Jansch. From: GUEST,JohnnyBeezer Date: 05 Oct 11 - 07:05 AM What can you say? Another hero gone. You made the 60's a real pleasure for me and all my friends Bert. we tried to play like you but for some reason couldn't quite get there. Might that be because you were the master I wonder? Much missed. RIP Bert |
Subject: RE: RIP Bert Jansch. From: Ron Cheevers Date: 05 Oct 11 - 07:28 AM So long Bert, and thanks. Ron. |
Subject: RE: RIP Bert Jansch. From: Backwoodsman Date: 05 Oct 11 - 07:36 AM Very sad news, another great musician gone. RIP Bert. |
Subject: RE: RIP Bert Jansch. From: Musket Date: 05 Oct 11 - 07:53 AM I was playing an album of his the other week when my son came round. He asked if I had seen him, and I said that not only have I seen him and learned so much from him, he also taught me the art of drinking as a cure for a hangover. I suppose we can all be grateful that this particular supernova carried on shining bright for such a long time. RIP Bert |
Subject: RE: RIP Bert Jansch. From: Rob Naylor Date: 05 Oct 11 - 08:03 AM A sad loss...a big inspiration to me, though even 20,000 hours of dedicated practice wouldn't get me within miles of his skill and flair. Really sad that I left it too late to get tickets to the last "Proper Pentangle" gig in early August. |
Subject: RE: RIP Bert Jansch. From: GUEST,Tunesmith Date: 05 Oct 11 - 08:05 AM Since hearing of Bert's death, I've been playing his first album, and it occured to be that his playing on that album is particularly American influenced on a number of tracks. On "Needle of Death" and "Running from Home", foe example, is uses - what we called back then - "clawhammer style"; today, it seems to be called "pattern playing". Now, Dylan, Phil Ochs, Joan Baez etc used this style but Bert elevates the style on to a much higher level. The lovely touches that he adds to the guitar part of "Running from Home" are just marvelous. He certainly was very special. |
Subject: RE: RIP Bert Jansch. From: Eric the Viking Date: 05 Oct 11 - 08:06 AM Such sad news. Saw him many times on his own or wiuth John R and in Pentangle. Wish I had a millionth of his ability at playing. |
Subject: RE: RIP Bert Jansch. From: GUEST,Tunesmith Date: 05 Oct 11 - 08:12 AM I meant to day highlight the guitar part in "Needle of Death". Back in the day, I worked out the guitar part in the key of G and then I used to capo it up to suit my voice. I often wondered back then why I couldn't get some of those lovely "added notes" that Bert found. Recently, I saw some tab for it, and it uses chords from the key of A. Intially, I thought this was a mistake but when I played through it, all those lovely "missing" notes became available. Another example of Bert's genius. |
Subject: RE: RIP Bert Jansch. From: GUEST,cookieless bloke Date: 05 Oct 11 - 08:13 AM oh my, oh my. I grew up, and grew old, loving Bert Jansch's music. I don't know what to write. Lawrie |
Subject: RE: RIP Bert Jansch. From: scouse Date: 05 Oct 11 - 09:28 AM Sad news indeed RIP Bert.. Your with the rest of the gang now... Hamish,Alex.Iain, Danny and Derrol.. What a band of Angels.. I'll miss you. As Aye, Phil. |
Subject: RE: RIP Bert Jansch. From: AllisonA(Animaterra) Date: 05 Oct 11 - 09:38 AM Oh, my- another great one gone. This is quite a death day- my dear one, Byron, died 8 years ago. Still a very bittersweet time. Now Bert has joined quite a choir- sing on, good man. |
Subject: RE: Obit: RIP Bert Jansch. From: voyager Date: 05 Oct 11 - 11:26 AM Pentangle - a bright star in the 60's Folk Music renaissance. Troubadour (LA, CA) performances 1969, early 70s - brilliant. Bert Jansch - innovator, mega-talent, finger style virtuoso God Speed voyager |
Subject: RE: Obit: RIP Bert Jansch. 4 October 2011 From: Desert Dancer Date: 05 Oct 11 - 11:39 AM Bert Jansch on World Cafe, from NPR. (Interview and performance, from January 2011.) A great loss. ~ Becky in Long Beach |
Subject: RE: Obit: RIP Bert Jansch. 4 October 2011 From: katlaughing Date: 05 Oct 11 - 11:40 AM What a legacy he's left us. So sad to hear of his passing. Allison {{{{Hugs}}}} hard to believe it's been eight years. kat |
Subject: RE: Obit: RIP Bert Jansch. From: Singing Referee Date: 05 Oct 11 - 11:42 AM Like many here Bert was one of my early inspirations. Scot's Hoose Cambridge Circus is the venue I most associate with Bert in 65 or 66. Never could emulate the style. Now I can see it clearly on You Tube rather than accross a smokey bar after too much to drink, I can see why! That really is some band up there now! RIP |
Subject: RE: Obit: RIP Bert Jansch. 4 October 2011 From: Deskjet Date: 05 Oct 11 - 11:56 AM I am saddened to read this - Bert was special. |
Subject: RE: Obit: RIP Bert Jansch. 4 October 2011 From: Leadfingers Date: 05 Oct 11 - 12:01 PM I remember an old mate - WAY back then - saying that UK had the better singers , but USA had the better guitarists - Until Bert Jansch . |
Subject: RE: Obit: RIP Bert Jansch. 4 October 2011 From: GUEST Date: 05 Oct 11 - 12:06 PM Someone's added the wrong date to this obit: it should be 5th Oct (Bert died at 12:30am) RIP Bert |
Subject: RE: Obit: RIP Bert Jansch. 4 October 2011 From: GUEST,David E. Date: 05 Oct 11 - 12:12 PM I remember walking in to a pub about 35 years ago and there was the man himself sitting with a friend chatting away. I was going to say something to him as I was completely smitten by his playing but I decided to play it cool and just slid on to the seat next to him and listened in on his conversation for an hour only for him to never mention guitar playing even once! Fortunately I had opportunities in later years to talk guitar with Bert, but somehow the conversation seemed to always turn to gardening or ornithology or something else along the way. A generous and humble man and a great influence on me musically and beyond. I'm really gonna miss him. David E. |
Subject: RE: Obit: RIP Bert Jansch. 4 October 2011 From: Spleen Cringe Date: 05 Oct 11 - 12:24 PM One of those few greats whose singing and playing could send a serious shiver down my spine. One of the few artists in any genre whose albums have been amongst my favourites regardless of what else I may have been listening to. So glad he left such a marvellous legacy - not only in his own work but in his impact on the countless guitarists blown away by his playing. And he effortlessly made folk seem so cool, too... RIP. |
Subject: RE: Obit: RIP Bert Jansch. 4 October 2011 From: GUEST,Celtmusiclover Date: 05 Oct 11 - 12:28 PM RIP Bert Jansch - so sad. I never got to see him play, but I know him and his music from a CD of his I've had for a long time, "Black Swan". |
Subject: RE: Obit: RIP Bert Jansch. 4 October 2011 From: GUEST,CJB Date: 05 Oct 11 - 12:36 PM All these great singers and musicians leave a legacy behind of recordings of sessions, concerts, and more formal radio and t.v. programmes. Yet where are these? Probably most locked away out of the public domain in the BBC's vaults or BL Sound Archives or mouldering away in certain private 'collections' (the main perpetrator of whom shall of course remain nameless). But future generations are denied the pleasure that we have had listening and/or dancing to these folk. Last night I was listening to a Folkweave recording (on BBC transcription disc) that just so happened to feature Bert Jansch and Mary Hopkins at the 1976 Cambridge Folk Festival. Brilliant stuff. Sad loss. RIP. |
Subject: RE: Obit: RIP Bert Jansch. 4 October 2011 From: Charley Noble Date: 05 Oct 11 - 01:06 PM "I have No Time to Spend with You" –- another haunting favorite, first heard in 1967 from a British hitch-hiker by the name of Colin in Addis Ababa. Charley Noble |
Subject: RE: Obit: RIP Bert Jansch. 4 October 2011 From: Bonzo3legs Date: 05 Oct 11 - 01:14 PM Saw him at Cousins and supported him at Borehamwood Folk Club, a great loss indeed. |
Subject: RE: Obit: RIP Bert Jansch. 4 October 2011 From: GUEST,Derek Schofield Date: 05 Oct 11 - 01:41 PM Very sad news.... There were features on Bert on BBC Radio 4's PM programme (about 20 minutes in) and at the end of the 6pm news on R4. Derek |
Subject: Obit: Bert Jansch From: GUEST Date: 05 Oct 11 - 02:23 PM Sad news though not unexpected, Bert Jansch has passed away of cancer. http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2011/oct/05/bert-jansch/print |
Subject: RE: Obit: RIP Bert Jansch. 4 October 2011 From: autoharpbob Date: 05 Oct 11 - 02:55 PM Such sad news. I had not heard. Saw him first in 1972, with Pentangle. He has influenced just about every folk musician of my age. We all wanted to play Davy Graham's "Angie" - but we wanted to play it Bert's way. |
Subject: RE: Obit: RIP Bert Jansch. 4 October 2011 From: GUEST,David E. Date: 05 Oct 11 - 03:01 PM "listening to a Folkweave recording (on BBC transcription disc) that just so happened to feature Bert Jansch and Mary Hopkins at the 1976 Cambridge Folk Festival." Of which I was just saying to my wife this morning I should have bid 200 bucks for when it was on Ebay a while back! The hole in my Bert collection... Sulking, David E. |
Subject: RE: Obit: RIP Bert Jansch. 4 October 2011 From: Phil Cooper Date: 05 Oct 11 - 05:20 PM Sorry to hear this. He was a big influence on me when I was figuring out guitar stuff. |
Subject: RE: Obit: RIP Bert Jansch. 4 October 2011 From: Dave Sutherland Date: 05 Oct 11 - 05:27 PM Just caught up with this one as I have been working away all day; really shocked to hear this sad news as I was always keen to listen to Bert and saw him a few times around the country over the years. A great influence on many a guitarist over the last forty odd years. RIP |
Subject: RE: Obit: RIP Bert Jansch. 4 October 2011 From: Desert Dancer Date: 05 Oct 11 - 05:34 PM Bert Jansch obituary Innovative, influential guitarist and founder member of the groundbreaking folk band Pentangle Derek Schofield guardian.co.uk Wednesday 5 October 2011 07.48 EDT 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, 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 Bert Jansch website |
Subject: RE: Obit: RIP Bert Jansch. 4 October 2011 From: folkyshaun Date: 05 Oct 11 - 06:24 PM Thanks for the music Bert. Nuff said! |
Subject: RE: Obit: RIP Bert Jansch. 4 October 2011 From: GUEST,number 6 Date: 05 Oct 11 - 10:31 PM I was deeply saddened upon hearing this news today .... yes ... thanks for the music Bert .... RIP biLL |
Subject: RE: Obit: RIP Bert Jansch. 4 October 2011 From: JohnB Date: 05 Oct 11 - 11:32 PM One of the best. JohnB. |
Subject: RE: Obit: RIP Bert Jansch. 4 October 2011 From: alanabit Date: 06 Oct 11 - 01:29 AM I have found nothing to disagree with in any of the above - and it has added to what I knew and admired about the man. For me one of the things which made him special was that he was also able to do something really simple, with full knowledge that he had picked all the right notes and that it would stand up. His version of "Rosemary Lane" is a good example. I am among the many who are very sad to hear of his passing. |
Subject: RE: Obit: RIP Bert Jansch. 4 October 2011 From: GUEST,SeanSiegfried Date: 06 Oct 11 - 03:26 AM My heart sank deeper than it has in a long time when I read the news this morning. Bert Jansch changed my life, as he clearly has changed so many people's lives. His inventive, striking and incredibly powerful music will live on for years to come, both in four decades of recorded work and in his vast spread of musical influence amongst several generations. I was very lucky to have finally met him outside the the Royal Festival Hall at Pentangle's final reunion gig, just so that I could shake his hand and thank him personally for his music. My condolences go out to all those that are close to him. Sean |
Subject: RE: Obit: RIP Bert Jansch. 4 October 2011 From: Big Al Whittle Date: 06 Oct 11 - 04:57 AM Perhaps it would be another legacy -if all the disparate sections of the British Isles folk music community buried their differences and became a unified artistic movement again. The traddies, the singer/songer writers/, the the 'that really isn't folk music' crowd, the flash musician gunslingers. In a way we all felt ourselves become one when Bert picked up his guitar and gave us his idiosyncratic version of folk music. If we all could start living tolerantly and showed good manners to each other = perhaps that would be the best way of honouring his memory. |
Subject: RE: Obit: RIP Bert Jansch. 4 October 2011 From: Sir Roger de Beverley Date: 06 Oct 11 - 05:57 AM So many memories of sitting in grotty flats listening to the first album and buying all of the others up to Rosemary Lane as they came out. I loved them all but the one that I listen to most is Bert and John - got it on vinyl in mono and then in stereo but had to wait until 2001 until it came out in full on CD. Only last week I lent a copy to a young friend and am listening to it on the computer as I type this. Saw Pentangle at Manchester Free Trade Hall some time between 69 and 71 but had to wait a while longer before seeing Bert on his own in York. Oh, Man |
Subject: RE: Obit: RIP Bert Jansch. 4 October 2011 From: GUEST,Suibhne Astray Date: 06 Oct 11 - 06:42 AM if all the disparate sections of the British Isles folk music community buried their differences and became a unified artistic movement again I always assumed we were, BAW - for sure we each have our specialisms & preferences and enjoy a good old chin-wag, but beneath it all lies a hearty & tolerant camaraderie that only a curmudeonly few would deny in favour of a more negative righteous speen-venting. Hell, isn't the crack, camaraderie & community half the reason we do it? * Don't know too much about Bert Jansch, but I recall some stories Robin Williamson told once about their flat-sharing days in Edinburgh with Clive Palmer. Privacy (and warmth) became such an issue that Bert erected his tent in the corner of the room nailing the guy ropes to the floorboards. Robin Williamson wrote a deeply moving song about those days called For Three of Us which seems more than a little appropriate here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V451inDgfxo |
Subject: RE: Obit: RIP Bert Jansch. 4 October 2011 From: Big Al Whittle Date: 06 Oct 11 - 08:12 AM Maybe Sweeney - perhaps it was out of place to express such a wish. Its certainly out of place to discuss its validity. Total reverence for the guy. |
Subject: RE: Obit: RIP Bert Jansch. 4 October 2011 From: GUEST,Tunesmith Date: 06 Oct 11 - 08:20 AM Of course, with Bert, for me, I was buying in to more than just the music back in the mid-60s. I was also buying in to an alternative bohemian life-style. I remember reading that Bert and John Renborn were sharing a flat, and I imagined them sitting around all day creating the sort of music that appeared on the album "John and Bert". That image might not have been entirely true. I think Bert - or John - has said they spent more time back then sitting around smoking pot than playing guitars! |
Subject: RE: Obit: RIP Bert Jansch. 4 October 2011 From: GUEST,CJB Date: 06 Oct 11 - 08:36 AM I hope folks don't mind. I have uploaded a 'missing' recording of Bert and Mary Hopkins. This was on a rare BBC transcription disc called 'Folkweave' with Toni Arthur made by the BBC World Service in 1976. http://www.mediafire.com/?yotynmr4bdht5 === There's a great obit. in today's Times - but I can't get past the paywall to copy and paste it here. === |
Subject: RE: Obit: RIP Bert Jansch. 4 October 2011 From: Big Al Whittle Date: 06 Oct 11 - 08:46 AM The week It Don't Bother Me came out, me and all my 16/17 year old mates started smoking Gold Leaf fags because Bert had a pack on the cover. |
Subject: RE: Obit: RIP Bert Jansch. 4 October 2011 From: Pete Jennings Date: 06 Oct 11 - 08:58 AM Sad news. I last saw him at the Cambridge Folk Festival in 2004 when he played to a packed Radio Two tent, with everyone totally spellbound. He played a great set really well. He was certainly my main inspiration and his music makes up a lot of the stuff I still play and still enjoy. Pete |
Subject: RE: Obit: RIP Bert Jansch. 4 October 2011 From: Stilly River Sage Date: 06 Oct 11 - 09:39 AM Here is a story/obit from National Public Radio yesterday. |
Subject: RE: Obit: RIP Bert Jansch. 4 October 2011 From: GUEST,Brimmo Date: 06 Oct 11 - 09:57 AM Very very sad. We'll all miss you Bert - and your marvellous talent. |
Subject: RE: Obit: RIP Bert Jansch. 4 October 2011 From: goatfell Date: 06 Oct 11 - 09:59 AM off to the folk club in the sky RIP Bert |
Subject: RE: Obit: RIP Bert Jansch. 4 October 2011 From: GUEST,David E. Date: 06 Oct 11 - 01:55 PM " I have uploaded a 'missing' recording of Bert and Mary Hopkins. This was on a rare BBC transcription disc called 'Folkweave' with Toni Arthur made by the BBC World Service in 1976. " Guest CJB... Please email me at ddmevpak@prodigy.net Thank you. David E. |
Subject: RE: Obit: RIP Bert Jansch. 4 October 2011 From: voyager Date: 06 Oct 11 - 02:45 PM Keying from @Astray's comments on Robin Williamson I You-Tube- stumbled onto --> |
Subject: RE: Obit: RIP Bert Jansch. 4 October 2011 From: voyager Date: 06 Oct 11 - 02:47 PM Keying from @Astray's comments on Robin Williamson I You-Tube- stumbled onto --> The Parting Glass A musical blessing for the memories of Bert Jansch voyager |
Subject: RE: Obit: RIP Bert Jansch. 4 October 2011 From: GUEST,BigDaddy Date: 06 Oct 11 - 03:46 PM A fond farewell to one of my all-time favorite performers. Solo, with Pentangle or teamed with John Renbourn, always an amazing talent and presence. Absolutely stunning on guitar and one of the most unique voices. His departure is one of those that leaves a huge empty space that no one can ever really fill. |
Subject: RE: Obit: RIP Bert Jansch. 4 October 2011 From: GUEST,Ian Gill Date: 06 Oct 11 - 05:07 PM Very sad to hear this news. Everyone of my generation who ever picked up a guitar owes a massive debt to Bert, directly or indirectly. His music will live on. |
Subject: RE: Obit: RIP Bert Jansch. 4 October 2011 From: GUEST,Roger Knowles Date: 06 Oct 11 - 06:19 PM Great loss to the folk guitar. He'll be missed, huge influence in the 60's. |
Subject: RE: Obit: RIP Bert Jansch. 4 October 2011 From: Bugsy Date: 06 Oct 11 - 07:44 PM Very sad news. I only met him a couple of times but found him to be a real gentleman. The las time he toured Australia, I got to see him twice. Once in Perth and then by chance, I was in Adelaide when he was there. He sang a request for me, "One for Joe" perhaps my favourite Bert song. He will be sadly missed. Vale Bert. Bugsy |
Subject: RE: Obit: RIP Bert Jansch. 4 October 2011 From: GUEST,Derek Schofield Date: 07 Oct 11 - 05:51 AM There is a large article on Bert by Pete Paphides in today's Guardian supplement. Derek |
Subject: RE: Obit: RIP Bert Jansch. 4 October 2011 From: alanabit Date: 07 Oct 11 - 01:58 PM I read it this morning and thought it was excellent. It's here for anyone who is interested. |
Subject: RE: Obit: RIP Bert Jansch. 4 October 2011 From: GUEST,noddy Date: 07 Oct 11 - 04:22 PM First time I saw him live I was looking on the stage for another guitarist. I was sure that one man could not play all the music that I was hearing at one time on one guitar. An absolute master of the instruement. A great loss. If only the X factor and like had 1/100 of his talent. |
Subject: RE: Obit: RIP Bert Jansch. 4 October 2011 From: GUEST,number 6 Date: 07 Oct 11 - 04:30 PM alanabit ... wonderful link .... thanks for sharing it biLL |
Subject: RE: Obit: RIP Bert Jansch. 4 October 2011 From: Colin Randall Date: 10 Oct 11 - 10:05 AM RIP. Bert was an important figure in my youth. I saw him at his best and worst in early days but was hugely impressed by what he was able to achieve in later life after kicking the booze. There is nothing earthbreakingly new in this piece, but it does include a couple of memories and a few links to clips ... http://www.salutlive.com/2011/10/bert-jansch.html |
Subject: RE: Obit: RIP Bert Jansch. 4 October 2011 From: GUEST Date: 10 Oct 11 - 07:54 PM I was fortunate enough to see Pentangle at the Cambridge Folk Festival earlier this year. Very sad to think that was one of Bert's last performances. RIP. Rog |
Subject: RE: Obit: RIP Bert Jansch. 4 October 2011 From: GUEST,David E. Date: 10 Oct 11 - 11:25 PM If anyone hears of when Bert's service will be, please post. David E. |
Subject: RE: Obit: RIP Bert Jansch. 4 October 2011 From: JennyO Date: 11 Oct 11 - 01:03 PM I had never seen Pentangle perform - was not even all that familiar with their music - but on Saturday night we saw Jacqui McShee's Pentangle at Banbury Festival, and I was blown away by the music. After the gig, we bought some of their CDs, and one that was a compilation of the best known early original Pentangle songs. We played the CDs all the way home, comparing the old Pentangle with the new Pentangle, and listening to his fine guitar work, and I felt like I had made a new discovery! We agreed that although there are obvious differences, the new Pentangle still has a similar funky sort of jazz feel and it would be hard to say one was better than the other - both excellent in their own way. I couldn't believe I had missed out them for so long! So it was really strange, just after discovering Pentangle, to find out only now on reading this thread, that he had died 2 days before the concert. Nothing was said at the time, except that Jacqui made some reference to him and looked visibly upset. Now I understand why. |
Subject: RE: Obit: RIP Bert Jansch. 4 October 2011 From: Brian May Date: 11 Oct 11 - 01:18 PM For me his was the definitive 'Blackwaterside' and Pentangle's 'Lord Franklin'. Such a pity, I used to wear out my Pentangle albums. Another one bites the dust . . . |
Subject: RE: Obit: RIP Bert Jansch. 4 October 2011 From: GUEST,BigDaddy Date: 13 Oct 11 - 03:47 AM There is some amazing early Pentangle available on YouTube. Especially "House Carpenter," Light Flight," and "Hunting Song." |
Subject: RE: Obit: RIP Bert Jansch. 4 October 2011 From: Marco Date: 25 Oct 11 - 08:12 AM Ciao, Bert. A friend from Italy |
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