Bert Jansch

[Canard]

A nice collection of Jansch links.

Davy Graham and Bert Jansch - Edinburgh Fringe - 1 hour, 26 min.




Jansch, Grossman, McTell and Akkerman on Norwegian TV - 45 min.

-


Acoustic Routes - Bert Jansch and the British 60s Folk Scene – 1 hour, 10 min.
Some good anecdotes for Dylan and Simon fans




Jansch interviewed by Joan Armatrading (radio interview)

 

[SFIV1967]

I wasn't familiar with that name, so just in case others have the same "problem", here's some info:

Bert Jansch - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Ralf

 

[Canard]

Testimonial:

 

[Canard]

60th Birthday Concert:

 

[adorshki]

I wasn't familiar with that name, so just in case others have the same "problem", here's some info:

Bert Jansch - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Ralf

First heard of him when he was mentioned as being the source for Page's "Black Mountain Side" on Led Zeppelin, itself a development of the Yardbirds' "White Summer"; 2 of my favorite Page pieces.

 

[adorshki]

Just noticed: Jansch's string-ends are coiled up in perfect circles in that "Blackwaterside" clip.

'At's exactly how I do 'em and I think it looks way cooler than crewcut pegs on a headstock.

But for me for me it actually started as a practicality measure, so I could re-use a string if necessary. Since the G in particular always broke first, at the metal saddle, ( ) coiling the end always left extra length at the peg so I could loop the broken end through the ball and string up again in about 5 minutes.

'At's also when I discovered my beloved .025 G strings...but even they only afforded 3 or 4 more hours of life before giving in...That's why my first flattop guitar was called "Stringeater". Never could get more than about 20 hours of string life out of 'er.

Actually still have her, twisted neck and all. From my down-and-out wannabe boho vagabond period. (Think Jack Kerouac On The Road):

Testing out the fantasy of busking for a living.

 

[Teleguy61]

This is the one that blew us all away back in the day--

 

[Prince of Darkness]

This is the one that blew us all away back in the day--

I may be wrong, but I think it was Bert who taught this to Paul Simon

 

[Prince of Darkness]

Also very worthwhile checking out his work with Pentangle. The classic lineup was Bert along with fellow guitarist and multi-instrumentalist John Renbourn, drummer Terry Cox, double bass player Danny Thompson and singer Jacqui McShee.

 

[Canard]

I may be wrong, but I think it was Bert who taught this to Paul Simon

Yup.

 

[Canard]

Also very worthwhile checking out his work with Pentangle. The classic lineup was Bert along with fellow guitarist and multi-instrumentalist John Renbourn, drummer Terry Cox, double bass player Danny Thompson and singer Jacqui McShee.

Most definitely.

Pentangle was to Folk music what Steely Dan was to Rock. Pentangle was the best and maybe only Folk-Jazz Fusion group ever. Steely Dan was a Rock-Jazz fusion group.

Danny Thompson and Terry Cox were Jazz players and session men. Danny Thompson had John McLaughlin in his group at one point.

Collectively the group had big ears. Mingus, Brubek, Davis, etc infuse the Folk music.

 

[Canard]

Veronica is an often overlooked tune from Jansch's first album. I used to play it but have forgotten how. Maybe if I turn the brain off and let kinesic memory take the lead, it will come back.

 

[Canard]

Three instrumentals that first appeared on his second album

 

[Canard]

From his third album

The Wagoner’s Lad with Bert on banjo, too.




The studio version of Blackwaterside




Bert was not stingy with his talents. People would show up at his home, knock on the door, and ask for lessons. He would invite them in and teach them – for free. However, if they showed up the next time without having practised sufficiently, they were forever banished. He was ever willing to teach motivated people. This is probably how Paul Simon got Anji/Angie/etc, a Davey Graham tune, down when he was in the UK for the first time. And in a roundabout way, this may be how Jimmy Page got Blackwaterside, a tradition Irish folk song (Down by Blackwaterside) which Annie Briggs taught to Jansch and which he arranged in a Davey Graham sort of way. If memory serves, he taught his arrangement to Al Stewart, or Al Stewart picked it up from being a Jansch fan who attended Jansch’s gigs and who bought his records. Stewart arranged the piece in DADGAD, a tuning which Jansch did not use for the piece. He later taught it to Jimmy Page, perhaps introducing Page to open tunings in the process. As noted above, Page recorded it as White Summer with the Yardbirds and later as Blackmountainside with Led Zeplin. He also claimed authorship and copyrighted it.

Bert's muse and the source of many of his trad tunes:

 

[wileypickett]

Anne Briggs is one of my favorites. A shame she recorded so little, but what litte she did record is precious.

 

[Canard]

Anne Briggs is one of my favorites. A shame she recorded so little, but what litte she did record is precious.

Yes.

In film footage of her, she seems quite shy, never comfortable with the camera.

And as with the late great Ted Greene, guitarist extraordinaire, she seems to have done everything possible to avoid being famous.

 

[Westerly Wood]

never heard of this amazing guitarist before. i cannot really put a finger on his style which is why he is so amazing, but there is this raw energy and wonderful chaos in his progressions. they are totally unique. i think of him like Fahey and Kottke and dudes like that. Hedges. they were just kind of inventing a form of play that till them, was not there. before everyone copied it.

 

[Canard]

never heard of this amazing guitarist before.

But you will have heard echoes of his playing in the work of others. He was hugely influential. Many players who do know nothing of his name or existence have absorbed Janschisms at third or forth hand into their playing along the course of their development as musicians.

 

[Canard]

From his third album

Nicola – a sort of Renaissance thing - an interest he shared with his sometimes friend and sometimes enemy, John Renbourn – the animosity mostly Renbourn’s – friends again at the end, though, and good friends and happy collaborators, too. Renbourn had been kicked out of Pentangle, as that group started to self-disintegrate. Renbourn said it was the only group he ever got kicked out of for not drinking enough.




In This Game




Come Back Baby – a Walter Davis blues

 

[Prince of Darkness]

From his third album

The Wagoner’s Lad with Bert on banjo, too.




The studio version of Blackwaterside




Bert was not stingy with his talents. People would show up at his home, knock on the door, and ask for lessons. He would invite them in and teach them – for free. However, if they showed up the next time without having practised sufficiently, they were forever banished. He was ever willing to teach motivated people. This is probably how Paul Simon got Anji/Angie/etc, a Davey Graham tune, down when he was in the UK for the first time. And in a roundabout way, this may be how Jimmy Page got Blackwaterside, a tradition Irish folk song (Down by Blackwaterside) which Annie Briggs taught to Jansch and which he arranged in a Davey Graham sort of way. If memory serves, he taught his arrangement to Al Stewart, or Al Stewart picked it up from being a Jansch fan who attended Jansch’s gigs and who bought his records. Stewart arranged the piece in DADGAD, a tuning which Jansch did not use for the piece. He later taught it to Jimmy Page, perhaps introducing Page to open tunings in the process. As noted above, Page recorded it as White Summer with the Yardbirds and later as Blackmountainside with Led Zeplin. He also claimed authorship and copyrighted it.

Bert's muse and the source of many of his trad tunes:

Probably a Zither Banjo, certainly sounds like one to me, and I know that Bert did use them