John Renbourn

John Renbourn , guitarist Picking English born on August 8th, 1944 in Marylebone (Northern of London, Angeterre). He played with many others such as Stefan Grossman or Marcel Dadi. Guitarist, British composer-songwriter, John Renbourn are better known for his collaborations with the guitarist Bert Jansch, like for his work within the group folk Pentangle, but always carried out a career front solo, during and after the activity of the group (1967-1973). Although it is catalogued as musician folk most of the time, the tastes of Renbourn, its influences are found rather in the old music, the classical music, the blues and World Music (commonly called Musique of the World). Its album more marked, Sir John Alot (1968), finds his influences in the Médiévale time.

Guitars

In the first recordings of Renbourn, this one used a guitar Scarth . Scarths were guitars made in England characterized by a maple constitution: arched rope-makers and tops (omme for the majority of the guitars jazz) but equipped with a round hearing; the guitar in question is visible on the pochettte of the album John Renbourn left in 1965.

In the middle of the years '60, it acquires of a Gibson J-50. It is the accoustic guitar which it will use more, since second half of the years 1960 until in first half of the years '70: one can see it playing about it on the small pocket of the album Faro Annie of 1971. Throughout this period, he also played on a Gibson ES-335 " dot" , semi-accoustique guitar.

In the middle of the years '70, Renbourn acquires of a Guild D-55 rougfe, which it will employ on several albums, including during these collaborations with Stefan Grossman. Towards the end of the year '1970, he sees the Franklin guitar of Grossman, and starts to use a guitar Franklin OM, basing himself on the style of the guitars Martin OM, manufactured by the founder of the Franklin guitar company, Nick Kukich. Renbourn continued with the same guitar and other instruments of style OM, those which manufactured Ralph Bown in 1985.

Career

John Renbourn studied the traditional guitar at the school, and it is for this period that it became acquainted with the Primitive Music. In the Fifties, it was largely inspired by the shifted originality of the " Skiffle " and it was for him the occasion to explore the work of artists such as Leadbelly, Josh White and Big Bill Broonzy.

In the years '60, the popular latest fashion was Rhythm and Blues, and under the impulse of Davey Graham. In 1961, Renbourn thus turned in the South-west of the USA with Mac MacLeod, song recital repeated in 1963. During its studies with the Kingston College off Art of London, Renbourn briefly formed part of a R' group B. Although in this time British “Folk Revival was born”, the majority of the clubs folk were transformed into traditional, and the songs folk with the guitar were not often the welcomes… Only The Roundhouse of London made proof of more than tolerance, and John Renbourn joined the singer Blues and Gospel Dorris Henderson, as a guide with the guitar. Their colloborations were born two albums. No doubt its most famous appearance on the contemporary scene folk of the years 1960 was at " the Cousins " in Greek Street of Soho in London, become the point of meetings of the guitarists and singer-songwriters (composer-songwriter, often interprets) time, in England and America. About 1963 Renbourn made team with the guitarist Bert Jansch who visited London, left Edinburgh; together they developed a duet with the enthralling style called " folk baroque". Their album " Bert and John" is a perfect example in their manner of playing.

Renbourn left several albums on the label Transatlantic in the years 1960. Two of them, " Sir John Alot" and " Lady And The Unicorn" , the style of play and the repertory of time of Renbourn represent well summarize. " Sir John Alot" is a mixture of jazz/blues/folk côtoyant a more traditional/primitive style. " Lady And The Unicorn" is remarkably influenced by the interest of Renbourn for the primitive music.

It is about at that time that it meets Jacqui McShee, singer of traditional English songs folk. Joined by Bert Jansch, the bass player Danny Thompson and the beater Terry Cox, they formed Pentangle. The group was a very great success, furrowing America in 1968, of Carnegie Hall in Newport Folk Festival.

Renbourn continued to record albums solo in the Seventies and Eighties. Most of the time its music is based on the traditional one, with a celitic influence, alternating with other styles. He also collaborated with the American guitarist Stefan Grossman during second half of the years 1970, and two albums were born from their collaboration.

In the middle of the Eighties, Renbourn is turned over to the university to pass its equivalent to vat +5 in composition, and since then it concentrated mainly on the compsition of classical music, tandisqu' it always gives representations folk.

Renbourn continues to record and prduire on scene. In 2005 it made a round in Japan (its fifth in the country) in company of Tokio Uchida and Woody Mann. In 2006, there were some times in England, like in company of Robin Williamson and Jacqui McShee. The same year, he worked with a new album solo and collaborated with Clive Carroll for the BO of the film Driving Lessons, carried out by Jeremy Brock.

Discography

Albums Solo

John Renbourn (1965)
Another Monday (1967)
Sir John has off Batch Merry Englandes Musyk Thynge and ye Grene Knyghte (1968)
The Lady and the Unicorn (1970)
Faro Annie (1972)
So Clear (1973)
Heads and Tails (1973)
The Guitar off John Renbourn (1976, released 2005, aka The Guitar Artistry off John Renbourn )
The Hermit (1976)
The Black Balloon (1979)
One Morning Very Early (1979)
Under the Volcano (1980)
Enchanted Garden (1980)
The Nine Maidens (1986)
Shines Bright (1987)
Folk Blues off John Renbourn (1988)
Medieval Almanac (1989)
Will the Circle Be Unbroken (1995)
Lost Sessions (1996)
Traveller' S Prayer (1998)

Group albums

In collaboration with the John Renbourn Group

has Maid in Bedlam (1977)
The Enchanted Garden (1980)

In collaboration with the group Ship off Fools

Ship off Fools (1988)

Collaborations

In collaboration with Dorris Henderson

There You Go (1965)
Watch the Stars (1967)

In collaboration with Stefan Grossman

Live In (1978)
John Renbourn and Stefan Grossman (1978)
Keeper off the Vine (1982)
The Three Kingdoms (1986)
Snap has Little Owl (1997)

In collaboration with Bert Jansch

Bert and John (1966)
After The Dance (1992)

With Bert Jansch and Conundrum

Thirteen Down (1979)

Compilations

The Essential Collection Flight 1: The Soho Years (1986)
The Essential Collection Flight 2: The Moon Shines Bright (1987)
Essential John Renbourn (1992)
Collection (1995)
Final Transatlantic Collection (1998)

Live albums

Live in America (1981) - The John Renbourn Group
Live… In Concert (1984) - John Renbourn and Stefan Grossman.

In DVD

Rare Performances 1965 - 1995 (2004)
In Concert (2004)

Site which is dedicated to him (in English):

Article freely inspired of “http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Renbourn”

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