Bert Jansch

[John Bravin]

Bert Jansch, who died today, was one of the great folk/rock guitarists, 
and was often played by Peel in his early years. Peel wrote the cover 
notes for the 1st Pentangle LP, with this piece of classic 60s prose;

"In a brother's girl-friend's flat over coffee and behind forgotten 
conversations, we listened to records a year ago. Slowly the witless 
chatter fell into the black carpet and the music filled the spaces where 
it had hung. This was a first introduction to Bert Jansch and a week 
later the same music danced into the aromatic night air from a rusting 
ship within a few weeks' reach of legislation. ... Play this record to 
those you love."

Jansch stayed relevant across 4 decades, playing with Donovan and Led 
Zeppelin, Neil Young and Beth Orton, Johnny Marr and Babyshambles. I am 
sure a classic piece of guitar picking would have been the opening 
credits to tonight's Peel show, but sadly those moments are no more

John