Albums That Deserve Another Listen

Bert Jansch - Jack Orion (1966)

Jack Orion, Bert Jansch's third album, may have surprised some fans upon its 1966 release, as it features no original compositions by Jansch. While nearly all of the eight tracks (four of which include guitarist John Renbourn) are interpretations of traditional folk songs, Jansch's experimental approach breathes new life into this repertoire through his exploratory use of open tunings and passionate, gritty vocals.

According to Melody Maker, "his interpretations illuminate the songs from a completely new angle. As sung by him, with brilliant accompaniments, the brutal world that created the old ballads doesn't seem so very far off."

The ten-minute title song foreshadows the future through the past: with his sublime retelling of this dark tale of desire and revenge, Jansch embarks on a musical trajectory he would further develop with his group Pentangle. In "Black Water Side," a haunting ballad he first heard from Anne Briggs, Jansch plants the seeds for future versions by Led Zeppelin and Sandy Denny. Jack Orion's unique combination of medieval themes and progressive arrangements would pave the way for the next wave of the British folk revival and beyond.

Tracklist:

01 The Waggoner's Lad
02 The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face
03 Jack Orion
04 The Gardener
05 Nottamun Town
06 Henry Martin
07 Black Water Side
08 Pretty Polly

Personnel: 

Bert Jansch, guitar, vocals, and banjo on track 1.
John Renbourn, guitar on tracks 1, 3, 6 & 8.

One of the most important figures in contemporary British folk, Bert Jansch brought an unsurpassed combination of virtuosity and eclecticism to the acoustic guitar, both as a solo act and as a key member of Pentangle. Also a talented songwriter and vocalist, he wrote dark and sparse material that recalled the folky side of Donovan, though he was much less pop-oriented. Incorporating elements of blues, American folk, and British traditional music into his playing, his influence was not only immense in the British folk scene, it also extended to the rock world, both Neil Young and Jimmy Page, two electric guitar players who often turn to acoustic picking as well, have acknowledged Jansch as a major influence. Young went as far as to tell Guitar Player magazine that Jansch did for the acoustic guitar what Jimi Hendrix did for the electric. 

Born in Scotland, Jansch vagabonded around the U.K. and Europe for a while before basing himself in London in the early '60s. He made an impact on the city's folk community not only with his guitar skills, but with his original songwriting, singing his own compositions at a time when Dylan was just beginning to make that practice widespread in folk circles. Friend and fellow folksinger Anne Briggs helped Jansch get a contract with Transatlantic, a small British folky label. Recorded on a single microphone and a borrowed guitar at Jansch's apartment, his first album immediately established him as a major force in British folk. Consisting almost entirely of original compositions, the brooding, plaintive songs showcased his dexterous fingerpicking. "Needle of Death," inspired by the heroin-related death of a friend, may still be his most famous composition.