Herbert \"Bert\" Jansch (3 November 1943 – 5 October 2011) was a Scottish folk musician and founding member of the band Pentangle. He was born in Glasgow and came to prominence in London in the 1960s, as an acoustic guitarist, as well as a singer-songwriter. He recorded at least 25 albums and toured extensively from the 1960s to the 21st century.
Bert Jansch is my guitar hero. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential folk singer/songwriters of his generation and despite not becoming a runaway success like the likes of Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, Donovan etc, he quite rightly must be mentioned in the same breath as them. Bert was a phenomenal guitarist and a soothing singer whose lyrics captivated minds and took them to forgotten times of old. His music is a testament to the sheer genius contained within him and he will remain one of the greatest folk singers of all time.
It's a bit sad that not many people have heard of him or his music considering his obvious genius but my aim is to change that with the upload of this album. I want future generations to 'feel' Bert's music and get in tune with what he was all about - beautiful music.
I have his entire discography on a hard-disk that is being recovered and spent many a day and night just listening to him sooth my ears. His guitar playing is as unique as they come and his Scottish roots give his voice a definite edge. His music evokes a tingling sense of medieval times gone by and casts your mind into lands and stories unheard of and untold.
The Album: The Black Swan
This album was his last ever studio album released in 2006, five years before he finally passed in 2011. It's a genuine work of art and left behind the last trace of what the world had missed out on during his lifetime. Pitchfork described the album as, \" Recorded some 40 years after his first two brilliant albums on England's Transatlantic Records, The Black Swan isn't exactly a comeback. Jansch has been working all along, releasing nearly a dozen albums since 1990. For this generation, however, it is Jansch's popular come-out: From Devendra Banhart to Ben Chasny, many principles of the indie roots resurgence have credited his complex playing and artless vocals as touchstones.Thankfully, the album doesn't sound preconceived or laborious. It doesn't sound like it's been talked about. It's immaculate but natural.\"
It's a shame Bert didn't become that popular outside the UK, but hopefully, ardent fans of his work like me are trying to change that!
No money is being made off this video(monetization is off) and all copyrights go to Bert, his family and the labels he released his records on. I hope the labels let me keep this video online, it's for Bert and for people to listen to more of his music.
If you like this and want more, listen to his debut album titled \"Bert Jansch\" released in 1964. You won't have to look too far other than #BOMBEATS for this as I have made a playlist of that entire album about a year ago.
