"At one point, I was absolutely obsessed with Bert Jansch. When I first heard that LP [1965], I couldn't believe it. It was so far ahead of what everyone else was doing. No one in America could touch that." - Jimmy Page

Bert Jansch has been compared to Jimi Hendrix in terms of how he injected a revolutionary style into guitar playing. Jansch, though, isn't known as a rock or electric guitarist. He comes from the folk tradition incorporating blues, jazz, British traditional music and American folk into his style. His approach to acoustic picking has played an influence in the works of Neil Young, Jimmy Page and Nick Drake. Although Jansch isn't a household name, his reputation amongst guitarists preceeds him. Noel Gallagher, Jarvis Cocker, Bernard Butler and Johnny Marr are all fans.

Jansch played around the United Kingdom and Europe in the early 1960s. But it was with the decision to base himself in London that his career took off. While gaining a positive live reputation, he borrowed a guitar and recorded his first album in a flat on a reel-to-reel tape deck. He sold the recordings to the Transatlantic label for £100, but he might've sold himself short. The 'Bert Jansch' album blew listeners and players away with its innovation and finger-picking. And Jansch soon found himself in a real recording studio making 'It Don't Bother Me'.

Since then Jansch has recorded over 20 albums, both solo and with the band Pentangle. He was recently awarded a BBC Radio 2 Lifetime Achievement Award, as well as the being the subject of a biography and a tribute album. He's achieved way too much to be covered here, so explore the links below.

Recommended links:

Official site

Bert Jansch

Bert Jansch Takes The High Road

FolkLib Index for Bert Jansch

'People On The Highway - A Bert Jansch Enconium'

Bert Jansch: Edge of a Dream

It Don't Bother Me

Bert Jansch interviewed (Real Player required)

Crossing The Border - The Pentangle Interview