John Renbourn

During the 1960s and 1970s John Renbourn emerged as a central figure in Britain’s folk world, recognized first for his guitar playing on enduring recordings such as the 1968–1971 albums Sir John Alot Of, The Lady and the Unicorn, and Faro Annie, and second for helping establish the Pentangle, an adventurous folk-rock unit that wove jazz-derived melodic turns and rhythmic elasticity into the somber yet gripping legacy of U.K. folk music. Prior to his departure from the ensemble in 1973, Renbourn strengthened his individual path by expanding his material to embrace classical guitar, thereby securing a worldwide standing as an instrumentalist whose technical command was matched by discerning judgment and artistic clarity. The 1979 release The Black Balloon, featuring flute contributions from British jazz standout Tony Roberts and violinist Stuart Gordon, not only exerted lasting influence but also underscored Renbourn’s command of jazz vocabulary. Throughout the 1990s he issued two collaborative albums—A Thousand Words with American guitarist Duck Baker and Wheel of Fortune with the Incredible String Band’s Robin Williamson—that merged traditional British Isles folk, blues, jazz, and country elements.

Born John McCombe on August 8, 1944, in Marylebone, London, he was the son of Robert McCombe, who served in the Royal Highland Tank Regiment during World War II and perished in combat while his son was still an infant. In 1952 John’s mother Dorothy wed physician Edward Tobias Renbourn, and the boy adopted his stepfather’s surname. Raised in a household where music was routine—his mother at the piano and great-uncle Dan on cello occasionally joining her—Renbourn moved with the family to Surrey and commenced piano study. By age twelve he was immersed in music theory and early repertoire, soon encountering American folk and blues through a Josh White concert. At twenty he had adopted the guitar, initially pursuing classical technique, and during hitchhiking travels across Europe he met U.K. folk-blues figures Davy Graham, Wizz Jones, and Mac MacLeod; Renbourn and MacLeod spent several years busking and produced demo tapes that never secured a contract. After a short stint in a rhythm-and-blues group, he encountered American singer Dorris Henderson and served as her accompanist on the 1965 album There You Go and the 1967 album Watch the Stars. That same year saw the appearance of his debut solo record, titled simply John Renbourn; two tracks featured Bert Jansch, another guitarist then sharing Renbourn’s flat, and in 1966 the pair issued the joint album Bert & John.

The 1968 solo album Sir John Alot of Merrie Englandes Musyk Thyng & Ye Grene Knyghte fused Renbourn’s interests in British folk and early music with newer currents; later the same year his wish to push folk boundaries prompted formation of the Pentangle, alongside Jansch on guitars, Jacqui McShee (previously heard on Renbourn’s 1967 solo set Another Monday) on vocals, Terry Cox (who had played on Sir John Alot) on percussion, and Danny Thompson on bass. The group, later known simply as Pentangle, ranked among the foremost acts on the British folk-rock circuit, matching Fairport Convention and Steeleye Span in popularity while touring extensively throughout the U.K., Europe, and the United States. Between 1968 and 1972 the original lineup released six albums before disbanding under the strain of relentless travel. Throughout that span Renbourn sustained his solo output with The Lady and the Unicorn in 1970 and Faro Annie in 1972; once the Pentangle dissolved he resumed solo performances and began issuing collections of classical and folk guitar pieces. Occasional appearances with Jansch continued, while McShee contributed vocals to Renbourn’s subsequent ensemble, the John Renbourn Group, whose 1981 concert recording Live in America received a Grammy nomination. Several albums with American guitarist Stefan Grossman also appeared, beginning with their self-titled 1978 collaboration.

In 1982 Renbourn entered Darlington College in Darlington, England, for a three-year course covering composition, early music, sitar, and the shakuhachi. He later described the studies to an interviewer as “an awesome experience,” yet maintained recording and performing commitments when possible, once delaying an examination to share a Carnegie Hall bill in New York with Doc Watson. He subsequently returned to the same institution as an instructor, delivering degree-level steel-string guitar classes and directing International Guitar Seminars in Quebec, Vancouver, and New York City. For a 1987 New York concert Renbourn assembled Ship of Fools, featuring Maggie Boyle on vocals and flute, Steve Tilston on guitar and mandolin, and Tony Roberts on winds; satisfied with the outcome, he kept the ensemble active for several years. A 1983 Pentangle reunion tour also took place, though Renbourn exited before the group recorded Open the Door later that year.

Throughout the 1990s and into the new century Renbourn remained active as a teacher, composer, and international performer while issuing recordings at intervals. In 2007, when Pentangle received a lifetime achievement honor at the BBC Folk Awards, he rejoined his original bandmates to accept the award from Sir David Attenborough and perform on the occasion. A brief Pentangle tour followed in 2008, succeeded by teaching engagements in Ireland and the South of France. In 2010 the Martin Guitar Company introduced a signature model bearing his name; the next year Pentangle appeared at the Glastonbury Festival and staged a farewell concert at London’s Festival Hall, Jansch passing away several months after the October 2011 London performance. While touring with Wizz Jones in March 2015, Renbourn failed to reach a scheduled concert and was discovered deceased at his home on March 26 at age seventy, the cause a heart attack. His final recordings, made with Jones under the title Joint Control shortly before his death, appeared in September 2016. In 2018 Drag City released the intimate archival set Live in Kyoto 1978; the following year Cherry Red issued the six-disc box UnPentangled: The Sixties Albums, encompassing his self-titled debut, Another Monday, Sir John Alot Of, and his duo sessions with Jansch and Henderson.