John Tams

British guitarist and singer John Tams earned the description “one of the unsung gods of folk” from Mojo magazine, yet his first solo album, Unity, did not appear until 2000. By that time he had already spent more than three decades shaping the British folk scene, beginning with a stint in Ashley Hutching’s Albion Band that lasted from 1976 to 1987. He next fronted the politically charged folk-rock outfit Home Service while simultaneously acting as pit director at the National Theater. In the early ’90s he co-founded the No Masters Co-operative label with producer Jim Boyes and subsequently collaborated with numerous folk performers, among them Lal Waterson.

Parallel to his musical work, Tams pursued a distinguished career as actor and theatrical producer, serving as associate director of the Crucible Theater and regularly producing drama for Radio 4. He also took a leading role in the long-running television series Sharpe and supplied both music and performance for its soundtrack.

Raised above a Northern England pub, Tams absorbed countless jam sessions drifting up from the bar beneath his childhood bedroom. Two grandfathers deepened that early exposure: one performed on concertina and mouth organ, while the other played trumpet and violin and led a brass band. At eleven Tams himself took up the trumpet in such an ensemble, but only after turning to guitar did he discover his most natural musical expression.