PENTANGLE

From London folk pubs to the stage of New York’s Fillmore East and beyond, PENTANGLE’s trajectory marked them out as one of the greatest and most adventurous groups of the late ’60s. Here JACQUI McSHEE and DANNY THOMPSON look back on their magickal revolution. “Pretty quickly, it went from a few hundred people to queues round the block,” they tell Peter Watts.

On the BBC, 1971: (l–r): John Renbourn, Danny Thompson, Jacqui McShee, Terry Cox, Bert Jansch

Photo by DAVID REDFERN

FEBRUARY 7, 1969. The stage at New York’s Fillmore East is stacked with huge amplifiers as Canned Heat and Rhinoceros prepare to blast 2,700 fans into submission. On the bill sandwiched between them, however, are avery different proposition. A British five-piece who play acoustic guitars and double bass through tiny Vox amps, they are waiting nervously in the wings as Bill Graham, the Fillmore’s legendary promoter, strides purposefully on stage to introduce them. “He told the audience, ‘Shut up you lot, this is Pentangle, anew band from England and they play quiet, so just listen,’” recalls singer Jacqui McShee. “You could have heard apin drop.”

America was anew frontier for Pentangle. Already stars in the UK, Pentangle were the most commercially successful at home –but according to bass player Danny Thomson the Americans “went ballistic” for their sound. At their inception, Pentangle boasted three skilled players from the ’60s folk revival –mercurial guitarists Bert Jansch and John Renbourn and pure-toned singer Jacqui McShee –alongside the subtle, intuitive rhythm section of bassist Danny Thompson and drummer Terry Cox, whose shared backgrounds in Soho’s jazz scene was critical in setting Pentangle apart from their peers. Arguably Pentangle could be seen as aUK version of The Band –five versatile musicians bringing acontemporary spin to old-time music.

This magical blend allowed Pentangle to blaze a trail through the more conservative corners of the British folk scene, take folk into rock clubs, turn folk fans on to jazz and vice versa. Steeleye Span, Nick Drake and Fairport Convention were all influenced by Pentangle –while after Pentangle played four nights with the Grateful Dead at Fillmore West, Jerry Garcia was so entranced that the Dead promptly introduced acoustic instruments into their live shows.

In the round, 1967: (clockwise from top) Jansch, Renbourn, Cox, Thompson, McShee

BRIANSHUEL/REDFERNS

“They were probably the best band I ever recorded,” says producer Shel Talmy – no small claim from aman who worked with The Who, The Kinks, David Bowie and Roy Harper. “Each one of them was at the pinnacle of their skillset. They never played awrong note.”

Recently, McShee performed at the celebrations to mark what would have been Bert Jansch’s 80th birthday [see panel page 73] and also with the Modern Jazz & Folk Ensemble –but for her, Pentangle is where it began.