nd Banjo” which incorporates many middle eastern tonal structures on guitar and banjo.
Rabbie Basho was a major influence in this style born in 1940 with the name Daniel Robinson Jr would not begin playing guitar until college. “Daniel Robinson Jr. Once enrolled at the University of Maryland, he made a rapid transition from barrel-chested jock to cosmic beatnik to 12-string innovator self-styled in honor of a 17th-century Japanese poet (2). ” Over a two-decade career, his songs morphed from raga-style instrumentals to Native American tributes that featured Basho’s distinctively challenging vocal style (2).” Basho played the 12 string guitar in a way which had a meditative atmosphere. He transcended east and west with a transcendent sound which has had influence on new age composition. His vocal styling is not often mentioned because it is operatic and warbling which was incorporated only after his first few releases.
Robbie Basho Seal of the Blue Lotus
In 1962 Daniel Robinson (Robbie Basho) would hear Ravi Shankar for the first time. This introduction to the music of India had a major effect on Basho and many other guitarists who evolved this style.
In 1965 Basho releases his debut albums, “The Seal of the Blue Lotus” and “The Grail and The Lotus” on Takoma Records and they become true classics.
“Blind Joe Death” by Fahey is reissued on Takoma Records.
Bert Jansch released his first solo album “It don’t bother me” and “Bert Jansch” in 65’. These albums featured skillfully styled blues guitar with an English folk flavor and impressive finger picking.
John Renbourne also hits the scene with a solo album. Renbourne developed a classical English folk style using compositions from the renaissance and infusing that with blues and eastern raga influence. At points in his career he would employ the sitar, tanpura, and tablas (Indian drums) on his recordings. In 1966 Bert and John release a duet album which features incredible guitar playing. That same year Bert and John would begin to form The Pentangle.
1966 Ravi Shankar meets George Harrison and Harrison brings Indian music to the world in the following years. Harrison brought Ravi Shankar to play at music festivals and on American tours. Harrison took on the task of learning the sitar and even included Indian inspired music on The Beatles album “Revolver” and “Sargent Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band.”
1966 Peter Walker’s album “Rainy Day Raga” was a breakthrough album blending folk, and Indian raga. Peter Walker was born in 1937 in Boston MA. In the early 1960’s “during a stint in San Francisco he heard the legendary Ravi Shankar perform and Walker’s lifelong fascination with Eastern raga was formed, along with his like passion for the flamenco tradition(6). ” “He studied with Ravi Shankar for a time in Los Angeles and also studied with Ali Akbar Khan in San Francisco. Returning to the Boston area, he became a regular on the 1960’s Cambridge and Greenwich Village folk scenes, where he became close friends with guitarist Sandy Bull and the tragic folksinger Karen Dalton(6).”
His debut album “Rainy Day Raga” is best described in the linear notes by Walker: “American raga, or as Bob Shelton of the New York Times calls it, American folk raga – the word raga is used because of the association with Indian classical and folk music, employs the Indian concept of starting with a drone, then a melodic line based on the scale, then weaving, reweaving, and interweaving the melodic line so that a freely improvised piece is constructed… Then when the melody line has been inserted I feel free to improvise, based on emotion…The music reaches a fusion point, and a sound is produced like running brook water with the improvisations like bubbles flickering over the surface. Then the piece must be closed out. (7).” A critic wrote “Peter Walker – tall, thin, dark haired, and intense – is an exciting young guitarist and creative musician who through his own playing, and as a musical director for Timothy Leary’s “Celebrations” is giving a new direction and a new sound to American “folk” music today.