as born in April 7th 1920. He was born in a privileged family and studied music and arts from a young age. His Father and brother both moved to Paris in the 1930’s and Ravi soon followed. He went to school and studied in Paris where he began to play music publicly at the age of 13. He was instrumental in building the bridge between European and Indian music. In 1956 Ravi Shankar released his American debut album “Three Ragas”. He was a teacher to American guitarist Peter Walker, George Harrison of the Beatles, Phillip Glass and Anoushka Shankar (his Daughter) amongst others.
Ali Akbar Khan is known as one of the greatest sarod players in Indian history. His first 12″ LP arrived in 1955, that same year Yehudi Menuhin, world class classical violinist, invited Khan to play at MOMA in New York. He would later play at the concert for Bangladesh with George Harrison and his brother in-law Ravi Shankar. Peter Walker would study with Ali Akbar Khan for a brief time.
In 1957 Elizabeth Cotton was playing a primarily blues style which laid the foundations for the coming American primitive movement. Elizabeth Cotton played in an unique style and had many instrumentals which blended folk and blues. Her influence on the coming generations of guitar players has been greatly under appreciated.
John Fahey was the most notable guitarist to develop the New American style with a recording in 1959 under the name Blind Thomas later that year he would record “Blind Joe Death” both were later reissued on his own Takoma Records in 1964. Takoma Records became a label which brought this new guitar sound into the public attention. Many of the tracks on these albums were unique in picking style and in composition bring together folk and blues.
1963 Davy Graham released his debut album “The Guitar Player” and the following year released the classic “Folk, Blues and Beyond.” Davy Graham like Fahey blended folk and blues into intricate finger picking patterns.
Davy Graham – Folk Blues and Beyond
1963 Sandy Bull releases “Fanstasias for Guitar and 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 Shanka