Pentangle formed in 1967 and along with Fairport Convention, were one of the shining lights in the modernisation of British folk music in the 1960s. Rather than adding elements of rock music, however, they leaned toward jazz, supplementing twin acoustic guitars with jazzy drums and acoustic bass.
The original band consisted of singer Jacqui McShee, Bert Jansch, John Renbourn, Danny Thompson and drummer Terry Cox.
In 1969 Pentangle signed to Warner Reprise Records and before long they were touring and playing historic venues including Carnegie Hall, Fillmore East and West, Newport Festival, the Isle-Of-Wight festival and of course the Royal Festival Hall. On these historic tours the band would appear alongside Hendrix, Miles Davis, Bob Dylan and James Taylor.
Jacqui recounts:
"During the summer of 1969 we toured the USA and played at the Newport (Rhode Island) Folk and Blues Festival. Our set was interrupted, to tell the audience that the US Apollo 11 mission to the moon had been successful, and that Neil Armstrong was the first man to set foot on the moon.
The original Pentangle Split in 1973 but not before they managed to cut six albums that remain classics to this day.
John Renbourne and Jacqui McShee continued as a duo then formed the John Renbourn Band in the late 1970's.
In the 1980's an Italian promoter approached John wanting to do a tour with the original Pentangle. John approached everyone and they toured Italy, the UK and Australia.
After the reunion tour series of personnel changes followed, including Mike Piggott on violin, Rod Clements on guitar, Nigel Portman Smith on keyboards and bass, and Peter Kirtley on guitars and vocals, with McShee and Jansch finally remaining as the only members from the original line-up.
Gerry Conway took over on drums and percussion in 1986. The incarnation consisting of Jacqui, Bert, Nigel, Peter and Gerry survived almost as long as the original Pentangle and recorded three albums: Think of Tomorrow, One More Road and Live 1994.
1994 saw Jacqui begin a brand new project with Gerry and Spencer Cozens. This manifested itself in the 1995 release About Thyme album which gained rave reviews including a no.1 spot for several weeks in the Tower Records folk charts.
They toured this album with Alan Thomson on bass and Jerry Underwood on saxes - this was the beginnings of Jacqui McShee's Pentangle. The 1998 release of Passe Avant marked the true start of JMP with the band still touring and recording regularly.