AFTER THE DANCE (W/ JOHN RENBOURN)

My last walk down memory lane with the late John Renbourn features, exclusively, all instrumental collaborations with his old Pentangle sparring partner Bert Jansch. After The Dance is a compilation that focuses exclusively on the duo's joint solo recordings that showcase the interplay between the two acoustic guitar virtuosos and even includes four uncredited Pentangle tracks that also focus on the duo's playing. Starting off with the mesmerizing "Tic-tocative", from the album titled Bert And John, we are quickly followed by the jazzy Pentangle jam like song titled "Waltz" from the group's first album. The millisecond timing between the two is still breathtaking even 50 years after the fact. The jazzy "Piano Tune" is a perfect opener before the duo launch into the scrumptious Mingus standard "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat" with, again, a heavy emphasis on jazz juxtapositions before being followed by the manic "Hole In The Coal" from Pentangle's second album "Sweet Child". The duo start to morph into more blues based playing on songs like 'Lucky 13", Stepping Stones" and "Red's Favorite" before switching back to jazz grooves on "No Exit" (another Pentangle jam), "Bells", and this compilation's title track "After The Dance". As a change of pace the stately pseudo Elizabethan "Orlando" and the manic eastern tinged "East Wind" keep this collection form becoming a monotony as does the rendering of the trad. song "The Wagoner's Lad". The latter featuring Jansch on a banjo!

How this great sounding and excellently remastered album is not essential listening for all up and coming guitar players is quite beyond me. 5 stars for something that has never been duplicated since on any record.