Guitarist John Renbourn, of '60s folk-jazz band Pentangle, dies at 70

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[March 27, 2015]  LONDON (Reuters) - Acclaimed guitarist John Renbourn, founding member of 1960s progressive folk group Pentangle, has died at age 70, British media reported on Friday.

He was found dead by police at his home in Scotland after failing to show up for a concert, The Guardian newspaper said.

Best known for his collaborations with fellow guitarist Bert Jansch, who died in 2011, Renbourn helped create a new form of folk music, mixing it with jazz, blues and rock and in some incarnations incorporating Indian instruments such as tabla drums.

The style is variously known as folk-jazz and folk-baroque.

Renbourn was one of the five original members of Pentangle, along with Jansch, singer Jacqui McShee, bassist Danny Thompson and drummer Terry Cox.

At its height, the band could command large audiences at venues such as London's Royal Festival Hall, New York's Carnegie Hall, and the Newport Jazz Festival.

After leaving Pentangle in the early 1970s, Renbourn had a successful career as a solo artist, working with others and with his band The John Renbourn Group.

(Reporting by Jeremy Gaunt; Editing by Angus MacSwan)

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