John Renbourn was one of the leading lights of the British folk scene, first as a guitarist and as co-founder of the eclectic and innovative folk-rock band the Pentangle, who added the melodic twists and structural freedoms of jazz to the dark but compelling traditions of U.K. folk. Before leaving the group in 1973, Renbourn further distinguished his solo career, broadening his repertoire to include classical guitar; he earned an international reputation as an instrumentalist with remarkable technical skills as well as impressive taste and vision. During the '90s he cut a pair of duo recordings (A Thousand Words with American guitarist Duck Baker and Wheel of Fortune with the Incredible String Band's Robin Williamson) that combined traditional folk music of the British Isles, blues, jazz, and country.