Jack Rose

An inventive and self-taught player on acoustic six-string, 12-string, and lap steel guitar, Jack Rose was considered part of the so-called Takoma revivalist movement that echoes the often Eastern-tinged acoustic guitar experiments of John Fahey, Robbie Basho, and others, although Rose got his start as a musician in an entirely different direction, first as a rock and punk-inspired electric guitarist in the Richmond, VA, drone trio Pelt. Pelt released a series of albums beginning in 1995, but while officially remaining a member of the band, Rose began a solo career as an acoustic guitarist with Hung Far Low (a self-released CD-R) in 2001, following it with Red Horse, White Mule on Eclipse Records that same year; Dr. Ragtime (another CD-R issue) and Opium Musick (on Eclipse) in 2002; Raag Manifestos (the LP appeared from Eclipse with the CD assigned to VHF Records) in 2004; Kensington Blues (Eclipse/VHF) in 2005; and Heraldic Beasts, the live Skullfuck/Bestio Tergum Degero, and Jack Rose & the Black Twig Pickers (all on Eclipse) in 2006. Beautiful Happiness reissued Red Horse, White Mule and Opium Musick together as Two Originals Of in 2004 and paired Dr. Ragtime & Pals and Jack Rose & the Black Twig Pickers -- the first two parts of what he humorously referred to as his "Ditch Trilogy" -- for another combined reissue in 2008. Rose's burgeoning career was cut short when died on Friday, December 4, 2009, of a heart attack. He was 38 years old. In February 2010, the last part of that trilogy, Luck in the Valley, was released by Thrill Jockey. Scant weeks later, Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth released a Rose tribute album, 12 String Meditations for Jack Rose. ~ Steve Leggett, Rovi