
Ryan Deakin
Talented multi-instrumentalist and singer song writer, Ryan, is 17 years old and studying for a guitar diploma at the British Institute of Modern Music in Manchester. His first love has always been guitar. Since the age of 10 Ryan has explored the roots of English folk and blues artists being particularly intrigued by the depth and complexity of Bert Jansch, John Renbourn and Davy Graham. At the age of 12 Ryan was lucky enough to watch John Renbourn live and was inspired to take to playing the local live scene. He is a mesmerising performer, interpreting traditional folk and blues and captivating audiences with his own original and intricate compositions.
Chambertin
A piece by Bert Jansch played by Ryan Deakin for Bert
Intrepid Ryan has chosen what he recognises as one of Bert’s most challenging instrumentals for ‘Around the world in 80 plays’. He says: “Many see it as Bert’s Magnum Opus. The way Bert played guitar was unique, sometimes sounding like multiple guitars at once, and his unorthodox way of aggressively plucking what is traditionally seen as a very pretty instrument is almost punk. As a songwriter he also stands out. His songs made me feel like something magic took place a long time ago in another part of the country.
I think I was perhaps 13 years old when I heard my dad practicing Anji. It took me a couple of weeks to learn it myself, and I found it such fun to play! I had to seek more, and so I took to the internet. I discovered a treasure trove of strange music – music I had never heard before, nor could I compare it to anything I had heard before. It is incredible how, in this day and age of technology, Bert Jansch’s minimal, earthy early recordings still manage to stand out in their unique tone. His music gave me permission to find myself…


