Jack Rose

by Steve Leggett
An inventive and self-taught player on acoustic six-string, 12-string, and lap steel guitar, Jack Rose falls into 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 he officially remains 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 aka Self Titled (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 and Self Titled for another combined reissue in 2008.