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Danny Thompson (1939-2025)
Oct. 1st, 2025 06:48 pmIf you're a fan of British folk music, there's a good chance you've heard Danny Thompson's double bass. I was saddened to hear he passed away recently. I would skip the surface-level obituaries and point you straight at a deep dive into his incredibly wide-ranging work, which is well worth the read if you're interested in the 60s music scene, and has lots of embedded music. The Artistry of Danny Thompson, Part 1
I also wanted to make a short highlight reel, as his playing threads some of my most beloved music, from my teenage discovery of Nick Drake and Richard Thompson to David playing Pentangle in the winter evenings:
It was hard to choose a Pentangle performance. They were a stunning live act and thankfully there are a wealth of high quality recordings out there. I went with the multi-part 'Hunting Song,' which I consider one of their most sublime works.
* * *
Danny Thompson was close friends with John Martyn, and it shines through in this rendition of Martyn's signature song 'Solid Air.' Martyn wrote the song about his friend Nick Drake and Thompson had played on a number of Drake's songs and apparently they had gotten along very well - which I think adds to the depth and intensity of this lament.
* * *
Lastly, this was my introduction to Danny Thompson, which came when my Dad sat down and introduced me to Richard Thompson through the Live at Austin, TX DVD. This is my favorite Danny Thompson performance of them all, as he switches seamlessly to the bow for an eerie and incredibly controlled effect in this gorgeous song. Richard Thompson was later (on the Loud and Rich tour with Loudon Wainwright III) the only live concert Dad and I ever got to share, so there's a lot of sweet and sad emotions here for me today.
Rest in peace to an amazing artist.
I also wanted to make a short highlight reel, as his playing threads some of my most beloved music, from my teenage discovery of Nick Drake and Richard Thompson to David playing Pentangle in the winter evenings:
It was hard to choose a Pentangle performance. They were a stunning live act and thankfully there are a wealth of high quality recordings out there. I went with the multi-part 'Hunting Song,' which I consider one of their most sublime works.
* * *
Danny Thompson was close friends with John Martyn, and it shines through in this rendition of Martyn's signature song 'Solid Air.' Martyn wrote the song about his friend Nick Drake and Thompson had played on a number of Drake's songs and apparently they had gotten along very well - which I think adds to the depth and intensity of this lament.
* * *
Lastly, this was my introduction to Danny Thompson, which came when my Dad sat down and introduced me to Richard Thompson through the Live at Austin, TX DVD. This is my favorite Danny Thompson performance of them all, as he switches seamlessly to the bow for an eerie and incredibly controlled effect in this gorgeous song. Richard Thompson was later (on the Loud and Rich tour with Loudon Wainwright III) the only live concert Dad and I ever got to share, so there's a lot of sweet and sad emotions here for me today.
Rest in peace to an amazing artist.
