Robbie Basho
Robbie Basho is a folk artist formed in 1940. 21 releases are catalogued on Riffiter.
- 21
- Releases
- 1965–2025
- Active years
- 1940
- Formed
Discography
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Most popular
Guitar Soli
2021 · 11 tracks
Selections from Song of the Avatars : The Lost Master Tapes
2020
Bouquet
2016
Art of the Acoustic Steel String Guitar 6 & 12
1979
Twilight Peaks
1985
The Voice of the Eagle
1972
Song of the Stallion
1971
Basho Sings
1967
The Grail & the Lotus
1966
The Seal of the Blue Lotus
1965
Bashovia
2007
Venus in Cancer
1969
Song of the Avatars : The Lost Master Tapes
2021
Visions of the Country
1978
Rainbow Thunder - Songs of the American West
2015
The Falconer's Arm I
1967
Singles & EPs
2
Live & compilations
3
Community
More about Robbie Basho
Robbie Basho at a glance
- Born in
- Baltimore
- From
- United States
- Instruments
- guitar, voice
- Labels
- Takoma Records
- Educated at
- St. James School
Facts from Wikidata (CC0). Children listed are those with their own public record, so the list may be incomplete.
About
Robbie Basho (born Daniel R. Robinson, Jr., August 31, 1940 – February 28, 1986) was an American acoustic guitarist. Basho was born in Baltimore, Maryland, and was orphaned as an infant. Adopted by the Robinson family, Daniel Robinson, Jr. attended Catholic Schools in the Archdiocese of Baltimore and went on to study at University of Maryland College Park. Although he played the euphonium in the high school band and sang in middle school and high school ensembles, his interest in acoustic guitar grew during his college years, as a direct result of his friendships with fellow students John Fahey, Ed Denson, and Max Ochs. In 1959, Basho purchased his first guitar and immersed himself in Asian art and culture. It was around this time that he changed his name to Basho, in honor of the Japanese poet, Matsuo Basho.
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Basho's vision was to see the steel string become a concert instrument and to create a raga system for America. During a radio interview in 1974, promoting his album Zarthus, Basho discussed his music in detail. He described how he had gone through a number of "periods" related to philosophy and music, including Japanese, Hindu, Iranian and Native American. Zarthus represented the culmination of his "Persian period". Basho asserted his wish, along with John Fahey and Leo Kottke, to raise the steel-string guitar to the level of a concert instrument. He acknowledged that the nylon-string guitar was suitable for "love songs", but its steel counterpart could communicate "fire". Basho credited his interest in Indian music to hearing Ravi Shankar, whom he first encountered in 1962. Basho died unexpectedly at the age of 45 due to a freak accident during a visit to his chiropractor, where an "intentional whiplash" experiment caused blood vessels in his neck to rupture, leading to a fatal stroke.
Robbie Basho in brief
- How many Robbie Basho releases are on Riffiter?
- 21 releases are catalogued, spanning 1965 to 2025.
- When was Robbie Basho formed?
- Robbie Basho formed in 1940.
- What genre is Robbie Basho?
- Robbie Basho is catalogued under Folk.
- What is the most recent Robbie Basho release on Riffiter?
- Snow Beneath the Belly of a White Swan : The Lost Live Recordings, released in 2025.