Terry Cox obituary

Drummer with Pentangle, the folk-rock group who found fame in the 1960s with their fusion of jazz, blues and traditional songs On 27 May 1967, a bravely original band called Pentangle made their first major appearance, at the Royal Festival Hall in London. They were not a typical folk group, although they included the folk scene’s acoustic guitar heroes Bert Jansch and John Renbourn, along with the singer Jacqui McShee. But they were not a typical jazz band either, despite playing lengthy improvisations and including the jazz and blues exponents Danny Thompson on bass and Terry Cox on drums. Instead, they presented a subtle and often complex fusion of jazz, traditional styles, new songs and blues. Cox, who has died aged 89, played a key role in creating Pentangle’s unique style, but also worked with a remarkable array of artists, including Charles Aznavour, the Bee Gees, David Bowie and Elton John. He had joined Pentangle thanks to Thompson, with whom he had provided the rhythm section for Alexis Korner, the singer and guitarist known as “the godfather of British blues”. They played in Korner’s band Blues Inc and appeared on his albums Sky High (1966) and I Wonder Who? (1967). Thom