Jenkins, Martin (17th July 1946-17th May 2011)

He was a flautist, fiddle, mandolin, mandocello player, singer-songwriter and producer born in London, England. Being drawn towards folk music he performed with Matthews’ Southern Comfort at the end of the 1960s and at the same time, around 1970, was also a co-writing member of the group Dando Shaft.

From about 1972 he was an original member of the group Hedgehog Pie, staying with them until 1977, and he also gained a lot of recognition for his notable duets with the acclaimed guitarist Bert Jansch, recording the album Avocet with him.

In 1983 he recorded his solo album Carry Your Smile and then in 1983/4 he became a co-founder of the group Whippersnapper, fronted by the fiddle player David Swarbrick. He stayed with the group for the next decade, recording and performing concerts on a national and international level, until their final disbandment in 1994. He went on to work in collaboration with his wife, Bulgarian musician Kilinka Vulcheva, where they would be known as The Vulcheva-Jenkins Incident.

Aside from his 1983 solo recording he has appeared on An Evening with Dando Shaft and Lantaloon by Dando Shaft, Fairport Unconventional by Fairport Convention, The Green Lady and Hedgehog Pie by Hedgehog Pie, Box of Love by Bert Jansch, Second Spring by Matthews’ Southern Comfort, Book of Secrets by Loreena McKennett, In Search of Amelia Earhart by Plainsong, Cross the Danube by The Vulcheva-Jenkins Incident and Promises, Tsubo and These Foolish Things by Whippersnapper.

In recent years he was a co-founder of the group Shkayla with the fiddle player Joe O’Donnell but left them in 2004 after about 6 years to pursue other projects.

He died after suffering a heart attack at his home in Sofia, Bulgaria, in May 2011. He was 65 years old.

He introduces and sings with Whippersnapper here on “Downtown Rodeo”…

Sources:

Jenkins, Martin (17th July 1946-17th May 2011)

Navigation