Born, Kent 1953; various guitars (electric, acoustic, fretless baritione, soprano 12 string, lap steel) and mandolin.
John Jasnoch started out playing bluegrass and country music, though a long-standing interest in non-mainstream musics led to an active involvement in improvisation when he lived in Reading from around 1975 to 1979. In 1979 he moved to Sheffield, becoming part of Sheffield Free Music Group and a member of the free jazz rock group Bass Tone Tap. From this evolved a number of partnerships including: the duo Skits with singer Linda Lee Welch which toured widely in Europe and North America; a long-standing duo with woodwind player Charlie Collins with whom Jasnoch also played in the Modun Quartet and the Bone Orchestra; and a duo with Martin Archer which has expanded from time to time to include other musicians.
Jasnoch has also taken part in many ad-hoc group concerts with a large number of improvisors in various parts of Europe and North America, as well as participating in Company Week 1988. He plays solo, gives workshops, and is one of the organisers, along with Martin Archer and Mick Beck, of Other Music, the current forum for improvising musics in Sheffield.