Formed in Nantes in 1971, Breton group Tri Yann went on to become one of the most important folk-rock bands to come out of France. Founded by the trio of Jean Chocun, Jean-Paul Corbineau, and Jean-Louis Jossic, the band's name literally translates to "Three Johns." The group's early years were largely dedicated to traditional Breton folk and Celtic music and featured acoustic instruments like the psaltery, bombarde, dulcimer, and mandoloncello. With the release of 1976's La Découverte ou l'Ignorance, Tri Yann's sound began to incorporate more rock-oriented instruments like bass, drums, and electric guitar. They also started to show more progressive strains, recording a couple of concept albums and employing elaborate stage costumes. Following their first live album and anthology in the mid-'80s, Tri Yann issued Le Vaisseau de Pierre, which was based on the comic book of the same name. Throughout the '90s, the band's membership would continue to shuffle, with Chocun, Corbineau, and Jossic always remaining at the helm. Their tenth album, 1995's Portraits, dealt with various historical figures in Breton history, while its follow-up, 2001's The Pelegrin, explored music from various different Celtic countries and served as the group's 30th anniversary album. Tri Yann remained strong and active during the 2000s, serving up a pair of sea-inspired albums called Marines (2003) and Abyss (2007) before crossing another milestone with 2011's Rummadoù (Generations), their 15th studio album. A live album documenting their 40th anniversary celebration in 2011 arrived in the spring of 2012 and featured songs spanning their entire career. La Belle Enchantée, another conceptual LP dealing with tales from Breton mythology, was released in 2016. Jean-Paul Corbineau died on December 16, 2022, in Nantes while in treatment for leukemia; he was 74 years old. ~ Timothy Monger, Rovi