Wizz Jones - Biography

Born Raymond Ronald Jones in 1939, Wizz began his musical career in 1958, leading a Country and Skiffle band in his home town of Croydon. Inspired by Big Bill Broonzy, Rambling Jack Elliot, Alexis Korner and Ewan MacColl, Wizz learnt his craft in the coffee bars around London's Soho from the likes of Davy Graham and Long John Baldry

During the sixties Wizz followed the time honoured trail of busking throughout Europe, he met many different musicians including a budding young bluesman named Rod Stewart. On returning to Britain, he formed a blue-grass duo with banjo player Pete Stanley, they released a Single and album (the incredibly rare “16 Tonnes of Bluegrass”) however after four years the partnership dissolved and Wizz returned to solo work often collaborating with songwriter Alan Tunbridge and guitarist Peter Berryman.

During the 70’s Wizz and his wife Sandy formed Lazy Farmer, and spent time touring Europe and Scandinavia, where both the band and Wizz as a solo artist had considerable success. The end of the 70’s and early 80’s Wizz spent time touring the clubs and festivals of both the UK and Europe, during this time he released four albums. Between 1976 and 1977 Wizz released Happiness Was Free and Magical Flight respectively, followed by a further two albums in the 80’s, Roll On River with Werner Lammerhirt and The Grapes of Life .

The 90’s saw the release of several albums including Live in Dublin, the first album to feature Wizz performing alongside son Simeon; this was followed by The Village Thing Tapes, a compilation album of '70s material; Late Nights and Long Days with Simeon and the 1995 album Dazzling Stranger .Wizz also appeared in the BAFTA nominated documentary Acoustic Routes which also featured Bert Jansch, Davy Graham and Ralph McTell amongst others.

Known as somewhat of a musician’s musician and cited by John Renbourn and Eric Clapton as an important early influence. Wizz has been a renowned guitarist on the folk and blues scene for the past 45 years. His groundbreaking style and touching lyrics have earned him many fans and with his unique guitar style, an eclectic repertoire and "a right hand worthy of Broonzy"... Long may he continue

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