S J Birkill
MV Administrator
just a sensible reserve
Posts: 897
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Wizz Jones has died
« : 01.05.25 at 09:19 » |
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Influential virtuoso guitarist Wizz Jones died at the weekend, aged 86. Himself inspired by Ramblin' Jack Elliot and Big Bill Broonzy, Wizz was a pioneer of the instrument across the folk and blues spectrum during the 1950s and 60s, along with contemporaries including Davy Graham, Alexis Korner, Long John Baldry, John Renbourn, Bert Jansch and Martin Carthy, inspiring a generation of young British guitarists. He was a charming and gentle man, very modest and easy to talk to.
Wizz was a member of Midnight Voices in its days as a mailing list between 1997 and 2004, and appeared as a guest artist at two of our MV gatherings during that period, at Milton Keynes (Stantonbury School) in October 2000 and at Hebden Bridge (The Picture House) in September 2001.
Here is a video of Wizz, shot by MV's "Fat_Ed" (Brian Hazelden) in 2012. Coincidentally this performance also took place at Hebden Bridge in West Yorkshire, this time at the Trades Club. The song, Atkin/James's 'Touch Has A Memory' appeared on Wizz's 1987 album "The Grapes of Life".
Robin Denselow has written an obituary for Wizz in The Guardian, here.
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