Word on the highway, the National Seven, the road to Newquay, the road less travelled and the paths of glory is that British folk-blues pioneer and total original Wizz Jones has finally called it quits at 85 and played his last show – at the Acorn Theatre, Penzance, on Saturday 3rd August. It’s the county in which he was filmed busking on the beach by Alan Whicker for a BBC magazine show in 1960, gently protesting about local antagonism to beatniks like himself. People protesting against others who are slightly different to themselves – wouldn’t happen in Britain today, would it…?
To Brit folk connoisseurs, Wizz is one of the all-time greats – a contemporary of Davy Graham, an influence on Bert Jansch, John Renbourn, Ralph McTell and the rest. He swung like no one else, with a plaintive voice that captured something of the poverty and fragility of British youth growing up after the Second World War, looking, hoping for a better way to live. He was still brilliant to the end – not advertising his last show, as far as I’m aware – just quietly telling people on the night that he was stopping because ‘I just can’t do it any more’.
He was a weaver of magic – an Eeyore-ish bringer of joy to many, however much he may have almost enjoyed his perpetual mythology as a ‘nearly man’, a figure name-dropped by the famous but never with much in the bank. Bruce Springsteen covered one of his songs in a stadium show once… but never told his audience who wrote it, who to check out. That was typical Wizz luck. The title of my Bert Jansch book, ‘Dazzling Stranger’? That was a Wizz song too – and just like Bruce, I forgot to mention it in the first printing. I put it right after that, mind.
Take it easy, Wizz – and THANK YOU for decades of gentle brilliance! 🙂
Wizz in 1960 – the beginning of ‘the alternative society’:
Wizz in 2023, ‘I Cannot Keep from Crying’, with his son Simeon (Take That’s saxophonist) on harmonica.
Only album of his I have is Legendary Me which must be 50-odd years old now. Fine record it is, too, though I never felt the need to investigate further
Not legendary enough?
Me? Definitely so
Him? Not so much
Back in the early 90’s I must admit I hadnt heard of Wizz Jones, but he had been recommended by someone who I had met who knew him very well.
My mate and I travelled up from Kent to London to see him at a venue near Euston station as I recall. He was brilliant, and to top the evening off the support was Barry Dransfield who was also fantastic.
The album with Simeon (Late nights and Long days) is excellent, as is About Time with Ralph McTell
As a matter of interest, what was the song Springsteen covered?
This one (not one that appeals much to me, as it happens):
I saw him at the folk club with John Renbourne. I have to say Wizz’s playing spoke to me much more than JR’s did. More natural and flowing somehow. Then I won his new album “Lucky the man” in the raffle. Great gig.
Had a wonderful evening about 10 years ago seeing Wizz and Ralph play at Constantine’s Tolmen Centre in Cornwall. Both in excellent form.
As Colin H says, Bruce never told his Berlin audience who wrote “When I Leave Berlin”.
Indeed, he didn’t even tell the E-Street Band who wrote the song. Steve van Zandt was convinced that it was an old Springsteen number that the Boss had dug up from one of his old notebooks, until a few journalists after the concert informed him that it was a Wizz Jones song.
He did seem to have the darndest of luck. Even having just missed out on the adulation in the glory years, he was beginning to get recognition from the next generation. He was due to tour with John Renbourn just as a career retrospective came out, only for John’s death to kibosh that.
I still revel quietly in that my first ever gig was as support to Wizz. I couldn’t believe my luck.
He did seem to have the darndest of luck. Even having just missed out on the adulation in the glory years, he was beginning to get recognition from the next generation. He was due to tour with John Renbourn just as a career retrospective came out, only for John’s death to kibosh that.
I still revel quietly in that my first ever gig was as support to Wizz. I couldn’t believe my luck.
There was also a doomed trip to the US – on the way to some well-paying shows with admiring rock trendies on 11 September 2001… and obviously the plane turns round and back to London…
Ooh very nice Cat. My similar claim is supporting Dave Swarbrick at a folk club. He was very kind though clearly unwell.
I saw Wizz for the first time at Costa Del Folk Portugal in 2015 and throught he was terrific. It was very old-school guitar picking and every now and then he’d just give it a good shake to add some sustain to his notes. He was back 2 years later, aged about 78 and played in a more relaxed vibe. His second solo set of that Festival was at the small outdoor stage, with about 50 people watching. At one point he was playing “If I Was A Carpenter” and sang “If I was a miller….” The next line should be “at a mill wheel grinding” but he sang “and you were a lady”. I started to smile, realising he was about to come unstuck. He kept playing, looked wistfully around him, and sang “do do do do-do-doooooo, it escapes me”. I’m glad I got to see him and hope he has a happy retirement.