Al Jones
| Alun Ashworth-Jones | |
|---|---|
Al Jones in 1998
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| Background information | |
| Also known as | Al Jones |
| Born |
31 October 1945 Saffron Walden, Essex, United Kingdom |
| Died | 1 June 2008 (aged 62) |
| Genres | Folk, blues, folk rock |
| Occupation(s) | Songwriter, guitarist, singer |
| Instruments | Guitar, vocals |
| Years active | 1960s–2008 |
Alun Ashworth-Jones (31 October 1945 Saffron Walden, Essex – 1 June 2008), known as Al Jones, was an influential English folk and blues songwriter, guitarist and singer, noted for his distinctive and original folk-rock guitar style and his often darkly humorous lyrics.
He first came to prominence in the Bristol folk scene in the mid-1960s, where he formed a trio with harmonica player Elliot Jackson and singer/guitarist Ian A. Anderson. They were resident performers at the Bristol Troubadour Club and frequently played at Les Cousins in London. Jones' recording debut was as part of that trio on an EP in 1966. He moved to London in 1968/1969 and featured on "Matchbox Days", an early Village Thing compilation of tracks by the white British "Blues Boom" artists of that period, alongside other luminaries such as Jo-Ann Kelly, John James, Mike Cooper and Dave Kelly. He made an album before moving to Cornwall, where he became reclusive. Anderson persuaded him to make a further album in 1972, "Jonesville", which featured a very early Rodney Matthews cover. Jones' reputation gained cult status in Britain and abroad, his albums becoming highly sought-after, and he occasionally emerged from his self-imposed obscurity to play gigs in Europe, particularly Belgium and Germany, where he had a particularly dedicated following.
His main business became the manufacture of his Ashworth range of instrument pick-ups and he later joined with Nigel Thornbory, the guitar maker, to produce the silicone rubber-stringed Ashbory bass, which is the only British instrument ever licensed to Fender; it is no longer in production.
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