Nic Jones stood among the foremost figures to arise during the British folk revival, receiving acclaim for his expressive vocals together with his command of guitar and fiddle. He drew strong inspiration from Martin Carthy and took up that musician’s percussive guitar approach as his own. Jones first appeared in public during the late 1960s as a member of the Halliard before beginning a solo career in 1970 with the album Ballads and Songs.
That collection of traditional material highlighted his exceptional instrumental abilities and confirmed his skill with extended ballad forms. A self-titled album followed in 1971, after which six years elapsed before he issued another solo record. Noah’s Ark Trap reached listeners in 1977, and From the Devil a Stranger appeared the next year. Around the same period Jones joined the short-lived ensemble Bandoggs and released an album under that name in 1978. He also contributed performances to projects by Richard Thompson and June Tabor.
Penguin Eggs, issued in 1980 and named Folk Album of the Year by Melody Maker, proved to be his final new recording. A serious automobile accident in 1982 left him severely injured and ended his performing career. Archival material that included home recordings and BBC sessions was assembled for the 1998 compilation In Search of Nic Jones. One year later singer-songwriter John Wesley Harding released Trad Arr Jones, a set of traditional folk songs shaped directly by Jones’ arrangements.
