Trad Arr Jones is, of course, the writing credit that was found on most of the songs on Nic Jones' records. Trad Arr Jones was recorded by John Wesley Harding and his longtime live collaborator Robert Lloyd in Seattle at Egg Studios. The record was produced by Kurt Bloch who also plays electric guitar. Wes says, "This record was a particular pleasure for me to make and I'm really glad to have the chance to celebrate the work of Nic Jones whose records have been a massive influence on me. I wanted to explore the more traditional roots of the Gangsta Folk that began on John Wesley Harding's New Deal and continued on Awake."

John Wesley Harding was born Wesley Harding Stace in Hastings, England, in 1965. His mother is a singing teacher and music examiner, his father a classics scholar, and his younger sister, Melanie Stace, strangely enough, a popular game show host in England. Wes taught himself guitar as a teenager, and having grown up as a huge fan of such artists as David Bowie, The Beach Boys, and Abba, it was his discovery of Bob Dylan at fourteen that changed everything. Wes discontinued working on his Ph.D. in Social And Political Science at Cambridge University in favor of being a full time musician in London and beyond. In 1988, Wes opened European tours for such notable live acts of the time as Hothouse Flowers, Ted Hawkins and John Hiatt. He caught the attention of London's notorious Demon Records. Demon released his first record later that same year, a live recording, It Happened One Night, that testified to his already strong performance skills.

This brought him to the attention of Sire Records owner Seymour Stein, long regarded as having one of best sets of ears in the music business, and the man who discovered Madonna, The Pretenders, The Ramones, and countless others. JWH's 1990 American debut on Sire, Here Comes the Groom, was extremely well received by fans and music critics alike, and earned him a reputation as an artist to watch. Produced by Andy Paley, Wes was backed up by members of Elvis Costello's Attractions, which added to the eerie sense that he reminded people of a younger, less bitter version of his Demon Records labelmate. With the warm reception of the record, Wes realized he had found a home in America, and after a long stint on the road, eventually transplanted himself to San Francisco.

The timing was just right for Wes' unique brand of folk music, as many rock musicians decided to "unplug". Wes toured relentlessly, including opening up for Michelle Shocked, The Band, Ray Davies, Los Lobos and Joan Baez among others. He developed a loyal following by touring both as a solo artist and with a band, and the mix of his wry sense of humor, spontaneous live performances and outrageous acoustic guitar playing delighted audiences everywhere.

JWH's 1991 follow up, The Name Above the Title was again produced by Andy Paley. Touring as a solo artist gave Wes the flexibility to make each show a unique event, often playing new songs or unexpected covers. Wes' 1992 album, Why We Fight, was produced by Steve Berlin of Los Lobos in LA and recorded during the L.A. Riots. The darkness that descended on the city is evident in the record, and Wes dubbed the style "folk noir." The album was the perfect blend of witty lyrics over elegant melodies.

Why We Fight caught the attention of one of Wes=B9s favorite songwriters, Bruce Springsteen. Despite the fact that Bruce Springsteen hadn't employed an opening act since 1974, in the fall of 1995, Springsteen invited Wes to open two shows in California on Springsteen's first ever solo tour. Wes has been joined on stage at various times by many of his heroes: John Prine in Nashville, Joan Baez in San Francisco, Iggy Pop in Boston, Lou Reed in New York, Al Stewart in San Francisco, Bruce at McCabe=B9s in Santa Monica and Ramblin' Jack Elliott in Denver. Those in the know, know.

In early 1996, Wes released John Wesley Harding's New Deal, on Rhino Records, who had re-released It Happened One Night in 1992. Dubbed "Gangsta Folk", John Wesley Harding=B9s New Deal was co-produced by Wes's close friend, Chris von Sneidern, at CvS's studio, which proved to be a strong working relationship. Rhino, a reissue label, hadn't put out many records by current artists. While Wes had many fans at the label, the association was ultimately short lived, though Wes says he's never worked with nicer, better people.

1998 found Wes with yet another label home, the very enthusiastic Zero Hour Records, based in New York. Wes entered the studio again with co-producer Chris von Sneidern, and delivered the beautiful and humorous Awake. The haunting and melodic record was released in March 1998 and continues the adventure in Gangsta Folk. For the first time in several years, Wes hit the road with a full band, rocking out in Europe and the States for many months with labelmate Steve Wynn. When he returned from the road, he decided it was time for a change of scenery, and moved up to Seattle.

Wes analyzes his career thus far, "If I was a band, I'd have broken up ages ago, but as a solo performer, it's very possible to be successful by playing the music you want if you have a supportive audience. America is a large place and there are plenty of gigs that'll have me- for which I am grateful. As for this record, Nic Jones' work really inspired me and my recent writing- Trad Arr Jones is the first album I HAD to make. Ghosts, Sex, Murder: they're just like my songs only 400 years older."