Tom Paley is a legend of American folk music. He was in a duo with Woody Gutherie, a founder member of the New Lost City Ramblers,an influence on Bob Dylan and has collaborated with Jean Ritchie and Peggy Seeger. He's lived in London since the mid sixties and continues to tour and play in his 80's. Joining Tom are Ben Paley, Johnny Bridgewood (The Stingrays, Morrissey), fiddler Robin Gillan, Jason Steel (Rif Mountain Records, The Owl Service). The CD is produced by Dave Morgan (The Rockingbirds). Artwork by Ski Williams. Tom met Woody Guthrie in 1949 and played with him at his home. He also visited Lead Belly regularly at his apartment for music sessions. He accompanied Woody at the Lead Belly Memorial Concert in early 1950, then did gigs with Woody as a duo before enrolling at Yale to study mathematics. He made his first record for Elektra in 1953. It was the very first revivalist recording of old-time southern mountain guitar and banjo music and was influential in the folk revival to come. He met and/or played with many other musicians in the folk revival scene, including Pete Seeger, Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee, Doc Watson, Sam McGee, Clarence Ashley, Reverend Gary Davis, Peggy Seeger and Ewan McColl. Formed the New Lost City Ramblers together with Mike Seeger and John Cohen in the summer of 1958. This group recorded widely and generated a great revival of interest in old-time string music. He left the group in 1962 but made many other recordings including those with The Old Reliable String Band, The New Deal String Band, Jean Ritchie and Peggy Seeger. Review “Been there, done that” is one of those clichd quips that all too easily rolls off the tongue. Yet when you’ve been around for as long as Tom Paley has, it just happens to be true. A founding member of the New Lost City Ramblers in the late 1950s alongside Mike Seeger and John Cohen, Paley fuelled a revival in old-time music when it was regarded as a parochial throwback, all but forgotten and overtaken by the popularity of bluegrass. Though Paley quit the Ramblers for a career in academia as the folk boom took off in the early 60s, his playing, both directly and indirectly, was a source of inspiration to people such as Dave Van Ronk, Bob Dylan, Jerry Garcia and Ry Cooder. From the tinder-dry mix of banjo, fiddle and guitar it would be easy to imagine this album being taped in the yard of a old Appalachian stick shack. Instead, we find Paley ensconced in the unlikely surroundings of St. Albans – now in his 80s, he’s fine voice and rude health. There’s a warm twinkling hint of Burl Ives to be heard as he sings through songs that often possess a comical bent. The self-penned Beelzebubbles outlines the pros and cons of dating the devil’s daughter, whilst others line up one cautionary testimony after another regarding the perils of what can happen when you mix your whisky with women. As the title suggests, this is a gentle, easy-going ramble of an album. But the pace can pick up from time to time, as on the sprightly interplay between fiddle (played by Paley’s son, Ben) and banjo during Little Rabbit. And Paley is still passing on his experience to new generations of players. Brit-folk movers such as The Owl Service’s Jason Steel and Robin Gillan are heard raising their voices in sweet, old-time harmony here. An hour in the company of Tom Paley and his revue is an hour well spent. --Martin Longley This link will take you off in a new window