Since the release of his debut album 'Stroll On' it seems as if Steve Ashley has been at the hub of a constantly evolving scene. A founder member of The Albion Band, it is their version of 'Lord Bateman' that features on Steve's debut album along with 'Fire and Wine',probably his most covered song. Greeted with enthusiasm on its release,'Stroll on' was finally recognised as a true classic and groundbreaking work on its re-release in 1999 where it was described as 'right up there with 'Liege and Lief'. When Steve last played The Queens Head,he was gracious enough to autograph my vinyl copy and it's still never far from my turntable.
However,it would be wrong to look back on Steve's early career without acknowledging that he is still very much an active and potent force on the folk scene. A biographty by prolific music writer Dave Thompson is now out and will hopefully be available on October 12th when Steve returns. An artist with history but still very much of the present.