An Evening with STEVE ASHLEY, Saturday 6 June, 7.30pm

Steve Ashley is one of British folk’s finest singer-songwriters. His songs have been covered by a legion of folk artists, including Fairport Convention, Anne Briggs,  Ralph McTell & Wizz Jones, Show of Hands, Martin Simpson, Phil Beer, O’Hooley & Tidow and St Agnes Fountain.

Steve’s album career began in 1974 with the ground-breaking Stroll On, which is still regarded as a folk-rock classic. Since then, he has released twelve critically acclaimed albums of original songs. Support for his work has come from a diverse mix of record companies, including Decca, Motown, Fairport’s ‘Woodworm’ and the premier folk label Topic.

For over half a century, Steve has consistently melded tradition with innovation, delivering intelligent and inspired lyrics set to distinctive original melodies. A veteran of CND and the protest movement, his songs challenge injustice and celebrate everyday life and the natural environment, highlighting the threats to both.

His latest solo album, One More Thing received three five-star reviews and a place in the American magazine Goldmine’s Best Albums of 2018, while his album This Little Game was in two UK lists of The Best Folk Albums of 2015 in The Telegraph and Folk Radio.

With over fifty album credits to his name, Steve has recorded with the best in folk. He’s sung with Anne Briggs, Shirley Collins and Linda Thompson, and played with Richard Thompson, John Williams, Danny Thompson, Robin Williamson and Fairport Convention. In 2013 the prolific rock author, Dave Thompson published Fire and Wine, an illustrated account of Steve’s career with photographs and contributions from many of his peers.

Steve is a consummate entertainer and has what America’s Variety magazine has called ‘one of the funniest dry stage raps’.  He has toured throughout the UK, Europe and the USA and appeared on the main stage at Glastonbury, Cambridge Folk Festival and many times at Fairport’s Cropredy Convention (left). He has performed his songs with chamber orchestras conducted by Nick Drake’s arranger, the late Robert Kirby, and also as a lead singer with The Albion Country Band, and his own bands Ragged Robin and The Steve Ashley Band.

In 1991, with many radio and TV appearances already under his belt, Steve collaborated with his close friend, the late Roger Deakin (author of Waterlog), to create music for two of Roger’s television films,The Ballad of the Ten Rod Plot (1991) and  Stable Lads (1995). Sadly, in 2006 Roger died from a brain tumour, and a year later, Steve commemorated his life in the song, Friend of The Rivers on his album, Time and Tide.

In 2017, Steve recorded a live session for The Folk Show with Mark Radcliffe (BBC Radio 2), and his performance of Best Wishes was repeated at the end of the year in The Best of The Sessions.

In 2021 his ‘Family Album’, originally recorded with members of Fairport Convention in 1979, was reissued with extra tracks. The following year The Scotsman published a chart of the ten best recent reissues, with Steve’s ‘Family Album Revisited’ chosen as number one. The classic songs therein are bringing Steve to a whole new generation of folk-rock fans and his reputation for creating and performing material of timeless contemporary relevance continues to grow.

“One of the finest singer-songwriters in Britain, if not the entire English-speaking world.”  Melody Maker

“He has an extraordinary gift for creating material of true folk quality.”  The Daily Telegraph

“Steve Ashley is a thoughtful and elegant singer-songwriter.” The Guardian

“Folk-rock maestro” Morning Star

“Throughout his long career his sense of social injustice has barely wavered.”  Mojo