London bluegrass allstars
Foghorn Leghorn return to celebrate their 21st Anniversary with
their appropriately titled third album Not Before Time on their own
Slammer Records label. Recorded during November and December last year at
double-bassist Chris Clarke’s Reservoir Studios in North London, Not Before Time comprises eleven
Foghorn originals alongside the Bill Evans instrumental ‘Petersberg Gal’, a
perfect showpiece for fleet-finger banjo-picker Tim Kent. But this is no pseudo
mountain music: many of the original songs concern themselves with life and
death in their home city of London. Accordingly, the album comes wrapped in a
vibrant ‘Day Of The Dead’ sleeve design by artist Frank Burgess.
While this
momentous occasion is nothing to be sniffed at, the release also marks the
fourth year of Foghorn’s own club night, My Grass Is Blue, which takes place
every second Thursday of the month at noted London live music pub, The Betsey
Trotwood in Clerkenwell. It’s here that the band have roadtested the songs for
the album, alongside handpicked special guests including The Coal Porters, The
Arlenes, Danny George Wilson and The Cedars. They also put in a cameo
appearance on the forthcoming album from Danny & The Champions Of The
World, with whom Clarke has been holding down the bass job for the past three
years.
With several
decades of service on the UK roots music scene between them, Clarke and Kent –
both of whom have served time in the legendary Rockingbirds – are joined by
Eamonn Flynn (Southern Tenant Folk Union, Hackney 5-O) on mandolin, Kevin
O’Neill (Snake Oil Rattlers) on Dobro, Del Brookes on guitar and new boy Paul
Fay (Sons Of the Desert, The Other Brothers) on fiddle. Releasing albums Keep
It In The Family (2001) and Grasslands
(2004), together they have racked up hundreds of gigs and festivals – including
several Glastonbury appearances – and been championed by the great Andy
Kershaw. After twenty-one years it’s time to take it to the next level – Not
Before Time!
“Hot pickin’
from Hackney!” Andy Kerhsaw
“A sharp
injection of jollity!” Loose Ends, BBC
Radio 4
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