GEORGE WONFOR, CRAIG CONWAY & GRAEME DANBY - Passin’ The Folks Alang The Road - George Ridley And The Blaydon Races
Mawson Wareham Music MWMDVD92
I approached this DVD with trepidation, as I feared it might be too classical in its approach for my taste, but my fears were unfounded. Craig Conway's down to earth portrayal of an ordinary man does him great credit, while his unpretentious performances of Ridley's two big 'hits' as well as some long-forgotten songs is a breath of fresh air, especially if you've absorbed the information in Dave Harker's book.
The songs come to life here, as does the life of George Ridley, short though it was, and the book/CD/DVD taken together are of great value to anyone with an interest in the musical history of an important English region. However, and maybe more importantly, Geordie Ridley is an almost forgotten figure who is now properly recognised in his own country - I have no doubt that he would be delighted by this above anything else.
Jim Bainbridge
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this CD online from The Listening Post The Listening Post is the CD mailorder service of The Living Tradition magazine. This album was reviewed in Issue 93 of The Living Tradition magazine. |