Reviews:

The Whirligig of Time The Tradition Bearers LTCD1103

Brief résumé; apprenticeship on Manchester folk scene; member of Canny Fettle for roughly a decade then eleven years as a highly regarded pro on the folk scene with four acclaimed albums for Fellside. Drifted away from folk music in early nineties developing his own music retail business, returned to performing about four years ago.

His initial festival audiences were probably those who remembered him. Steve had always been a highly regarded performer, but this was no nostalgic retrospective; the returned Turner was performing in a more powerful, authoritative and commanding way and this very fine album validates this claim.

The opener confirms his intense interest in Napoleonic songs; and comparing the version of Isle of St. Helena here with his take on the same song on his 1979 debut album demonstrates the greater majesty of the mature Turner. Ballads were always his metier and there are some fine authoritative performances here; Sir Colvin, Young Waters, Bonnie George Campbell and possibly the best of a magnificent bunch, The Rambling Beauty sung to moody guitar played by Martin Carthy. It is a brave man that invites the folk scene's finest - Kerr & Fagan, Miranda Sykes, Ollie Knight etc. - on to his album. It is a very talented man who can use them in the way that Steve does here to enhance his very considerable talents.

Steve thinks that this is, by some way, his best album; he is not the only one.

www.thetraditionbearers.com

Vic Smith fRoots November 2008

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Steve Turner @ The Tiger, Long Eaton (October 2nd 2005) "As it happens, I used to think that Steve Turner was among the few acts with that magic 'something' that I prize. I had expected him to take his place alongside Martin Carthy, Peter Bellamy, Nic Jones and the rest. I had not expected him to dissappear for 13 years. Would he still be good?

[...] Well, I thought he was better than ever. His weaving, rolling, rhythmic, fantastic accompaniments on the 'single action dustbin' were magic to the ears. His material went from Ry Cooder to Handel via some great Napoleon ballads and, just to show his versatility, a couple of banjo tunes [...]

The audience were rapt, as well might be. I hope that Steve's CD will appear soon and will be followed by many others. [...]

He is a huge talent [...] "

Dai Male

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A shining example of the music the British folk scene is capable of producing.

Folk Roots

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Steve Turner has been turning into one of this country's finest male singers and performers of folk-song [...] with him you can truly say that he has shown all the qualities of a great singer and interpreter of folk song.

Swing 51, National Folk Magazine

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This is one of my all time favourite records.
This album is so well constructed [...] the changing pace and the brilliance of the arrangements keep me glued.

The Broadsheet, Scotland on BRAIDING

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