Folk Roots Revisited – John Cee Stannard

The late great bluesman and folk musician John Cee Stannard's 'Folk Roots Revisited' saw the songwriter return to form with new material and archive tracks.

Folk Roots Revisited

John Cee Stannard

  • Folk
  • Acoustic
  • Singer-Songwriter

  1. High Hill
  2. Lovely Day
  3. No One There
  4. I See A Boy
  5. Ultimate Innings
  6. If Only She Were Here
  7. The Ferryman
  8. Shades Of Grey
  9. No More Tears
  10. The Last Time
  11. The Picture
  12. Silver Chalice

Best known today as a blues performer with the Blues Horizon Band, John Cee Stannard was also a founding member of the 1960s folk-pop group Tudor Lodge. 'Folk Roots Revisited' finds Stannard setting aside the blues to re-record some unpublished Tudor Lodge songs alongside some brand new music encompassing a career spanning more than forty years.

Going back to his archives from 1971, Stannard found two unpublished Tudor Lodge songs, ‘Lovely Day’ and ‘If Only She Were Here’. Both are classic 1970s folk-pop songs that are very similar to the early works of Roy Harper and Jethro Tull, with both awash with dreamy flute courtesy of Jackie Doe.

Decidedly melancholy ‘I See A Boy’ with its stark violin accompaniment and vocal track is an interesting take on how the elder generation is perceived by their physical appearance and not the often sharp wit and joy still contained within them.

Featuring the gentle Celtic harp of Beckie McIlroy, ‘The Last Time’ is a love song dedicated to Stannard’s wife Angie.

Clearly Stannard’s writings are based on personal experience. Relationships and time spent with family are important as is the sense of peace these times bring.  Providing a perfect example is ‘Silver Chalice’, a colourful, creative tale about a day-trip to Devon with Stannard’s sister Jenny. Written four months after being diagnosed with liver cancer, the song is remarkably upbeat and hints at a man who is both at peace in his surroundings and with his situation.

Going back to his early influences with ‘Shades Of Grey’ and ‘No More Tears’, Stannard brings his songwriting skills up to date with both having been composed as a tribute to the works of Bob Dylan on a songwriting course in 2019.

Stannard’s vivid lyrics and melodies combine to make ‘Folk Roots Revisited’ a very enjoyable album that captures the soul of a past era by being both reflective and forward-looking in equal measure.

John Cee Stannard lost his battle with cancer in March 2020.

‘Folk Roots Revisited’ and other treasures from Stannard’s back catalogue can be bought direct from the John Cee Stannard website.