Not Before Time

ABLA001

The South Of England based A Band Like Alice was started in 1995 by Richard Collins, Gary Payne and Bob Winquist with Brad Johnson on mandolin and Alice Coleman on bass. Playing a blend of hard-core bluegrass the band's reputation soon became acknowledged far and wide. Alan Ward joined the band the following year after Brad had returned to the States; and by the time this CD was recorded, Beth Holland was on bass and I believe that Gary's wife Sheryl is currently playing bass with the band.

The entire band are veterans of the British bluegrass scene. Gary, Richard and Beth are second-generation practitioners: Beth's dad is the well-known banjoist and event organiser Jerry Holland. Initially Gary learned the trade from his dad, Don Payne, while Richard was barely out of short trousers before joining his parents' band "Fingers and Co", in which Gary sang lead for most of its existence. Bob has been Britain's leading bluegrass fiddle player effectively since arriving here from his native Vancouver Island in the 1970's and Alan was in the pioneering "Bluegrass Ramblers" even earlier than that.

Eagerly fans awaited the debut CD from A Band Like Alice and with liner notes written by renowned British bluegrass musician Pete Wraith, this CD was aptly named Not Before Time. We can find a generous 15 tracks on the album, with five numbers being written by band members including Brad Johnson's "Blood From A Stone", Gary's "Always" and "Get Back Home Again", plus Richard's "Always In My Heart" and the album's instrumental title track "Not Before Time". The band also pays tribute to a great British bluegrass songwriter Mick Audsley of the Echo Mountain Band by including his banjo driven "By The Window". Also on the album can be found cover versions of numbers written by top-bluegrass legends such as Del McCoury ("Good Man Like Me"), Lester Flatt ("Head Over Heals") along with Jimmy C. Newman's "Cry Cry Darling". A fine version of Clyde Moody's touching prison song "I'll Break Out Tonight" can be heard followed closely by the traditional "Footprints In The Snow".

The band's musical and song writing skills have evolved through various collaborative ventures. Gary, Richard and Bob were in 'Grassfire" together, while Bob and Alan were in the reformed "Bluegrass Ramblers". Later Richard and Bob toured for a year with another of Britain's super-pickers Chris Moreton. All in all A Band Like Alice offer an unrelenting treasure-trove of brightly sparkling gems!!!