Pete Stanley
Pete Stanley played banjo on Bryan Ferry's version of 'I Forgot More Than You'll Ever Know'. Pete first worked with Bryan as supposrt act for some dates of the 'As Time Goes By Tour'
Pete Stanley and Brian Golbey, with Laurie Harper toured in 2000 as the main support on the outdoor venues on Bryan Ferry's 'As Time Goes By' tour. Pete said "We were the smartest hill-billy band you've ever seen and we were spreading the Gospel."
Pete and Wizz Jones recorded the album 'More Than Sixteen Tons Of Bluegrass And Other Fine Stuff'
Pete Stanley, banjo, and Wizz Jones, guitar, made their names in this era. Starting in skiffle, bemused by American folk, blues, bluegrass and "old time music," their careers took off around 1960 in the folk clubs, blues cellars and student bars where this music flourished. Virtuosos on their instruments, Stanley and Jones were big names in a small world. In 1964, after tentative brushes with recording, they entered the studios to record this album, now reissued with bonus tracks. There is no doubting their influence: the notes to this CD are written by the well known English musician Ralph McTell, who enthuses nostalgically about his collaboration with them, and guitarists such as Davey Graham and Bert Jansch, whose contributions to British music are better known and documented, played with and were undoubtedly inspired and influenced by them. The recent book by Colin Harper entitled Dazzling Stranger - Bert Jansch And The British folk And Blues Revival confirms this influential role.
Reviewed by Richard Condon