Bob Hall & Hilary Blythe

Bob Hall clearly has his head properly screwed on. In spite of being a complete wiz at rock ‘n’ roll, blues & boogie-woogie piano and having played with all the greats, he never gave up his day job as a solicitor. That’s the way to do it, why starve for your art when you can achieve a nice balance?

So, throwing some names of played-with greats up and letting them fall like cognoscenti confetti I see Howlin’ Wolf, John Lee Hooker, Chuck Berry, Mississippi Fred McDowell, Little Walter, Homesick James, Savoy Brown, Snooky Pryor, Lightnin’ Slim, Alexis Korner, Jack Bruce, Muddy Waters, Jo Ann Kelly, Charlie Watts, Ian Stewart (of him more later), the Groundhogs and many more. Blimey.

At kick off Bob produces some white powder. ‘I’m not putting it up my nose’ he quips. It’s talc of course and is to stop any perspiration on his hands causing finger slips as they dance around the keys.

And you always see something interesting at Crail Folk Club, Hilary Blythe, Bob’s other ‘arf plays an instrument I’ve never seen before, a Kala ukelele bass. It’s sounds like a bass guitar but it’s wee. How about that!

Together they rip into ‘Play Me Some Loud Music’ and ‘Running with The Blues’, two original compositions.

Hilary switches to guitar to sing Lucille Bogan’s song, ‘Tricks Ain’t Walkin’ Anymore’, a classic 1930s blues song describing the severe economic impact of the Great Depression on sex workers and how hard times dried up the trade and forced women into desperate measures to survive. See, you go to the folk club and come out with an education, things to look up, happy homework!

‘White Paint’ is an amusing song by Hilary, one of only a few she’s ever admitted to penning. Rooted in a move to a new abode where everything needs doing, she takes to decorating and decides that the simplest way to freshen things up is to just paint everything white. Very pragmatic!

Bob relates a tale about his encounter with the legendary American jazz and stride pianist Johnny Guarnieri, playing lounge jazz in a bar in the States. A punter asked him to liven up the joint with some boogie-woogie. Guarnieri retorts with ‘I don’t play boogie, all you need are big hands and a low mentality’. And this gives us Bob’s composition ‘I don’t Play Boogie’, which of course… is a boogie!

In summary, a fine, fine evening, it’s wonderful to see doyen (and doyenne) musicians with important things to tell us and who fill the room with great playing, fun and entertainment. Very different for the folk club but a real demonstration of the club’s variety.

Oh yes, before I go, I mentioned Ian Stewart. Bob played with him but who is he? Well, he was born in Pittenweem and was the piano player and a founding member of the Rolling Stones. He didn’t quite have the looks of the other Stones so was kept out of the limelight but he was (no pun) a key member. If you’re interested there’s a gig in Pittenweem on 18 July called Stufest. It features The Malcontents with Crail’s own Eric Morris on drums. Proceeds will go to funding a permanent memorial to Ian Stewart in Pittenweem.  

Words and photos by Callum MacLeod