Bob Hall Boogie Blues Maestro at Bridport Jazz Cafe
Bob Hall, a poll-winning, internationally famous blues piano master, together with his partner Hilary Blythe, an outstanding folk, blues and gospel performer are performing at Bridport Arts Centre Jazz Cafe on Friday 22 February 2013.
Critically acknowledged as Britain’s finest blues and boogie pianist, Bob Hall’s distinctive and original piano style has influenced generations of piano players and left a lasting legacy. He first came to fame in the rhythm ‘n’ blues explosion of the sixties, as a founder member of The Groundhog. Other blues stars he played and recorded with at that time included Alexis Korner, Peter Green and Spencer Davis.
Bob pursued his passion for the blues and acting as accompanist to a host of touring bluesmen including John Lee Hooker, Howlin’ Wolf, Little Walter, Jimmy Witherspoon, Chuck Berry, Lightnin’ Slim, Lowell Fulsom, Charlie Musselwhite and Sonny Terry.
Bob subsequently led headlining bands Tramp and Rocket 88, whose sidemen included Jack Bruce of Cream, Charlie Watts of The Rolling Stones and Mick Fleetwood and Danny Kirwan of Fleetwood Mac. From 1979 he has been a regular featured guest with The Blues Band, an all star line-up including Paul Jones and Tom McGuinness.
In 1991 and 1993 he won the British Blues Connection Instrumentalist of the Year award.
As an acknowledged authority on blues and boogie woogie piano, Bob has contributed to a number of magazines and books and is the sleeve-note writer for Yazoo Records piano blues series. He also worked on the piano sections of The Routledge Encyclopaedia of the Blues.
Nowadays, the Bob Hall Show is pure enjoyment, full of energy and enthusiasm. Much credit for this must go to Bob’s long-time partner, Hilary Blythe, whose crystal-clear harmony vocals and rock-steady bass playing underpin all his performances. A diminutive dynamo, Hilary’s own moving treatment of blues and gospel classics are highlights of their show.
Bob also writes original songs, performing a wide range of music taken from blues, boogie, gospel, folk and country sources. Each song tells a story – often with a humorous sting in the tail, always delivered in Bob’s disarming, understated vocal style and invariably accompanied by his electrifying keyboard wizardry.
No Bob Hall show would be complete, however, without the anecdotes: a lifetime of music, together with a passion for the minutiae of American folk and blues history, has left Bob with a host of yarns, some true and some apocryphal, which can be guaranteed to raise a smile.
“Surely the finest of the British blues and boogie pianists – with a flair for imaginative lyrics.” Blues and Rhythm
“The finest blues and boogie woogie piano player this side of the Atlantic” fRoots Magazine
“The finest British example of piano blues” Paul Jones BBC Radio 2
Friday February 22 8pm
Bridport Arts Centre, South Street, Bridport, DT6 3NR
Box Office 01308 424204 £9
http://www.bridport-arts.com/events/bob-hall-boogie-woogie/
