Folk For Christabel
Keith Brincorn remembers..
Saturday 11th July 1970 Leyton Senior High School for Boys
Your correspondent is unable to give his usual scintillating blow by blow account on this occasion, as he was for most of the evening otherwise occupied with a double engagement party. However, he made his excuses and managed to leave early enough to catch the last hour of this evening's raucous affair.
Fortunately, there exists a local newspaper report, so let's start with that:
"Folk Blues Jam at Christabel : Five of Britain's finest blues artists played at Leyton Folk Club on Saturday - and brought the roof down.
The concert, organised by Folk for Christabel, starred Jo-ann Kelly, her brother Dave (both exponents of blues guitar playing), ragtime pianist Bob Hall, guitarist Simon prager and Steve Rye, one of the best harmonica players on the blue (sic) scene.Bob Hall stole the show playing superb piano, backing each artist in turn. But it was the completely unrehearsed and improvised '"jam session" by everyone that was the highlight of the evening.The several hundred fans who attended all sat in amazement as the group ripped through superb blues led by Jo-ann. They were also joined by Bill Brunning, bass player.
It was a great evening, one of the best club metings (sic encore) Christabel have held, and one which must surely call for another visit by the five. Several encores and plenty of shouting for more could well lead to a return performance"
Only a couple of minor misprints then, and none of the magnitude that gave us the legendary 'Tiny' Kingsbury (6ft 2 in his socks), and just one glaring error. Bill Brunning was of course Bob, the Pete Best of the Blues, being the original bassist with Fleetwood Mac, until John McVie plucked up courage to walk out on John Mayall at the end of 1967. Brunning retired gracefully to work with many other bands, pursue a career in teaching and write the definitive history of 'The Blues in Britain' (Blandford,1995).
I arrived in time for the jam session as the stomping sixsome demonstrated a togetherness not apparent earlier at the pub - in fact there was a less endearing element of rock 'n' roll excitement engendered in the efforts to prise them out of the hostelry to get the show started! But clearly the audience were totally won over by the powerful vocal skills of the Kelly siblings and Hall's accomplished ivory tinkling on such reverberating classics as 'Rock me Baby'.
At 6 shillings (30p) admission, in spite of the full house, a small financial loss was sustained, given the number of performers to be paid. However, in every other way it was an ambitious project that really paid off, whetting Christabel's appetite for taking her concert promotions beyond the school walls..