CM: You have been playing Keyboards with King King recently, what is it like play with Alan & Lindsay?

Dale: Intense!!!
I love playing with King King. I recorded their debut EP and did the first tour. It was brilliant. I’ve played with Alan since about 2003 so I definitely think there’s a chemistry on stage when were all playing together. You get a certain magic happening between musicians when they play together long enough. Alan is one of my all time favourite guitarists so it’s an honour to play alongside him. I have never been pushed on stage like I have with Alan. Often when I think I’ve said all I have to say in a solo Alan will push me into taking another turn which brings things out of you onstage that wouldn’t normally happen. Also being on the road with Alan and Lindsay together is a scream. We never stop laughing, nobody is safe….King King are really reaching for new heights and I can’t ever see them peaking. It just gets better and better. I’m looking forward to recording with them soon on their new album. ‘Superb Duck!’
 
CM: You have played in many big bands which one stands out to you?

Dale: From a playing point of view and intensity on stage, nobody comes close to King King. I have many great memories of playing with Eugene Hideaway Bridges across Europe. We had a fantastic band with Silvio Galassi on Bass and Nicolai Marangoni on drums, a great rhythm section. But it was not very musically challenging from a piano players point of view. Eugene has a fantastic voice and is a great showman but the job was a supporting role. I like more involvement on stage. I’ve also had some killer shows with Sheffield’s old blues legend Frank White over the years. He’s another one like Alan Nimmo that really pushes you on stage. That’s what I like and in turn, anybody that’s played with me since I’ve gone solo gets pushed just the same. It all makes for a better show and comes across to the audience when you’re really ‘on it’.

CM: Why do you feel that young people are not as attracted to the Blues as other Genres?

Dale: It’s not their fault. I think it’s the environment they are brought up in. We are all subjected to countless ‘talent’ shows on TV and the media are constantly telling us what we should be listening to which is mainly new chart pop music. I stopped listening to all that when I was at school. I luckily was brought up listening to my parents records but young kids don’t get a chance today to hear ’proper’ music. And they don’t realise that most of the new so called RnB has it’s roots in Blues anyway
 
CM: What other styles of music have you drawn inspiration from?

Dale: Many. More so as times gone on. New Orleans music encompasses a lot of different styles apart from blues such as latin and funk. I’m really getting into latin rhythms and play around with those feels on solo shows merging it with blues riffs. Also Country has always been a big influence to. Floyd Cramer has been a big influence on my playing. When I’m playing ballads or fast rock n’ roll numbers alike I’ll stick in some Floyd Cramer country runs.
 
CM: Do you think the blues scene on the continent is better than in the UK?

Dale: I wouldn‘t say it‘s better, there are just more avenues I think. The audiences seem to be in greater numbers and there seems to be a lot more venues just solely for the purpose of promoting blues and jazz styles. I think music on the continent is promoted on a wider spectrum than just pop music. There just seems to be more avenues for listening to and going to see blues music.

CM: What was the last blues CD that you bought for yourself?

Dale: Well the last CD I bought was Randy Newman ‘Good old boys’. If that’s classed as a blues CD. There’s certainly blues based material on it.

CM: What do you do to relax when you have some spare time away from music?

Dale: I love reading, especially biogs about musicians/bands. I also like to sit and play the piano when I’m completely on my own and won’t be disturbed. That’s very relaxing and I often come up with new ideas that way. I think it’s good to leave music well alone sometimes which makes it all the more fresh when you return to it. I like doing fun stuff with my son when I’m not gigging. That completely takes my mind off music.

CM: What makes a good gig for you as a performer?

Dale: I did one the other day. A solo gig at the Bath Hotel in Sheffield. It’s only a small room but the audience cram themselves in and they are very close to you while you’re playing so it’s very intimate. They get really behind you and you can hear a pin drop when I’m doing a slow instrumental. A combination of a great venue, audience and sound makes you play really well and often makes for the best gigs

CM: What can be done to keep the blues music fresh and modern or do you think it should stay in the past?

Dale: It definitely should not be kept in the past. I think it should be brought into the school music curriculum in some form to enable pupils to see where all the popular styles of music they listen to today originated from. That way the younger generation would probably have more respect for blues and jazz etc. Also societies like yours are helping to keep the blues alive and that needs to continue which is why I’m a member and will promote the Nottingham Blues Society where I can. There are hopeful youngsters coming up though like Alex Mckown who’s a great little blues guitarist and one of my old pupils Sam Wain from Sheffield who plays some mean boogie. They are both still at school so that’s very positive. My old mate Kevin Thorpe from Out Of The Blue fame has done a lot in promoting blues to youngsters as well so there are lots of avenues to keep Blues alive and well for years to come.
 
Thank you Dale for taking the time to do this interview

Caroline Miller
Nottingham Blues Society