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PHOTO COURTESY OF ARTIST

BLUES RUNNER. Tim Hall hosts blues jams every Sunday at 8 p. m. at Dawson’s and every Monday at 8 p. m. at the Oaktree.

Like father, like son for local blues act

By John Larson

Tim Hall has maintained an active presence in the local music scene for much of his life, beginning in the 1960s. He cut his teeth playing rock music in the clubs as a teenager. Eventually he got bitten by the blues bug. Like many bluesmen, he even picked up a cool nickname, “Too Tall” Hall.

Hall was born in Portland and moved to Lakewood in his early teens. He began playing drums in eighth grade. He switched to guitar after high school.

He began playing in local rock bands in his late teens. A big Beatles fan, he formed a band called Grizzly that played original material inspired by the British Invasion and the psychedelic rock emanating from the Bay Area.

“The Wailers were our heroes,” he said of the famous Tacoma rock ‘n roll band. “They gave us the fever for the music. Us young musicians idolized those guys. They were the troubadours of the rock ‘n roll scene.”

Among the guitarists who influenced him were the late Rich Dangel of the Wailers and Jerry Miller, who remains active in the local scene. Miller rose to fame after moving to the Bay Area in the 1960s and playing with Moby Grape.

Hall was turned on to the blues after his band opened for the legendary guitarist Albert Collins at an all-ages venue in South Tacoma called The Break Thru. “That really gave me an inspiration for the blues,” he recalled

At 16 a friend introduced him to Robert Cray, who also lived in Lakewood. After Grizzly disbanded they formed a blues group called Foghorn Leghorn with Richard Cousins and Jho Blenis. Cray became a nationally known blues guitarist and vocalist in the 1980s, while Blenis now plays in local band Bump Kitchen.

Playing in that band “made me realize what the blues was all about,” Hall said. “There is a freedom in that 12-bar blues stretch.”

In 1978 Hall formed Nyanza, which primarily did cover tunes. They played many clubs around Seattle, Tacoma and Portland for the next 10 years.

He founded Tim Hall Band 20 years ago. The group released its debut album, “After Hours,” in 1989. This was followed by “Ghosts In The Closet” in 1994 and “Runnin’ With The Blues” in 1999. In 2002 Hall was named “Blues Man of the Year” by Tacoma Blues Foundation.

His son Trevor Hall became the drummer last year. Gregg Marshall and Pete Dahl switch off on bass duties. Dahl also plays some horns. Jeff Mason plays trombone and harmonica and Steve Sarandos and Dennis Ellis play saxophone. The number of musicians playing on stage varies depending on the venue.

The band is working on its fourth album. Hall noted they have enough material for two CDs. The group used to record at Outlaw Studios, a facility in Lincoln District that burned down several years ago. He will record the new album at his home. Recording at home will allow for a little slower pace and more time to fine-tune the material than if they were paying for time in a studio, Hall noted.

His set includes original material and cover tunes. Weekend shows tend to have more of the latter, Hall said. When he was younger, he often played whatever was on the top 40 charts because that is what booking agents demanded. “Now I don’t do a cover tune unless I enjoy it,” Hall remarked.

Hall earns a living from music, playing four to five gigs a week on average. He also teaches guitar lessons.

He gives kudos to venue owners like Chuck at the Oaktree in Lakewood and Kenny Bender at Dawson’s in South Tacoma for their commitment to the blues and providing an atmosphere that appeals to fans and musicians alike.

Hall feels blues had a more dominant role in the Tacoma-area music scene 10 years, while now there is a wider range of venues featuring rock, jazz and other genres. “Now things have evened out,” he observed.

His son Trevor is 23 and began drumming at 4. Hall noted his son listens to the same kinds of music he does. Many of his son’s friends who are musicians come out to watch the band, he added.

Tim Hall Band hosts a blues jam every Sunday at 8 p.m. at Dawson’s in Tacoma and every Monday at 8 p.m. at the Oaktree in Lakewood. They will play J.R.’s Hideaway in Belfair at 9 p.m. March 28 and 29. For more information visit www.timhallband.com.

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