PLAIN FOLK

by Les Pearson

NOTHING PLAIN ABOUT "THE BILLS"!

Sure. They're from Victoria and that's mountain country. But I'm not talking here about Palliser Plain The Bill Hilly Band finished a sweep of Saskatchewan concerts with a gig at the Stampede Grandstand last Friday. And the fact that the band sold 35 CD's after the concert is solid proof of their growing popularity. If you've heard them--and especially if you've seen them 'live'--you just have to love them. This group is anything but plain!

Chris Frye ("Bill Guitar") is the lead man for this group. It's not just the fact that he can sing and harmonize. Nor is it even his delightful Twainish wit. It's stage presence plus. This plucker is relaxed and at home up there in front of the crowd. And he puts everyone else at their ease as a result. This band makes concerts seem like a good excuse for a party. And they don't seem to mind that the audience has heard the rumors and crashed the affair. When a band has fun, and is willing to share, we all have fun! Not all performers have this rare talent.

Chris and Glen Manders ("Reverend Bill Bass") often play with the Marc Atkinson Jazz Trio. This group made an appearance at Jazzfest several years ago. Atkinson ("Bill Mandolin") and all the other "Bills" are, first and foremost, varied and accomplished musicians. This is not hyperbole. This is fact. And they're so young!

Adrian Dolan ("Bill Fiddle III") is an accomplished violist and accordion player at age 19. The group has been together for the past two years. They've performed in the States sporadically and across Canada in that time. How many musicians get a start on such a performing career at age 17?

There's nothing plain in the range of their music. Friday's show began with an English madrigal. From this triumphal anthem, the play list exploded with a Broadway show tune, How Ya Gonna Keep 'Em Down on the Farm, and ethnic roots songs like Andre de Sapato Novo (Andre's New Shoes). There was even that magic moment when an aunt from Saskatchewan had her table surrounded for a sidewalk serenade. There were blues songs, bluegrass licks, and even a few original ballads reminiscent of "Tanglefoot."

Their song, Francis, relates the story of a Victoria architect who designed that city's major landmarks, married perhaps unwisely, then spent a life of dissipation and was subsequently murdered by his wife and the chauffeur. Only in British Columbia, you say? A little spicy history enlivens our Canadian folk traditions and the Bills have certainly caught the wave.

Most of the Bills still call Victoria home. But the world is rapidly becoming their ocean. I'm glad they surfed into our city before the really big wave takes them to the Letterman Show!
You can make direct contact with The Bills at www.thebillhillyband.com or with Chris Frye at bill@thebillhillyband.com   Their two CD's are "The Bill Hilly Band" and "All Day Every Day."