Bill Ewan
Guest of Honour 2016
by Pia Walker
“I came fresh and inexperienced from PE college where all the pianists were LRAM-trained, when someone asked me to take a SCD class in Leslie. I arrived and there was this lad playing the piano. I assumed that all pianists were as good as the ones in College, so little did I know what an absolute gem I had on my hands. He is a tremendous pianist and was such a gift to start out with.”
These are the words of Alice Oliphant, a well-known dance teacher in Fife, and they were ringing in my ears as I went to Markinch, Fife to interview pianist Bill and his wife Jean in their lovely home.
Bill Ewan was born in Milton of Balgonie on the 29th of June 1941 to mum Cathy and dad Willie Ewan a miner.
On Saturday evenings everybody listened to music on the radio. You could walk down the street and hear the same programme from all the houses. On hearing pianist Charlie Kunz at the age of 3 or 4 Bill knew immediately that he wanted to play the piano. Bill used to march round the table with the fireside brush as a prop ‘playing the pipes’ – this nearly killed him once when he slipped and the brush almost skewered his neck.
Every Saturday he would go to his gran who lived 2-doors down and as she baked for the Sunday family gathering, she would lay out clothes pegs like piano keys for Bill to play on while he sang Cruising Down the River.
When he was about 5 ½ his mother begged the travelling piano teacher, Mr Cook, to teach Bill. (Mr Cook incidentally also taught a certain David Cunningham Senior and thus has been a cause of many a great musician in Fife). Although Mr Cook advised that Bill should wait until he was 7 years of age, he went to meet this desperate-for-lessons child and he kept returning as Bill was so keen – and as Bill says: “I’m still as keen”.
Mr Cook taught Bill to read music and to play a variety of styles. He died when Bill was 14 and at Grade 5 level and Bill decided to stop going to lessons. “The local teachers taught classical only, I wasn’t interested in that, so didn’t want any other teacher”.
Bill began playing in various concerts from the tender age of 8. As soon as he finished primary school in Milton of Balgonie and moved to Markinch Secondary, he started playing for SCD-classes and school concerts and has done so ever since. Bill recalls that he spent most of the last day of the summer terms in the school music room. He could play all kinds of modern music, so the other classes always wanted him to play for them. It was apparently no hardship.
When he left school at 15 he played for classes in his home village. At this time he was also approached by a local band leader, Alfie Little of the Bluebell Dance Band. They played a mixture of styles as was the norm at that time.
When asked about the difference in music then and now, Bill takes a long time to think and replies: “Tempos were faster then than now, although I have always instinctively played to suit the band and the occasion.”
In 1960 John Crawford, who also played with the Bluebell Dance Band, invited Bill to join him in auditioning for the BBC’s Scottish Dance Music Programme as the East Neuk Band. He accepted, they passed, and so his extensive broadcast carrier began. For 7 years they broadcast live from either the Coldside Library in Dundee or in the Queen Street Studio in Edinburgh. John and Bill also had spots on “For your Entertainment” under the producer Ben Lyons in Glasgow.
Although a lot of gigs were local, then, as now, musicians had to travel and as everyone know, incidents happen, and Bill had a few with the East Neuk Band. Once in Dundee at the Coldside Library, a cleaning lady opened the door during a recording and his music blew onto the floor. Bill told me he just kept busking while Bob Taylor stopped playing his bass to pick up the sheets. The sound engineer brought the piano sound up to atone for the missing bass. Bill continued with a glint in his eye: “See if that lady came in the door now …!”
Another incident happened on their way to the Assembly Rooms in Dumfries. Bill was picked up by band leader Dave Smith and it was, as Bill says, “bucketing down”. No sooner had he uttered the words “… no night to get a puncture”, when they had one. They got to Dumfries, played and on the return journey also had a close encounter with a river that had burst its banks. Their car flooded and the boys had to get out of the van to push it onto dry land.
Bill has played with many bands and still does. He has played for many Largoward dances since 1960, when they were organised by Lindsay Ross, who booked many a broadcasting band to play there. He also joined John Crawford’s trio of Fifers: John, Bill plus Jim Kinnear, as well as the Highlandaires. In the 70s after John gave up gigging in order to repair accordions, Bill joined Bert Pozzi’s band, again playing all types of music.
Not only did Bill work full-time with a local fencing company and spent most of his weekends playing, he also played for many dance classes in Leslie, Markinch, Milton, Glenrothes and Coalton of Balgonie. So much so that in the early 60’s his then girlfriend, Jean, joined dance classes to see him at all. They married in 1964. Jean adds with a smile: “You should have said: And I still love her dearly!” Bill readily agrees that his family have been a great support in their 51 years of marriage. Bill is described by his wife Jean as placid, easy-going and a likeable lad, although Bill himself tells me that he sometimes does get the bit between his teeth.
They have 2 boys, Roy and Don. Both boys were quite good dancers as Jean worked shifts and Bill used to take them to the classes he played for. The classes were funded by the Further Education, but funding and therefore classes stopped one after the other. Bill continued, however, to play for classes in Coaltown of Balgonie.
In 2002 Bill had a heart attack, and didn’t play for a year. “I lost interest, while I recovered”. He then shared the Balgonie class with David Anderson and shortly thereafter RSCDS asked if he could play for summer school classes in St Andrews. He has now played for 12 summer schools and 3 winter schools. “It is good discipline, keeps the fingers supple for vamping and my reading up to scratch”.
I asked Bill what hobbies he had outside the music and he just looked at me and said: “None, music IS my hobby.” He does try to keep the garden tidy though! When on holiday visiting his son Roy in Denmark [His son very sensibly married a Dane!] he doesn’t play at all and admitted that after a week he gets withdrawal symptoms.
Bill has travelled with his music: To the Australian winter school, to North Carolina and to Madeira and Tenerife, all with Marian Anderson. I asked Jean if she ever went with him to gigs, and she told me, she went to Madeira and Tenerife with him.
Bill is still going strong and currently plays with Ewan Galloway, Scott Band and Steven Carcary for dances, clubs and broadcasts/recordings, and if possible will help any band who asks.
I asked him what was different then from now and after carefully thinking he came to the conclusion that the arrangements then were more basic and strict ‘bass chord, bass chord’ and with less embellishments. Now the arrangements are more intricate, with slower playing and therefore more embellished.
Bill is frequently seen with younger band leaders, and although he acknowledges that he is a bit of a traditionalist, he still appreciates the kind of music played by many of the young, talented musicians of today.
Although Jean sometimes asks him if he is not getting too old for this malarkey, he continues as he doesn’t feel too old [doesn’t sound it either!] He enjoys all kinds of music, but does get a buzz from Old time and SCD, especially Strathspeys due to their uniqueness. He is also a fan of Rag-time, will play it at clubs if possible and he is greatly influenced by Ross Conway, Jo Henderson (Petula Clark’s pianist) and Winnifred Atwell). His inspiration in Scottish music is Pam Wilkie. He used to listen to recordings, just to pick up her style and learn from her.
Bill is frequently seen at clubs and is house player in Blairgowrie, Perth, Glenrothes and Glenfarg. “I’ll go with anyone who asks me. I’m always willing to help”. He continues: “Clubs are good. Lot’s of opportunity for people, no matter their expertise, to learn to play in front of and with others too. I’m all for keeping our music alive. Young people are coming up through the ranks - not enough piano players though”.
I think we can all agree that Bill is a worthy recipient of the Guest of Honour Award.
Box and Fiddle
March 2016
These are the words of Alice Oliphant, a well-known dance teacher in Fife, and they were ringing in my ears as I went to Markinch, Fife to interview pianist Bill and his wife Jean in their lovely home.
Bill Ewan was born in Milton of Balgonie on the 29th of June 1941 to mum Cathy and dad Willie Ewan a miner.
On Saturday evenings everybody listened to music on the radio. You could walk down the street and hear the same programme from all the houses. On hearing pianist Charlie Kunz at the age of 3 or 4 Bill knew immediately that he wanted to play the piano. Bill used to march round the table with the fireside brush as a prop ‘playing the pipes’ – this nearly killed him once when he slipped and the brush almost skewered his neck.
Every Saturday he would go to his gran who lived 2-doors down and as she baked for the Sunday family gathering, she would lay out clothes pegs like piano keys for Bill to play on while he sang Cruising Down the River.
When he was about 5 ½ his mother begged the travelling piano teacher, Mr Cook, to teach Bill. (Mr Cook incidentally also taught a certain David Cunningham Senior and thus has been a cause of many a great musician in Fife). Although Mr Cook advised that Bill should wait until he was 7 years of age, he went to meet this desperate-for-lessons child and he kept returning as Bill was so keen – and as Bill says: “I’m still as keen”.
Mr Cook taught Bill to read music and to play a variety of styles. He died when Bill was 14 and at Grade 5 level and Bill decided to stop going to lessons. “The local teachers taught classical only, I wasn’t interested in that, so didn’t want any other teacher”.
Bill began playing in various concerts from the tender age of 8. As soon as he finished primary school in Milton of Balgonie and moved to Markinch Secondary, he started playing for SCD-classes and school concerts and has done so ever since. Bill recalls that he spent most of the last day of the summer terms in the school music room. He could play all kinds of modern music, so the other classes always wanted him to play for them. It was apparently no hardship.
When he left school at 15 he played for classes in his home village. At this time he was also approached by a local band leader, Alfie Little of the Bluebell Dance Band. They played a mixture of styles as was the norm at that time.
When asked about the difference in music then and now, Bill takes a long time to think and replies: “Tempos were faster then than now, although I have always instinctively played to suit the band and the occasion.”
In 1960 John Crawford, who also played with the Bluebell Dance Band, invited Bill to join him in auditioning for the BBC’s Scottish Dance Music Programme as the East Neuk Band. He accepted, they passed, and so his extensive broadcast carrier began. For 7 years they broadcast live from either the Coldside Library in Dundee or in the Queen Street Studio in Edinburgh. John and Bill also had spots on “For your Entertainment” under the producer Ben Lyons in Glasgow.
Although a lot of gigs were local, then, as now, musicians had to travel and as everyone know, incidents happen, and Bill had a few with the East Neuk Band. Once in Dundee at the Coldside Library, a cleaning lady opened the door during a recording and his music blew onto the floor. Bill told me he just kept busking while Bob Taylor stopped playing his bass to pick up the sheets. The sound engineer brought the piano sound up to atone for the missing bass. Bill continued with a glint in his eye: “See if that lady came in the door now …!”
Another incident happened on their way to the Assembly Rooms in Dumfries. Bill was picked up by band leader Dave Smith and it was, as Bill says, “bucketing down”. No sooner had he uttered the words “… no night to get a puncture”, when they had one. They got to Dumfries, played and on the return journey also had a close encounter with a river that had burst its banks. Their car flooded and the boys had to get out of the van to push it onto dry land.
Bill has played with many bands and still does. He has played for many Largoward dances since 1960, when they were organised by Lindsay Ross, who booked many a broadcasting band to play there. He also joined John Crawford’s trio of Fifers: John, Bill plus Jim Kinnear, as well as the Highlandaires. In the 70s after John gave up gigging in order to repair accordions, Bill joined Bert Pozzi’s band, again playing all types of music.
Not only did Bill work full-time with a local fencing company and spent most of his weekends playing, he also played for many dance classes in Leslie, Markinch, Milton, Glenrothes and Coalton of Balgonie. So much so that in the early 60’s his then girlfriend, Jean, joined dance classes to see him at all. They married in 1964. Jean adds with a smile: “You should have said: And I still love her dearly!” Bill readily agrees that his family have been a great support in their 51 years of marriage. Bill is described by his wife Jean as placid, easy-going and a likeable lad, although Bill himself tells me that he sometimes does get the bit between his teeth.
They have 2 boys, Roy and Don. Both boys were quite good dancers as Jean worked shifts and Bill used to take them to the classes he played for. The classes were funded by the Further Education, but funding and therefore classes stopped one after the other. Bill continued, however, to play for classes in Coaltown of Balgonie.
In 2002 Bill had a heart attack, and didn’t play for a year. “I lost interest, while I recovered”. He then shared the Balgonie class with David Anderson and shortly thereafter RSCDS asked if he could play for summer school classes in St Andrews. He has now played for 12 summer schools and 3 winter schools. “It is good discipline, keeps the fingers supple for vamping and my reading up to scratch”.
I asked Bill what hobbies he had outside the music and he just looked at me and said: “None, music IS my hobby.” He does try to keep the garden tidy though! When on holiday visiting his son Roy in Denmark [His son very sensibly married a Dane!] he doesn’t play at all and admitted that after a week he gets withdrawal symptoms.
Bill has travelled with his music: To the Australian winter school, to North Carolina and to Madeira and Tenerife, all with Marian Anderson. I asked Jean if she ever went with him to gigs, and she told me, she went to Madeira and Tenerife with him.
Bill is still going strong and currently plays with Ewan Galloway, Scott Band and Steven Carcary for dances, clubs and broadcasts/recordings, and if possible will help any band who asks.
I asked him what was different then from now and after carefully thinking he came to the conclusion that the arrangements then were more basic and strict ‘bass chord, bass chord’ and with less embellishments. Now the arrangements are more intricate, with slower playing and therefore more embellished.
Bill is frequently seen with younger band leaders, and although he acknowledges that he is a bit of a traditionalist, he still appreciates the kind of music played by many of the young, talented musicians of today.
Although Jean sometimes asks him if he is not getting too old for this malarkey, he continues as he doesn’t feel too old [doesn’t sound it either!] He enjoys all kinds of music, but does get a buzz from Old time and SCD, especially Strathspeys due to their uniqueness. He is also a fan of Rag-time, will play it at clubs if possible and he is greatly influenced by Ross Conway, Jo Henderson (Petula Clark’s pianist) and Winnifred Atwell). His inspiration in Scottish music is Pam Wilkie. He used to listen to recordings, just to pick up her style and learn from her.
Bill is frequently seen at clubs and is house player in Blairgowrie, Perth, Glenrothes and Glenfarg. “I’ll go with anyone who asks me. I’m always willing to help”. He continues: “Clubs are good. Lot’s of opportunity for people, no matter their expertise, to learn to play in front of and with others too. I’m all for keeping our music alive. Young people are coming up through the ranks - not enough piano players though”.
I think we can all agree that Bill is a worthy recipient of the Guest of Honour Award.
Box and Fiddle
March 2016