Harmonica World - Autumn 2022

President: Paul Jones

Vice-President: Ben Hewlett vice-pres@harmonica.uk

Patrons: Lee Sankey, Adam Glasser, Roger Trobridge

Executive Committee

Chair: Pete Hewitt chair@harmonica.uk

Secretary: Davina Brazier sec@harmonica.uk

Treasurer: Phil Leiwy treasurer@harmonica.uk

Vice-Chair: Barry Elms communications@harmonica.uk

Committee Members

IT: Barbara Tate

Safeguarding: Simon Joy Outreach: Richard Taylor outreach@harmonica.uk

Health: Sam Wilkinson: publicity@harmonica.uk

Communications manager: Suzy Colclough newsdesk@harmonica.uk

Membership Secretary: David Hambley memsec@harmonica.uk

Assistants to the committee

Editor: Dave ‘Dogfish’ Colclough editor@harmonica.uk

Assistant to the editor: Zoie McIntyre

Archivist: Roger Trobridge archivist@harmonica.uk

Advertising: Keith Parker Education: Dick Powell edu@harmonica.uk

Health: Rollen Flood

Outreach: Laina Freeman

Newsdesk: Gary Newman, Louise Goodridge

Ambassadors: Sam Spranger Rachelle Plas

Cover: Isabella Krapf

Contents

4 Chairman’s message

5 Newsdesk items

8 HarmonicaUK 2022 October

12 Jim Hughes - boyhood scrapes and narrow escapes

15 Isabella Krapf Interview

18 Fatal Attraction Part 3 by Phillip Hopkins

20 “Got the double reed blues...”

22 Toots Centenary

25 Will Wilde Interview

29 Going Wireless

31 Harmonica for Lung Health

35 Reviews 40 Chromatic Weekend 41 “Blast from the Past”

HarmonicaUK membership

Annual UK membership £20, Under 18 £10, Europe £25, Outside Europe £30

Registered Charity (England and Wales) No. 1131484 www.harmonica.uk

Harmonica.uk

A MESSAGE FROM OUR CHAIR

Hello everyone,

I do hope that you are all enjoying the summer. Since our last magazine we completed a very successful Chromatic Weekend in Birmingham. One of the highlights for me was co-hosting Jim Hughes’ workshop; his stories and of course his playing was simply incredible, thanks Jim; and thanks to the funny and talented Paddy Byrne for being a great compere. There is a detailed write up about the Chromatic Weekend later on in this magazine.

Our lineup for this year’s October Festival is really exciting, plus we are expecting a few special announcements over the weekend.

Our AGM will be live on Friday 21st October. Can I encourage you all to attend this important meeting. The committee and helpers are only custodians for this great organisation as we strive to continue the work of our forebears who began our journey in 1935.

On a sad note, Davina Brazier is stepping down as our secretary at the AGM. It is hard to find words to describe her contribution over the many years she has served on the committee and more recently within the Executive team, ensuring that we are compliant, inclusive, diverse, and well placed to grow and prosper. Thank you, Davina.

Sam Wilkinson is also stepping down at the AGM for personal reasons. In this current administration Sam has worked looking after publicity, he has also been vice-chair, sat on a number of sub-committees bringing in change, and of course the amazing lockdown sessions where he arranged top artists to come and do workshops during the dark days of the pandemic, and finally of course the open mics. Sammy Boy has worked incredibly hard, with dedication and great humour, and we will sorely miss him.

Dave Hambley, our Membership Secretary, has announced that he will be retiring at the AGM. Dave has worked tirelessly for 15 years not only in his main role, but as secretary also, and has been at the forefront of the organizing teams for the Chromatic Weekends and of course the main festival. Undoubtedly, he has been our stalwart. Thank you, Dave.

Finally, I am stepping down on Sunday 23rd October and I will be leaving the committee. It has been an honour and privilege to be able to go from teenage member in the early eighties to chair of this great organisation. My team have moved mountains, giving us a new identity and look, new IT, new look magazine, an outreach team, newsdesk team, and a robust structure. I would like to thank all who have worked with me over the past 2 ½ years. Barry Elms will step up as chair in October, as you know he has been my vicechair and is well placed to ensure a seamless transition. Barry has all the necessary skills to be a great chair. It is with sadness and a great deal of pride that I sign off for the last time as Chair as I say Happy Harping to you all, Pete

Dave “Dogfish” Colclough Editor

Editor’s welcome

Dave “Dogfish” Colclough

Welcome to your autumn edition of Harmonica World!

This issue has articles about diatonic, chromatic and tremolo harmonicas, also album reviews, and of the fantastic chromatic weekend. There is also a piece about the upcoming October festival, one not to be missed!

Following the very sad news of the great Tommy Morgan‘s passing, we also have a heartfelt tribute from Rob Paparozzi.

There have been some great stories and tutorials and lots of interesting information provided by the Newsdesk on both our website and our social media platforms. Visit www.harmonica.uk for all links and to find out how to book for our festivals on the events page.

I must say thank you to Michael Green for providing us with another excellent harmonica related crossword! I plan to continue alternating crosswords with quizzes so look out for a chromatic quiz in the winter edition.

There’s a new regular piece starting, where Roger Trobridge looks back at articles that have appeared in the magazine from previous times in “Blast from the Past”.

I’m also hoping to start off another regular feature right here, it’s going to be a harmonica joke section!

Please send any harmonica jokes you may have to editor@ harmonica.uk and the best (or worst) will feature in next issues’ editor’s section. I’m going to start you off with one for this issue: What’s the difference between a trampoline and a harmonica?

You would usually take your shoes off to jump up and down on a trampoline!

Grab a cuppa and enjoy the magazine!

In Memory - Thomas Morgan Edwards 12/04/32 - 06/23/22

by Rob Paparozzi

Tommy Morgan, a Mentor and a friend.

I met Tommy years ago at a SPAH convention. He knew of my name as a New York City Session Player so we immediately connected and stayed in touch by phone over the years, so it’s with great sadness I write these parting words. The good news is, the permanent legacy he’s left us: 900 Movie Soundtracks and 7,030 recording sessions since the mid ‘50s to 2013, when he suffered a stroke and could no longer play.

NEWSDESK

One of his highlight performances and sessions was his live and studio sessions with the London Philharmonic at Abbey Road in 1996-97; checkout his masterful work on the recording John Barry and the Beyondness of Things. I just finished his book, a really cool short read in vignette format titled You Made How Much For Doing What?, released this year on Amazon. Starting at age 11 he wasted no time learning to read music for harmonica, and also played some guitar and piano. He was blessed with perfect pitch and honed his craft and studied arranging in college and with the US Air Force Band. If that’s not enough talent, then add a Black Belt in Karate and Master Glider Pilot of 44 years!

After trying for a solo career in NYC and Canada in the ‘50s, he ended up back in California finishing a Masters in Music and quickly joining the Golden Age of recording in Los Angeles. He knew that for playing with the big guys he’d better have a plan. He practiced on all 12 Keys and also made sure he added Bass, Chord, Diatonic and all key Chromatics so he never had to tell a producer or composer “I can’t”. The problem came when he wasn’t available, then they said to the next player what do you mean you can’t, Morgan did it!

Playing with Orchestral instruments on sessions he made sure he had harmonicas tuned from A=440 to 442, he became known as a player always in tune. The ‘60s were a busy time for him from Cartoon shows and Westerns, to arranging for hit shows like The Twilight Zone, secured his position in the LA scene.

If he wasn’t playing on Beach Boys or Carpenters hits with the Wrecking Crew, he was a featured soloist on Hollywood box office hits like Lilies of the Field in 1963 with Sidney Portier. He was even on Elvis Presley’s huge 1968 Comeback Special.

So with 64 years in the studio chances are you’ve heard his work. I’d even venture to say he’s THE most recorded and listened to Harmonicist in the World. More than Adler, Reilly, Lennon, and Toots!

Condolences to his family and loving wife Lois.

We owe him our respect and I miss him already

NEWSDESK

Notice of Annual General Meeting

The Annual General Meeting of HarmonicaUK (formerly National Harmonica League) will be held at 7pm on Friday 21st October 2022 at Hillscourt, Rose Hill, Lickey, Birmingham B45 8RS during our October Festival.

AGENDA

1. Welcome

2. Minutes of the previous AGM and matters arising

3. Reports and accounts

4. Proposed amendment(s) to the constitution

5. (Re)election of committee members

Richard Taylor, Phil Leiwy, Barbara Tate, Simon Joy, Barry Elms, Suzy Colclough

6. Member proposed resolutions

7. Any other business

If you are unable to attend the meeting, please appoint the Chair as your proxy by emailing sec@harmonica.uk before 19th October 2022.

Please see www.harmonica.uk/pages/agm-documents for copies of papers for the AGM, including previous minutes, reports and accounts, draft amendments to the constitution, and brief profiles of existing and proposed committee members. In addition, there is a proxy voting form and a committee member nomination form.

There are at least three committee vacancies so please consider whether you would like to stand yourself or nominate someone to carry out this valuable work. The main committee meets online about 6 times per annum and you will also be part of a subcommittee. A minimum commitment of 2 hours per week is expected. We are also seeking ‘helpers’ so please express an interest if you have expertise in events management, digital technology, graphic design, education, youth work, outreach or administration. Contact communications@harmonica.uk for an informal discussion.

HARMONICAUK 2022 OCTOBER FESTIVAL

By Gene Myers

The HarmonicaUK 2022 October Festival is set to return as a live event this year, with a stellar line-up, and hosted at the Hillscourt Hotel in Rednal just south of Birmingham, from Friday the 21st through to Sunday the 23rd of October. The Hillscourt Hotel was also the site of this year’s very successful Chromatic Weekend, with great facilities and food, friendly and helpful staff, and good transport links. Other nearby hotel accommodation has been reserved, as we’re expecting this year’s event to be booked to full capacity.

The festivities kick off late Friday afternoon with the HarmonicaUK Annual General Meeting, followed by a Friday night open jam session, backed by the Birmingham-based legend Ricky Cool. Ricky has assembled an outstanding rhythm section of seasoned Blues and Roots musicians for the event, including blues guitarist and vocalist Steve Ajao, John Roy Potter on bass, and Howard Smith on drums and vocals.

Ricky, Steve, John and Howard’s mission is to support the Friday night ‘Jammers’, so grab your harps, roll up your sleeves and get ready for an unforgettable Friday night jam. For those that would prefer a quieter, more intimate setting, there will also be a Chromatic jam in the Hillscourt bar area at the same time.

Saturday and Sunday will be filled with a all the October Festival fun and opportunities you’ve come to expect. Masterclass workshops by the featured artists, for all levels of players, in many

genres of music, are the mainstay of the festival and this years’ event is set to raise the bar.

This year’s featured artists include HarmonicaUK ambassador Sam Spranger and his UK band The Bad Day, Shima Kobayashi originally from Japan, Mick Kinsella from Ireland, HarmonicaUK ambassador Rachelle Plas from France with guitarist Philippe Hervouët, and Antonio Serrano from Madrid, accompanied by pianist Chris Collis

For the past seven years Sam Spranger has been playing diatonic rock and blues harmonica with The Bad Day. Their eponymous second album released this year challenged rock, blues, and mainstream audiences and has been critically acclaimed by Classic Rock, Blues In Britain, RNR Magazine, and many others. The band are known for their energetic live performances and have played venues ranging from the Isle of Wight festival to Sony Hall in Times Square.

In addition to the diatonic harmonica, Sam is recognised as a formidable chromatic player and enjoys performing classical, jazz, and ragtime. He is particularly enthusiastic about helping diatonic players start on the chromatic, as well as de-mystifying music theory and making learning on the instrument more accessible. Shima Kobayashi is a celebrated chromatic soloist and music educator whose repertoire draws from a wide range of works for the chromatic harmonica, from chamber music to concertos with an orchestra. Exploring all the possibilities of the chromatic harmonica is what Shima naturally does. Along with creating new works with composers and musicians, her work also includes improvisation, words, and movement. Shima studied chromatic harmonica with Joe Sakimoto in Japan, then becoming World Harmonica Championship winner gave Shima the opportunity to study with harmonica legend Tommy Reilly in 1996 for a year-long residency and started her on a 5-year whirlwind tour.

Upon relocating to the UK, Shima put a pause on her performing and embarked on a new period of study, earning a degree (BA Hons) in Social Sciences, a certificate of professional Practice (CPP) in music education, whilst raising her child. As the last pupil of the virtuoso chromatic harmonica player Tommy Reilly, Shima was asked to write about her teacher for his biography. This process of writing reignited her passion and she returned to musical activity, performing as a soloist, with an additional focus in music education. Shima is keen to perform the vast range of repertoire handed down by Tommy Reilly and to pass his legacy onto the wider public and next generation of players.

Well known in the world of harmonica Mick Kinsella's music ranges from blues to jazz, traditional Irish and world music. Coming

from a drumming background, his music is always played with a strong rhythm. On his album Harmonica he plays Chromatic, Diatonic, Congas, snare drum and various percussion instruments as well as bass harmonica. Harmonica is an eclectic album featuring Mick's love of all musical styles and includes musette, Traditional Irish music, blues, tango and some self-penned jazz inflected tunes using overblows.

Mick is also a studio musician and has guested on over a hundred albums to date including Michael Flatley’s Feet of Flames. He has also featured on numerous film scores including Billy Connolly's World tour of England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

Rachelle Plas is a virtuoso harmonica player and singer/songwriter from France with a smooth, provocative voice that complements her refined harmonica style. Rachelle will be joined by singer/ songwriter and guitarist Philippe Hervouët, a magnificent and accomplished artist in his own right. Together this inimitable harmonica and guitar duo will share their music creations, ranging from rock to blues and from pop to Celtic.

Rachelle has released many albums and singles, and her music and music videos have received millions of web impressions. She has performed internationally on prestigious stages, radio, and TV. Yet, there is much more to this fascinating woman. She was also a member of the French Judo team and multiple times champion of France, winner of the Tournament of France and vice-world champion. Rachelle has surprised and delighted audiences, worldwide, and they have shown unwavering support and praise for her atypical and exceptional career.

The renowned Antonio Serrano from Madrid is joining us again after one of last year’s most popular online festival sessions.

Antonio Serrano is considered one of the greatest harmonica players of all time. His greatest contribution to Spanish music was to introduce the harmonica in flamenco, further consolidating such innovation by being part of Paco de Lucia's group between 2004 and 2014. His musical versatility has also led him to carry out projects and collaborations in other musical fields such as jazz, classical music, tango, and pop.

Antonio began his musical studies with his father, who taught him to play the harmonica and to read music. Later, he studied piano and violin at the conservatories at Alicante and Madrid, concluding his harmonica training with none other than master Larry Adler, in London. His flawless technique led him to perform in Paris, at the age of 13, a duet with Larry Adler at a Concert for the United Nations. Antonio will be accompanied by Chris Collis, the accomplished pianist that has been supporting HarmonicaUK events for 20 years.

If these outstanding and diverse mix of artists alone are not enough to ensure that the main Saturday concert is an event not to be missed, we also have very special surprise guests planned.

In addition to the workshop, performances and open jams, there will be trade stands, and artisan harmonica technician

John Cook will also be hosting workshops on the harmonica manufacturing techniques that are spawning innovation, techniques that make harmonicas great such as embossing, double reed plates, chamfering, and reed profiling, as well as the launch of a new Signature Harmonica Tuner. John will also have on display a collection of historical harmonicas from a world renowned collector.

Of course, there will also be an auction, and the highly acclaimed HarmonicaUK Player of the Year competition on Saturday. Judging from the quality of entrants in last year's online festival, this year’s competition is again expected to showcase the exceptional talent of HarmonicaUK’s membership.

Rules for the HarmonicaUK Player-of-the-Year completion, booking details, full up-to-the-minute timetable, and the latest news and announcements can be found by visiting the Events page on the HarmonicaUK website, www.harmonica.uk/pages/Events.

Please bookmark the page and check it often.

We’re looking forward to welcoming everyone to Hillscourt Hotel to join us in celebrating the return of the live event, and a fabulous weekend of harmonica entertainment, education, and camaraderie.

Do you ever wonder about people who might have been great musicians, artists, scientists or leaders, but tragically died young?

British harmonica legend Jim Hughes is not among them: he seems to have ‘nine lives’, as well as nine decades (and-a-bit) behind him.

Jim’s friend, Suzy Colclough, recently found out that Jim almost had his life snuffed out three times within a couple of years as a boy. The influential chromatic player, international festival organiser and teacher could have become a war statistic, many years before he ever thought of picking up a harmonica.

Jim’s narrow escape number one

JIM HUGHESBOYHOOD SCRAPES AND NARROW ESCAPES

By Rowena Millar

The 2022 war in Ukraine reminds us of the dangers faced by civilians during times of conflict. Born in 1929, Jim was approaching his tenth birthday when the news was filled with unsettling talk of war. His family (he had an aunt in Canada) had booked tickets for a passage on SS Athenia, a transatlantic steam turbine ship that plied the Atlantic between the UK and Canada. All ready to go, the family were told that only Canadian nationals were now allowed on board. Two days after setting sail and just hours after war had been declared, SS Athenia was the first UK ship to be torpedoed by a U-boat, with the loss of 117 civilian passengers and crew. Jim was in Birmingham, but he wasn’t safe.

Jim’s narrow escape number two Young Jim found himself in the middle of the blitz, in a city that was being heavily targeted. Every night there were bombs, and he and his family had to take cover in an Anderson shelter buried under the earth in their garden. One night, Jim heard a bomb coming down. When the family emerged from the shelter, they saw that

Jim Hughes presenting a harmonica competition award to duo Colin Mort and Rowena Millar in the 1980s.

the back half of their house, just four metres away, was standing, but the front half had completely gone.

Jim’s narrow escape number three

On a drizzly, murky day when he was about 12, Jim was walking through a field on his way home from school for lunch, his new house being at the far corner of the field. All of a sudden, a Messerschmidt plane appeared. It burst through the clouds and started machine gunning him. Jim said, “I ran like mad”. He managed to get inside the house without being hit. There was a news item in the local paper about the plane, which had been seen hanging back and firing at civilians. Jim’s mother, who had seen the whole incident from the back door, gave very dramatic renditions of the story afterwards. Jim says it was ‘scary at the time’.

Recent challenges

More recently, Jim has got through skin cancer and prostate cancer. He also went blind about four years ago – a severe blow for a professional musician used to turning up at recording studios and playing unrehearsed straight from the sheet music, often with an orchestra, in one take.

The trauma of going blind stopped Jim from playing harmonica for a year, but speaking to him in April 2022, I found that he had the same zeal I remember from decades ago. Nowadays, Jim listens to music for 50% of each day and enthuses, over the phone, about brilliant musicians he has discovered. He describes the talent of the late American jazz pianist Bill Evans, for example, as ‘mind blowing’.

Jim is playing harmonica again, and gave a workshop at HarmonicaUK’s Chromatic Weekend in June with Suzy Colclough, about teaching and learning the harmonica after becoming blind. We can be very thankful that Jim missed the boat, escaped the bomb, and dodged those bullets.

Jim with Roger Trobridge

ISABELLA KRAPF INTERVIEW

By Sam Spranger, Ambassador

When her school teacher told her that no-one could make a living playing the harmonica, Isabella Krapf, then eight years old, knew what career she was destined to pursue. Sure enough, she is now renowned as a master player, a teacher with two students that have won world titles, and as a collector, archivist, and technician with an expansive knowledge on the history and mechanics of the instrument.

What are you busy with nowadays? It’s been difficult over the pandemic. Recently, however, a nurse asked me to help patients cope with long covid, so I have a new project working with them and using the harmonica to support proper breathing. I have previously worked with people with asthma and other problems too. I never like thinking about the harmonica in terms of “blow/draw/suck/blow”; first and foremost it is a breathing instrument that connects the whole of the body. Amazing! A lot of people from HarmonicaUK’s outreach team are going to want to talk to you! Walk me through your career as a player and a teacher.

I got my first harmonica at the age of 8. I’m from a musical family and my parents wanted me to be a classical pianist so I was studying hard at music. Now I play many instruments, such as

Isabella and her guitarist, Károly

the trumpet, piano, singing, percussion etc., but the harmonica, however, came naturally to me and it’s such a niche instrument.

When I was 18 I began teaching harmonica at an adult education centre and found a huge audience for my lessons. On the same day I got a call to play in a Gershwin concert at the largest concert hall in Vienna! I knew I was doing something right.

In terms of my teachers I have had some awful teachers and some wonderful teachers. In the classical field I had some teachers that were so narrow minded and rigid in their practice. In my own teaching, I really believe every student must be treated as an individual. The important thing for me as a teacher is to find the individual’s learning styles and tailor my approach accordingly. Even in group classes I never teach more than 12 at a time to ensure that no one is overlooked.

One of the highlights of my career and my learning was meeting Jerry Adler (Larry Adler’s younger brother) when he was 87. I flew to Milwaukee to meet him and he told me endless stories about his Hollywood days with the likes of Marlene Dietrich and the Marx Brothers etc.. and he would give me personal concerts on the chromatic. Our friendship was very special and he gave me many things for my collection. I was thrilled to later play a concert dedicated to him in Chicago.

Another highlight for me is my time teaching in North Korea. I was there four times between 2011 and 2013. We played all sorts of music and everyone practised like mad. It’s one of the rare times that I have worked with such a large number of musicians that were all absolutely dedicated to mastering the instrument. Of course players like Franz Chmel were able to dedicate their lives to the instrument once they were retired, but it’s rare that so many people can dedicate themselves to music and not have to worry about job/family/life commitments.

I also arranged some concerts for the magnificent Pablo Fegundas in Graz, Austria, and he returned the honour by inviting us to play in Brazil! I’ve been very lucky to have played in so many places, from Germany, to Morocco, to the States. Wherever you go people are still shocked when they see a real harmonica player. Mainstream appreciation still has a long way to go!

And tell us about your work as a historian and archivist for the harmonica.

It started when I was 27 and was looking for a location for a small concert so I went to a museum and they asked me if I would like to run an exhibition instead. From there I started expanding my collection and was honoured to be the youngest person to ever exhibit at the museum. During the exhibition

people would actually give me harmonicas so my collection grew!

We also had the historian and collector Martin Haeffner talk on pre-war harmonicas. From there I started collecting things from Klingenthal like patent letters from Seydel and other companies, even the Spranger company! I have harmonicas on loan to several museums at the moment including the technical museum.

Throughout the instrument's history, there have always been so many experiments in tunings and designs for the harmonica. With Suzuki, Seydel, and Hohner as well as individual builders competing in the market, there is such healthy competition for innovation on the instrument. Maintenance is important though. As a technician I often get sent very old instruments for repair and I have to tell people old harmonicas are not the same as a Stradivarius! Modern instruments perform so much better and last so that a player can grow with their instrument.

What are you looking forward to?

Well I’m doing a lot of teaching at the moment which is very rewarding. I would also love to go back to Korea and see how the players are. Post-pandemic, a lot of venues are no longer running music and those that do are finding themselves at about half capacity. There is an almost hesitation and avoidance in the public about live music. I would like to do something to help the music industry and try to get live music back again.

For more on Isabella visit her website here: www.isabellakrapf.com/

Isabella and her guitarist, Károly

One day the phone rings. A musical director I worked for a few years ago is inviting me to teach an actor to play harmonica for a new musical at London’s Old Vic theatre called Girl From the North Country. The show features the songs of Bob Dylan. Bob Dylan. One of the most famous people to have incorporated harmonica into their sound, and as such, worthy of great respect.

FATAL ATTRACTION

MY LIFE WITH THE HARMONICA

PART 3

By Phil Hopkins

As the call to the show’s music supervisor ends, I realise that I’ve accepted this job without knowing a whole lot about the harmonica playing techniques of Mr Dylan. I’m familiar with the sound, but I was a bit young when Mr. Tambourine Man and Blowin’ in the Wind were in the charts, so I’ve got a lot of learning to do. In my favour, I’ve always appreciated folk diatonic playing – for example, I’m a big fan of Neil Young and I love his harmonica accompaniment to Joni Mitchell’s Furry Sings the Blues. (In fact I think this performance is a harmonica masterpiece).

Over the next months I have a succession of actors coming through my door to learn harmonica for the show. There’s one harmonica player needed initially, but there will be a cast change with a new actor, and of course each actor’s understudy has to learn the harmonica. There won’t be a huge amount of harmonica in the show but the instrument has to be learnt properly. My job is to teach the actors single notes, rhythmic accompaniments, note bends, scales etc., but this is also a golden opportunity for us to study the harmonica style of Bob Dylan while being paid to do so. And what we discover is this.

Dylan’s feel is unbelievable. He may not blow us away technically like a Charlie McCoy or a Tommy Reilly, but boy does he play the right phrase at the right time, with the songwriter’s knack of applying the telling lick. He has an innate sense of drama – the harmonica switches the focus away from the intensity of the lyrics, allowing the listener time to absorb the poetry. Take the hook in Like a Rolling Stone. It’s just a snatch of a phrase but it bookends the chorus like a locomotive’s wail across the American plains. The sound can be raw and at times unpolished, but it fits the music like a glove. Tough music for hard times. Dylan’s music is peppered with short harmonica phrases which help tell the story and teach a lesson I am reminded of throughout my career – less is very often more. What I’ve learned from Bob Dylan – as from Neil Young – is that a little harmonica, if applied correctly, goes a long way.

From my actor students, I learn about motivation. I have taught many actors to play the harmonica for theatre shows, and they

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all have one thing in common – a deadline. In five, six or seven weeks, they know they’re going to be on a stage, in front of a thousand people, playing their little solo or piece. They’re in a cutthroat profession and they’re used to hard work; the learning is dramatically accelerated and compressed but they always nail it by the time Press Night rolls around. Their sound may not be as good as that made by more experienced harpists, but the job always gets done.

And I’m sure Mr Dylan, if he ever came to see a show, would be as proud of them as I am.

Furry Sings the Blues Joni Mitchell www.youtube.com/watch?v=ionRca6THE8

Like a Rolling Stone Bob Dylan www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwOfCgkyEj0

Phil’s new album Harmonica Paradiso, an album of duets for chromatic harmonica and piano, is now available as CD or download from: https://philhopkins.bandcamp.com/album/harmonica-paradiso Phil’s YouTube channel is: www.youtube.com/channel/UCp2HzSYG7L_KRPC_weZyZCA

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"GOT THE DOUBLE REED BLUES..."

By Richard Gjems

It is common knowledge that a typical double reed harmonica does not lend itself well to blues. Whereas tremolo harmonicas produce a distinctive “beating” sound effect reminiscent of an organ, and octave harmonicas produce an accordion-like sound, most standard double reed tunings make it hard to play the blues. And while it is possible to bend notes on the tremolo, it requires isolating just one note instead of two, so there is a distinct change in the timbre of the note being bent. Even though, there are a few recorded examples of double reed harmonicas being successfully used in a traditional blues context. Most harmonicas used on these recordings usually have tone arrangements exactly like the regular Richter tuned 10-hole diatonics, such as the classic Hohner AutoValve, while others have variations of the traditional solo tuning or different minor tunings.

Here are three good examples of blues recordings utilizing double reed harmonicas:

Muddy Waters: “Crawlin’ Kingsnake”

Released on the album They Call Me Muddy Waters (Chess, 1971)

Blues harp god Little Walter Jacobs (1930–1968) really shines on the Hohner Auto-Valve harp in second position on this mediumtempo shuffle in the key of A, originally recorded by Muddy Waters’ band back in 1959. The climatic harmonica solo is based on traditional figures and riffs in the John Lee Williamson vein. Walter switches from his Auto-Valve harp in D to a regular diatonic Marine Band in A for the first position outro. An instant double reed blues classic!

Reverend Gary Davis: ”I've Done All My Singing for My Lord”

Released on the album Live at Newport (Vanguard, 1965)

Reverend Gary Davis (1896–1972) was a famous singer and guitar

or this (7)

Sound of displeasure or disapproval (3)

Text appendix indicating amusement (1,1,1)

What we are doing to a 31d when we file or add weight to it. (4)

We may do this on the 4 draw (4)

Museum of art in Paris (1'5)

"___ woman, knockkneed man" by Bobby Rush. (3-6)

Cephas and Wiggins, perhaps (3)

Son of ____, 1ac player (4)

is attached to the outside of 1ac (5,5)

Some 1ac are ___valved. (4)

Steve ___ , who played 1ac with the All Star Medicine Show (3)

See 7ac

Percussion instrument (7)

Blimey! John Cook's harmonicas contain the sound of a dove. (3)

These 31d's play C,E and G on a C 1ac. (4)

First name of singer whose albums include "Read My Lips" and "Shoot From the Hip" (6)

River (4)

______ 1d 6d gets E on C 1ac.

Grown up

...and 26d. Player of 1ac who fronted The Kingsnakes (4,4)

"______ harp" denotes the key of E on A 1ac, for example.(5)

Friendliness(5)

Old,poetic form of the word "enough"(4)

"______ Blues" Bob Dylan song from the album "Brining it all Back Home"(6)

UK king from 1910 onwards (6,1)

See 14d.

Find the total.(3,2)

Jimmy, 1ac player best known for his 1st position blues.(4)

In 2nd position, 3 draw half bent is a blue ___(4)

Material from which metal is extracted (3)

Little Mix song is a code carrier (1,1,1)

player also proficient on the harmonica. On this gem he delivers solid rhythmic accompaniment in second position to his own singing, using only a Hohner Auto-Valve harp in the key of E. Fabulous spiritual stuff indeed!

Jerry McCain: “728 Texas (Where The Action Is)”

Released on the 7" single Homogenized Love/728 Texas (Where The Action Is) (Jewel, 1965)

Prolific singer and harmonica player Jerry ”Boogie” McCain (1930–2012) delivers a cool and quirky boogaloo instrumental in the key of D, originally named after the address of Jewel Records. McCain is probably playing in third position on an unknown tremolo harmonica with some kind of Asian-style tuning in the key of C. The discrete tremolo effect makes the harmonica at times resemble a zydeco accordion. A true mystery track!

Thanks to Winslow Yerxa and Pat Missin for sharing information used in this article.

Photo Credits: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:M.Hohner_ Comet_harmonica_(2015-08-18_10.32.24_by_Aah-Yeah).jpg licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.

Crossharpword

The 100th anniversary of the birth of Toots Thielemans - 29th April 1922 - was celebrated earlier this year with a string of high profile events organised throughout Belgium.

I was delighted to participate in two of these events - a treat to go to Brussels twice in one month after so much lockdown confinement!

The first trip was in early May to participate in the international conference: Toots Thielemans (1922-2016). A Century of Music across Europe and America, organised by Dr Hélène Sechehaye (Brussels Conservatory) and Dr Hugo Rodriguez of The Royal Library of Belgium (KBR).

TOOTS CENTENARY

Adam Glasser, HarmonicaUK

The conference took place from 9th - 11th May on the 4th floor of the majestic Royal Library in the centre of the town, bringing together a selection of specialist academics and professional players from around the world.

There were many great talks but highlights for me were Sweden’s Mikael Bäckmans on Toots diatonic 10 hole playing. (How many of us knew he played a diatonic?) and a very engaging talk by Thielemans family relative - Véronique Heene - on the topic of Toots' childhood years. The talk was attended by a delegation of other Thielemans family members with whom we later had lunch including Toots’ sister Marie Françoise Thielemans aged 93.

My lecture entitled Toots: A Personal Perspective covered the interview I did with Toots in Leiden in 1996 ( first published in .. this very magazine!) and my experience recording harmonica cues a year later on the soundtrack to the film Hard Rain after Toots had done most of them but had to leave at the end of the weeks recording back in April 1997 - a week during he celebrated his 75th birthday in the

Patron, reports on two trips to Brussels

studio and the whole orchestra played him spontaneously Happy Birthday when he came into the studio that morning.

Toots’s personal archives - containing more than 5000 objects of various types: manuscript and printed scores, recordings, and historic documents, are now held in the Music Division of KBR (The Royal Library of Belgium, www.kbr.be/en/), a selection of which was curated over many months under the direction of Dr Rodriguez into a spectacular exhibition with multiple creative audio visual and sound installations as well as some of Toots’ own guitars and harmonicas. The exhibition entitled Toots 100 The Sound of a Belgian Legend continues until the 31st August 2022 and is well worth a visit. It’s only 2 hours by Eurostar from London.

Other guests and speakers included professional harmonica players Neil Adler (US) Grégoire Maret (Switzerland) and Steve De Bruyn (Belgium) as well as two of Toots most cherished piano accompanists Kenny Werner (who gave a brilliant lecture) and Mike Del Ferro - world class pianist, composer and arranger from the Netherlands.

Earlier in the year, Mike had invited me to perform with his Quartet at the end of May at Brussels Jazz Weekend so it was a great pleasure to meet him there again and hang out.

Mike has made many trips to South Africa and recorded on album in 2015 with local artists entitled ‘The Johannesburg Sessions’. We first met at the Grahamstown Jazz Festival back in 2014. Some of HarmonicaUK members may remember that Mike featured in one of my 2021 Harmonica Stories Zoom lectures about his arrangement of Make Someone Happy on which Toots plays a sublime harmonica solo and which encounter in a Brussels studio led to Mike doing over 150 gigs with the Belgian harmonica genius.

I returned to Brussels at the end of May to play with Mike and a dream team of Andrea Caruso ( double bass) and Roy Dackus (drums). Our set list included well known items from Toots repertoire - Velas (Ivan Lins) and Three Views of a Secret (Jaco Pastorius) as well as tracks from Mike’s critically acclaimed album Opera Meets Jazz recorded with the Metropole Orchestra. A hugely enjoyable gig which took place in the grandiose setting of Brussel’s cobbled square Grand-Place surrounded by classic architecture of ancient guildhalls. After our gig came a wonderful set by legendary guitarist Philip Catherine and then a tribute to Toots by the Brussels Jazz Orchestra fronted by the faultless accomplished harmonica playing of Hermine Deurloo. All in all a month to remember!

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Will Wilde is a singer and world renowned blues and rock harmonica player, but his talents don’t just end there. He also teaches the art to students across the world (including myself) and has developed his own custom harmonica tuning; the Wilde tuning. In this interview we cover all of this and talk about his new band, Bad Luck Friday, and their eponymous ground-breaking debut album, released in September 2022.

When and why did you get into harmonica?

I found a cheap plastic Guinness harmonica at a house party when I was 16/17 and started teaching myself to play. I grew up hearing a lot of my Dad’s blues and classic rock records, and the song that inspired me to learn was Help Me by Sonny Boy Williamson. That sound always resonated with me. I used to play for hours a day, playing along to Muddy Waters albums until my lips bled. I was touring and recording by the time I was 19.

WILL WILDE INTERVIEW

by Paula Braynion

What are your musical influences?

Eclectic. When I was young, Michael Jackson was the biggest influence that made me want to become a musician. Then in my teens I got into rock and metal, bands like Marilyn Manson and Rage Against the Machine. I’m also into a lot of classic rock like Thin Lizzy, Free, AC/DC and a lot of old blues and soul too.

What led to you to start a rock band?

I started on the harp with blues music but I really found my own voice on the instrument through rock. To me rock and roll is empowering, whereas blues is more introspective. When I play rock songs on stage I automatically project more and perform more outwardly. I think that’s why I decided to go down this route.

Why do you think harmonica is so linked to blues music but rarely used in other forms of music like rock?

In the 50’s, harmonica and guitar were pretty equal as lead instruments in the blues, but then guitar went on a journey from blues

into blues rock with artists like Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton, then players like Van Halen took it further still. I feel like the harp got left behind in the 50’s/60’s. There wasn’t really a pioneer that took it to the next level. There have been more recent pioneers like John Popper or Jason Ricci, but there was never a big artist like a Hendrix in the harmonica world who enabled the harp to make the transition from blues into rock. My mission is to prove that the harmonica can hold its own with the guitar as a lead instrument in the rock world.

Tell me about your new band and debut album?

My new band is called Bad Luck Friday. It consists of myself (vocals, harmonica), Steve “The Beak” Brook (guitar), Jack Turnbull (bass) and Alan Taylor (drums). Our sound draws from a wide mix of influences, from classic rock bands like Led Zeppelin through to more aggressive contemporary bands like Black Stone Cherry, Halestorm and Alter Bridge. This is absolutely not a blues album, it’s a hard-rock album primarily. There’s not been a record of anything like this before with a harmonica as the lead instrument, it’s pretty groundbreaking in that respect.

What is Wilde tuning?

I’ve always been frustrated with Richter tuning as a lot of what I play is more inspired by guitarists rather than harmonica players. It’s not possible to play a lot of guitar licks on standard tuning because of the way the notes lay out. I started experimenting to find the ultimate tuning for second position blues and rock playing that allows me to get all notes I need across all 3 octaves of the instrument and put as much expression and vibrato on those notes as possible. On my tuning you can bend all the draw notes from holes 1 to 10, this was inspired by Brendan Power’s Powerbender tuning. Wilde tuning allows me to play a lot more guitar-like licks in

the upper octave with a lot more vibrato.

As a tutor, are there key tips you can give to any harmonica player who wants to develop? Work on scales and improv. Make sure you’re accurately hitting all bends. Listen to as much music as possible. Not just blues and not just harp players. Later this year I’m bringing out a course called The Ultimate Blues Harmonica Soloist.

It’s aimed at anyone who wants to get better at improvising and improve their vocabulary on the instrument.

I started playing the harmonica during lockdown as a way of dealing with stress, releasing emotions and finding a way of being in the moment. What does playing the harmonica do for you?

It does that for me too, in fact I think it’s a great way of not only releasing stress but expressing all emotions, joy, anger - the whole range. It’s just something I do. I couldn’t imagine not playing now.

How do you want to be remembered in 100 years time?

As the greatest rock harmonica player. As someone who took harmonica beyond the blues and introduced it to a new generation.

Bad Luck Friday’s debut album is due to be released on 2nd September 2022 and is a blend of hard rock riffs and blues-infused melodies, big choruses with strong hooks, and face-melting harmonica solos that owe just as much to Slash or Angus Young as they to do Sonny Boy Williamson or Little Walter.

A full review of Bad Luck Friday is available in the reviews section of the magazine

www.willharmonicawilde.com/news

www.facebook.com/badluckfriday www.facebook.com/willwildeofficial https://youtu.be/1sNO1X2fpE4

Stream album // MP3 Download // Music Video

Around 30 years ago Mick Jagger started playing guitar in Rolling Stones shows. Apparently he had always been able to play, but his guitar lead got in the way. Emerging wireless technology allowed this change for the Rolling Stones, wireless guitar rigs are now widely used

Wireless mics have also long been available, with modern headsets providing high quality sound while remaining almost invisible. Many harmonica players, e.g. Jason Ricci have followed the wireless path. Greg Heumann, from Blows Me Away Productions, recommends the Samson Airline 88x. Ben Bouman uses the Boss WL-20

GOING WIRELESS

By Tony Eyers

Wireless System.

These wireless harmonica setups are meant for handheld mics. Rack players have options as well, e.g. the Greg Heumann Rackit!, based around his Bulletini mic. I use the Boss WL-20 with the Rackit!, it works very well. Moreover, the receiver plugs directly into a guitar amp socket, without additional leads.

However, the Rackit! is designed for a Chicago style amplified sound. For acoustic rack players like myself, an ideal solution would be a minimal setup which captured just the harmonica sound.

I’ve put together a system which does this, based on the Seydel Gecko Rack. The components are:

Rode Wireless Go II Single

Rode VideoMic Me

Rode SC3 3.5m TRRS to TRS Adaptor

Plastic clip

The Rode products are Australian but are available worldwide. Details are at https://rode.com/en. The Wireless Go II Single is a wireless transmitter/receiver pair, with each device the size of a small matchbox. It is a wireless lapel mic system, meant for video production. The transmitter with its inbuilt mic can clip on to one arm of the harmonica rack, providing the simplest solution possible.

However, I’ve gone for a better quality mic, the Rode VideoMic Me . This normally plugs into a smartphone, replacing the inbuilt microphone, here I’m using it on my rack. The adaptor cable connects the devices, the plastic clip attaches the mic to the Seydel Gecko holder. The Wireless Go II transmitter has a built-in clip, which grips the other side of the Gecko holder, as shown in the photo. The entire setup weighs almost nothing.

The receiver has a mini jack socket, a mini jack to jack cable then connects to an amplifier or mixing desk. The receiver has a level meter and an attenuator to adjust signal strength. Both the transmitter and receiver have built in recorders, storing up to 7 hours of audio.

I’ve started using this setup, I like it. A good quality vocal mic would perhaps sound a little better, however the portability of this setup is hard to match. For rack players who’ve always wanted to roam the stage and mingle with the audience, your time has come.

HARMONICA FOR LUNG HEALTH

By Chris Startup

My journey with Harmonica for Lung Health started at the end of 2017 and came from a hunch. Initially a multi-instrumentalist and music teacher from Northamptonshire, I had the incredible opportunity to complete my Singing Lung Health Practitioner training with The British Lung Foundation earlier that year and began running several weekly singing groups for people living with respiratory conditions. All sessions were designed to improve breathing and to maintain healthy cognitive skills through the medium of songs and music.

Being an experienced saxophone and harmonica player, I speculated that using a wind instrument in my sessions could bring additional benefits. Although it incorporates similar breathing principles to singing, in practice it is quite different as players are faced with the resistance of the reeds. Different pressure and breath control is required; not to mention that the harmonica is one of the rare wind instruments that involves not only breathing out but also breathing in, in order to play a tune.

I became intrigued by the potential benefits of ‘‘Chugging’’ or ‘‘Circuit Breathing’’ exercises, as a combination of in-breaths and out-breaths use quite different breathing techniques. From a cognitive aspect, playing a musical instrument taps into additional skills such as coordination, pacing and sequencing. Socially, it creates bonds and opens up discussions as participants discover and share different music genres.

I am proud to say that, from day one, the participants’ response was overwhelmingly positive; not only from the original group but throughout the pandemic when people joined online from all over the UK and continue to do so today.

In 2020 and 2021 we were asked to take part in an exciting research project led by Dr Adam Lewis, Lecturer in Physiotherapy at Brunel University, London. It explored the benefits of playing the Harmonica with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and produced some very encouraging results. Most participants stated that, although playing the harmonica with COPD was hard at first, they were able to gradually adapt and key into their breathing. As the breathing became easier, they were able to focus on the songs and escape their respiratory condition while they were playing. Participants also noted a marked improvement in their ability to clear their airways. Additionally, they valued the social aspect of the group, as it allowed them to stay connected with others in

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some of the most challenging times of the Covid pandemic; many added that the group became a central activity in their weekly lives. (Lewis et al., 2021)

More recently, I was approached by Asthma and Lung UK to run their first Harmonica for Lung Health group. The feedback collected at the end of the 6-week course was just as incredibly positive.

86% said that they were ‘‘extremely likely’’ to recommend this group to a friend.

100% of respondents said that they felt ‘‘better in themselves’’ after the sessions, with 72% saying they felt ‘‘a lot better’’.

100% of respondents reported that they ‘‘learned something new’’ and 95% said that the sessions were ‘‘very important to them’’.

85% reported feeling better about their condition as a result of attending these sessions and 62% reported ‘‘improved symptoms’’.

I am really excited about the future of Harmonica for Lung Health; I feel that we are only beginning to unlock its potential. I am looking forward to continuing to develop my method by creating a variety of challenging and stimulating exercises that support positive lung health and help improve the well-being of people living with respiratory conditions. I am also confident that the use of online teaching will help me to reach out to more people.

Reference: Lewis, A., Conway, J., Middleton, J., Startup, C. and Wyatt, J., 2021. Playing the Harmonica with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. A qualitative study. www.projectsounds.co.uk

REVIEWS

Richard Gjems – The Youtube Sessions

2020/ 2021 – That’s Entertainment/ Apollon

Richard is an in-demand Norwegian harmonica player who has been active since the 1990s and who specializes in playing the older forms of blues. He has frequently worked and recorded as a sideman, in a wide variety of styles, and appeared on numerous soundtracks. During the lockdowns and other COVID restrictions, this Seydel endorser recorded these fifteen tracks on his phone whilst he played in his living room – not that you would ever know.

Richard sings and plays harmonica on all bar one track here, though he does also turn his hand to guitar and mandolin (and foot-tapping!). Slim Harpo’s ‘Strange Love’ opens the album, a simple rhythmic guitar accompaniment behind Richard’s fine vocal and some excellent rack harp playing – in terms of origin, this is one of the most modern songs on this collection. The solo and descriptively-titled ‘Harmonica Holler’ is one of two originals on the set (the other is the similarly self-descriptive ‘Blue Mandolin’ –one of only two tracks without blues harmonica.

There is a surprisingly wide range of blues here: Richard returns ‘Rock Me Baby’ to its deep Mississippi roots, and he also tackles Skip James’ eerie ‘Devil Got My Woman’ and ‘Illinois Blues’, and the solo ‘John Hardy’ (from Leadbelly) is almost a hoedown, though with a couple of rather fine modern touches in Richard’s playing. In stark contrast, listen too to his lively version of Jimmy Reed’s ‘Found Love’, with Reed’s trademark high-end harmonica playing well in evidence – or his warm rendition of Tommy Johnson’s ‘Cool Drink Of Water Blues’.

Rather surprisingly, Richard ends this rather fine blues release with a cover of Fleetwood Mac’s impassioned slow blues, ‘Love That Burns’; it strongly recalls John Lee Hooker and works so, so well. As does the whole album, in fact.

Norman Darwen (www. https://richardgjems. wixsite.com/richardgjems)

REVIEWS

Review of John Cook Harmonicas - Double Reed Plate Marine Band

By Ricky Cool

At the recent Harmonica UK Chromatic Weekend I was fortunate enough to be able to have a chat with John Cook, the UK’s leading harmonica repairer and all round fixer for all things harmonica.

During our conversation he produced a double reed plate Marine Band Deluxe and said “Try this out and see what you think.”

The instrument was a prototype and John is thinking about producing more of them if the demand is there. I had a play on the instrument and it did feel very responsive. John said I could hang on to it for a while to test it out properly and I said I would review it for the magazine and post a review video on my YouTube channel. So here goes.

The first thing I was aware of was the weight of the harmonica, 98 grams compared to a Marine Band Crossover of mine that weighs in at 58 grams. The second thing is the increased thickness as a result of having double blow and double draw reed plates. When playing I found that the thickness was more of an issue when using the lip purse embouchure. I needed to use more muscle strength to maintain a good seal around the harmonica. If I was playing it for a long period of time this might be an issue when trying to keep a consistent tone. The increased thickness did not seem to be much of an issue when I was tongue blocking.

The instrument was certainly very comfortable to hold and play. John replaces the original wooden comb with one he manufactures from a plastic called Delrin. Delrin is very stable and hygienic. It can be machined and polished to a very smooth, flat finish. John also takes time to ensure that the reed plates are flat and smooth so that the instrument is extremely airtight when assembled. You can also see from the photographs that John uses more screws to attach the reed plates to the comb compared to the standard 3 on a regular Marine Band Deluxe/Crossover.

When playing the harmonica (which incidentally was in C) I did feel that there was slightly more volume and a richer tone when compared to my Marine Band Crossover, particularly from holes 1 – 6. The instrument was very responsive and it was possible to play from nothing to full volume and back, on both blow and draw notes very smoothly. I am not an overblow player but I was able to achieve overblows on holes 4, 5 and 6 without too much difficulty. Overall, this is a lovely instrument to handle and play. I can’t see any advantage in having some of these if you play amplified harmonica. The increased slot thickness and thus greater reed

REVIEWS

vibration will probably lead to reed failure more quickly if you are playing ‘hard’ all the time with a loud band. I feel that in the hands of an accomplished player in an acoustic setting, the increased expression possible with the double reed plate could well be something that you might want to explore.

From my conversation with John I do know that these harmonicas will be expensive in order to be commercially viable. However, being the inventive person John is, he is looking into producing tools and parts so that it will be possible to make your own. If, like me, you have lots of old Marine Band Deluxe reed plates knocking around, this is a very exciting prospect.

John will be giving a presentation on these harmonicas at this year’s October festival. He is also going to make up some double reed plate instruments and sell them at a discounted price (behind me in the queue please). Do have a look at John’s website. It’s a treasure trove of all things harmonica: www.johncookharmonicas.com

My video review can be found using the following link: https://youtu.be/4n52uKPbLxA

Review of Bad Luck Friday - Wilde Fire Records

By Norman Darwen

The label name has the clue – this is Will Wilde’s new band, formed in 2020, a storming four-piece rock band, as the first few notes of the opening track (also called Bad Luck Friday) reveal immediately. Crunching, heavy riffing guitar and a harmonica solo.

Will of course keeps a toehold in the blues on this set. Although this goes right to the heart of classic and contemporary rock, there are lyric references to black cats, the crossroads and then there’s that harp. Try 666 At The Crossroads for a particularly fine example on this set, with an instrumental break by Will that’s a little Sugar Blue (who of course famously played with The Rolling Stones) and a lot of Will Wilde. Banshee has Will wailing like a … well, you know what, classicsounding vocals, and a reference to Hellhound On My Trail, before Dust & Bones offers a change of approach, the album’s only slow number, with its slight touch of late 60s/ early seventies band Free. Jealous Woman is blues-rock, a 12-bar format but with modern touches and heavy enough to fit with the remainder of the set; the same comments apply to Low Down Dirty. Take The Best Of Me has another classic rock vocal. The down and dirty Mistress hits an

REVIEWS

irresistible groove, whilst Bonnie To My Clyde has maybe a touch of Whitesnake, and the closer, Rebel With A Cause, rides a fierce riff perhaps inspired by vintage Fleetwood Mac – whatever, it’s huge, as is the harp solo.

You might hear traces on this album of vintage Black Sabbath or Jethro Tull and more contemporary rock outfits such as Audioslave and Soundgarden. Steve “The Beak” Brook supplies those heavy rock guitars, whilst Alan Taylor on drums and Jack Turnbull on bass drive things along in fine style. And out in front, Will singing like a rock star and playing his own unique, patented, blues-derived rock harmonica. Wonderful!

Will Wilde website: www.willharmonicawilde.com

Order the album on CD and Vinyl from: www.badluckfriday.com

Spotify: https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/bad...

Follow Bad Luck Friday on Social Media: Facebook: www.facebook.com/badluckfriday

YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/willharmonicawilde

Michael Rubin: I’ll Worry If I Wanna (Own label – available at www.michaelrubinharmonica.com)

By Norman Darwen

Michael Rubin is a singer and harmonica player, born in New Jersey in 1969 who sought out and learned from some of the great blues harp players, and he now teaches others from his base in Austin, Texas - and he has a pretty good sense of humour too. The cover sets the right kind of mood.

There’s some slashing slide guitar and great slabs of chromatic blues playing by Michael (he can play in all keys on a diatonic too) on the opening, somewhat unlikely-titled Little Rabbit – other song titles include the country-tinged Go Milk Your Own Cow, the lascivious (of course) Kama Sutra Girl and the graphic, celebratory Beer Belly Baby. Old Rodeo Dreams is a slow, melancholy, country styled number with plenty of rural-flavoured harp, whilst Can We Break Up Again is a fine mambo-inflected blues, with perhaps just a hint of Slim Harpo, and an unusual, slight tinge of jazz in the harp break.

The title track is a strong, freewheeling, fifties Chicago blues flavoured piece with a swinging guitar break and fine slap bass –and of course a first-rate harmonica break that made me think more than a little of Billy Boy Arnold.

REVIEWS

So yes, Michael’s ticking all the right boxes – his playing is exciting and frequently a little unexpected. His singing is good-humoured (try the aforementioned Beer Belly Baby where you can definitely hear the chuckle in his voice) and his accompanists – ex Fabulous Thunderbirds guitarist Mike Keller, Emily Gimble keyboards, Michael Archer bass, Mark Hays drums and Mr. Sick on fiddle – are spot-on. Yes, I really enjoyed this one.

Dustin Arbuckle And The Damnations - My Getaway (Independent)

Review by Norman Darwen

Singer and harmonica player Dustin Arbuckle is from Wichita, Kansas, and I nearly wrote “Blues harp player”, but his remit here is a little wider than that. He closes this fine set with the straight(ish) jazz piece ‘Swingling’, but some of the set references his earlier work as one third of Moreland & Arbuckle (yes, you read that right!) with a tough blues sound that draws inspiration from both Chicago and the raw Mississippi hill country sound - try the pounding ‘Across The Desert’.

Sometimes he opts for a strong blues-rock sound, with appropriate harmonica playing, elsewhere he goes for southern rock (‘Dealer’s Lament’) or a country and folk-influenced ‘When A Song Comes Along’. His playing can sometimes go off into unexpected directions - try the opening ‘Say My Name’. Better still, give the whole set a listen… (www.dustinarbuckledamnations.com)

CHROMATIC WEEKEND

June 17th-19th 2022

Review by Louise Goodridge

I am new to both HarmonicaUK and to playing Harmonica, so making the decision to go to the Chromatic Weekend was a big one for me. However, I am so glad that I did. The weekend was held at the Hillscourt, near Birmingham. The hotel is surrounded by attractive gardens, complete with hopping rabbits. I found my room to be very pleasant and relatively quiet.

I arrived on Friday evening and found everyone in the bar chatting. It was very friendly and welcoming. The bar area was set up with HarmonicaUK banners and was ready for a jam. It was wonderful to see a dozen people playing Summertime together, in their own style, but blending beautifully. It just embodied the theme which continued through the weekend of the joy of playing harmonica and how it brings people together.

Saturday morning started in the Conference room for the day’s briefing. I was very impressed by how professionally it was set up ready for the evening events with stunning banners, a stage backdrop and an impressive sound and lighting system.

My first workshop was with Jens Bunge. As a new player I haven’t found my style yet, so hearing Jens talk about Jazz interpretation was quite inspiring. Listening to him play as he showed us examples was just mesmerising.

My next workshop was with Gerry Izzard, a harmonica champion. The workshop was full of practical hints and tips from how to keep your harmonica in tip top condition, to playing techniques. There was a whole host of workshops to attend on Saturday and Sunday, depending on your level of playing and interests. John Cook was available to help with servicing and maintenance of harmonicas. The legendary Jim Hughes was holding court in the bar on Saturday and had many tales to tell.

Chris Collis was available for practice, and to accompany the performers for the Saturday and Sunday concerts. I described him as a magician as he can play just about anything.

Saturday evening’s concert was a chance for the tutors and other performers to show off their playing skills. Pete Hewitt, Neil Warren, Gerry Izzard, Patrick (Paddy) Byrne, Chris Shrimpton and Hilvert Scheper kept us enthralled for the first half of the concert. After which Jens Bunge took us on a musical meander down a Jazz highway. Despite it having been a full day, the concert was followed by another Jam in the bar.

After the workshops on Sunday there was an opportunity for the Weekenders to perform. Some participants had only been playing a short time and others were much more experienced, all of them gave wonderful performances.

As a new player and a non-music reader I found some of the workshops harder to access, but that has just spurred me on to learn to play and to read music properly. My aim is to be one of those performers on Sunday afternoon next year. Overall, I found the weekend to be friendly, welcoming, inspiring and very worthwhile.

From the first issue of Accordion Times and Harmonica News in 1935 by a young

Larry Adler in the year he came to the UK.

This section contains articles from past issues and is a look back to a time when opinions of the day may not conform to what current acceptability might be. HarmonicaUK does not endorse any controversial opinions relating to the thinking of this period.

Larry Adler Says - Issue 1, 1935

Larry Adler, the world’s Harmonica “Ace”, having made an extensive tour of Great Britain, has some interesting things to tell harmonica players.

“BLAST FROM THE PAST”

Roger Trobridge HarmonicaUK Patron

So you want me to talk ? O.K. And you tell me I can say what I like. That’s fine.

First of all, I want to hand a whole lot of appreciation to the man who gave me the Big Chance in this country - Mr. C. B. Cochran. When he brought me over, he sat me down in the Palace Theatre, London, and told me to watch the show (“Streamline,” you remember), and then tell him just where I would like to go in and what I would like to play.

That’s never happened to me before. Most producers give you a “spot ” and tell you what tunes you’ve got to play. But “ C. B.’s ” method gave me a wonderful opportunity. I was able to do my best work in my own style, and it is very gratifying that the British public responded to my offering in the way they did.

Since “Streamline” finished its very successful run, I have been seeing Britain. Touring has taken me to many parts of the country, and two features have been apparent everywhere - friendliness and enthusiasm.

It’s Everywhere

How many hundreds of harmonica players I have heard, at contests and elsewhere, I don’t know. But this instrument certainly has got a grip on the people of Britain.

(And if correspondents only knew how much money I have had to spend on postage since coming over here, they would send stamped envelopes with their letters!)

One point has struck me very forcibly. The Chromatic Harmonica is far more popular in the North than it is in London. How this happens it is impossible to say, but it is an undoubted fact.

London clubs and players had better watch out, or the folk up North will get away with all the glory! They seem to take things more seriously there and the general standard of playing is better. Not that the players down South have anything to be ashamed of. I’m just passing this on as a warning. You can’t get along without the spirit of competition. So, go to it, London!

Different Towns, Different Tunes

It’s strange, too, how tastes seem to differ. In the West End of London, most requests are for “ St. Louis Blues”. “ Tiger Rag ” and similar numbers.

In North England people ask to hear such things as the Liszt “Hungarian Rhapsody,” etc.. Their chief request, in the matter of dance music is the big symphonic arrangement of “Body and Soul.”

However, the “Rhapsody in Blue” seems to be a general favourite everywhere.

It’s Not Extravagance

The Editor having told me I can say just what I like, I’m going to air a couple of long-standing grievances.

First of all, it’s quite true I use a new harmonica every day. But I want to say, right here and now, that it isn’t because there’s anything wrong with the instruments.

No harmonica yet made would stand up to the punishment it gets from me. When I step in front of the footlights I go all out to get just everything the instrument can give me in the way of harmonic and instrumental effects. That’s not “fair wear and tear.” Not by any means!

Remember, I use the ordinary “commercial” chromatic instruments exactly the same as you buy over the shop counter. I do not have them specially made, as some people seem to imagine.

Perhaps, one of these days the makers will manage to produce reeds that can “take it”, but you must blame me and not the manufacturers for my present apparent extravagance.

Don’t Ask Me!

That brings me to my second “grievance”. It is impossible for me to give away harmonicas after I have finished with them.

For one thing, this would have a very bad effect on sales. After all, we must think of the people who make a living by selling harmonicas! Also, the instruments aren’t of much use to anyone by the time I’m through with them.

And, when I tell you that 1,500 letters arrived after one broadcast alone, asking me for the harmonica I used, you will see how impossible the whole thing is.

A Spot of Good Advice

Every harmonica player cannot be expected to use a chromatic model. But I should like to see this instrument in more general use, particularly in the South.

It has such vast possibilities - so many advantages over the ordinary model - that it more than repays the extra time taken in learning. Anyway, whether you use the chromatic or the ordinary harmonica, here’s good luck to you. And I would advise you to keep in touch with the rest of the “gang.” This new magazine of ours will help you to do that. Send a line to the Editor now and then, telling him how things are going. So long, fellows, Sincerely yours, Larry Adler

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