Q&A: Martin Lang on the Chicago sound and ‘weight’ on the harmonica

Martin Lang is a lifelong student and steward of amplified Chicago blues harmonica. From his earliest days as a white college student learning to play blues in African-American clubs to his long association with Chicago blues legend Taildragger, Lang has worked to keep the sound of traditional Chicago blues harp alive. In recent years, Lang has become a frontman as well. His 2020 album Bad Man – recorded with a collection of heavy hitters from the Chicago blues scene – is a marvel of tone, efficiency, and presence. Sadly, Lang couldn’t capitalise on the album with additional shows and touring due to the pandemic, so he started writing another record. Lang talked to us about the Chicago sound and his apprenticeship Q&A: in the world of Chicago blues. How did you discover the harmonica? MARTIN LANG I started out as a French horn player. Then I started listening to other music and went off to boarding ON THE CHICAGO school. One of my professors gave me the Rolling Stones record Exile On Main Street. I was sitting in SOUND AND my dorm listening to it, and this other guy came and poked his head in. Then he came back with Muddy Waters's double album Fathers and Sons. ‘WEIGHT’ ON THE When I heard that record, it blew me away. When I came to Chicago (for college at the University Of HARMONICA Chicago), I met (harmonica player) Dave Waldman, and he turned me on to all the old stuff. I also had Justin M. Norton a girlfriend who took me to the blues clubs on Maxwell Street. It was like I instantly knew I had to do this. There was no doubt I would do this and make these sounds. All of a sudden, everything changed.

How did you apprentice yourself to learning the instrument?

I didn't slow records down – just played them. And I went to clubs. I didn't just want to play harp; I wanted to be one of those guys. The guys playing in Chicago blues clubs were cooler than rock stars. I wanted to be one of those guys. I didn't want to be a rock star. I wanted to be a Chicago harp player. There were still enough people left on the scene – this small crew of black Chicago harp players. These guys took it very seriously. It was like a religion to them. It wasn't this ‘everyone gets a trophy’ bull. Not at all.

You had the rare experience of a blues apprenticeship. Today, people just get on YouTube and start learning. What are people missing?

You can't do what I did anymore. It would be impossible. I was trying to learn third position, and the whole sound of this song was based on third position. Learning it required that I go out to the Back Scratcher’s Social Club and drink some whiskey and listen and talk to players. It would turn into an all-day affair. That’s how

I learned third position. Once I understood it, I immediately put it to use on the bandstand. I constantly tried to make my bag bigger. I still do that.

How did you meet Taildragger? Can you tell me about the unique relationship you’ve had now going on for a few decades?

Well, he’s not like my Dad, but he’s more than a friend. He’s the most important person I met in Chicago. His main thing has always been that I understand the music. He’s not an instrumentalist, but he has such a deep understanding of blues. For a long time, he would take me to festivals. We’d play with pickup bands. We did a gig in Minneapolis, and I had a huge amp, and I was almost trying to force these (pickup musicians) to play it right. I realised later I had to back off. Taildragger would always tell me to take my time. I eventually learned I had to back off from people and let them play and listen to them, then play around them. I didn’t need to force them to try to play what I thought they should. It was a satori moment.

Harmonica playing is at an all-time high for virtuosity. What do you think is missing from it?

‘Weight’ was a term Chicago players used when I was coming up to describe good harp playing. To be told by one of the older guys you had weight was the absolute highest compliment. Weight is a combination of tone, timing, attack, punch and power, and authority. The overall impression the harp creates is power and presence. You don’t hear that every day anymore because it requires a deep understanding of blues and some serious tone. Tone doesn’t come from any object like an amplifier or a microphone. It comes from a person. Michael Jordan couldn’t shoot incredible baskets because he had great sneakers… Gear is the least significant and least important thing.

Are you a tongue blocker?

I am a tongue blocker most of the time. I keep my tongue to the right side, which is somewhat unorthodox. But it took quite a bit of switching back and forth to get there. When I do a 2 draw, I play that way. I do it that way because someone demonstrated a basic riff and then played what it sounded like tongue blocked. I immediately heard the difference. That’s as far as my lesson went – no one told me which side of the tongue to use. At that point, I’d already been on several recordings, but I didn’t know how to tongue block. Then I moved to Chicago and met Dave, and I realised I was going to have to start over again.