HARMONICA
WORLD
FEB - MAR 2021
Harmonica.co.uk
Registered Charity (England and Wales) No. 1131484 Harmonica.co.uk
Contents
President - Paul Jones
5 Meet the Team
4 Chair’s Message
Vice-President - Ben Hewlett vice-pres@harmonica.co.uk
6
Publicity Column
7
An Interview with Michael Heath
10
Ben Talks Harmonica
Chair - Pete Hewitt (also acting chief editor) chair@harmonica.co.uk
12
Vincent Rynik
14
90 Years Young - Frank Eatwell
Vice-Chair (shared) Sam Wilkinson (also Publicity) publicity@harmonica.co.uk
17
“Harpin’ By The Sea”
18
A Personal Perspective
Patrons - Lee Sankey, Brendan Power, and Adam Glasser Executive Committee
Vice-Chair (shared) Richard Taylor hove.actually@ntlworld.com Secretary - Davina Brazier sec@harmonica.co.uk Treasurer - Phil Leiwy treasurer@harmonica.co.uk
20 Tabs 21
Events Calendar
23 Seydel Endorser 25
Album Reviews
26
The Flappy Chromatic
29
Welsh Traditional Music
32
History of National Harmonica League/ HarmonicaUK
Education: Eva Hurt
35
Stevie Wonder “With a Child’s Heart”
IT: Barbara Tate
38 Classified
Committee Members Membership Secretary David Hambley memsec@harmonica.co.uk 7 Ingleborough Way, Leyland, Lancs, PR25 4ZS, UK +44 (0)7757 215047
Tremolo: Simon Joy Member: Dave Taylor Use the contact form at harmonicauk.com/about-us Assistants to the committee Education - Dick Powell edu@harmonica.co.uk Health - Rollen Flood - use the contact form Archivist - Roger Trobridge gopher@internet-gopher.com Editorial team - please contact editor@harmonica.
Editorial policy is to let the enthusiasts write about their interests. This has led to a balance of interest in the magazine that caters for all tastes. Policy is also to let contributors’ style stand, which makes for a more varied and interesting read. Editorial changes are made only if absolutely necessary. To contribute please contact Barry Elms, editor@harmonica.co.uk. Published on 1st of every February, April, June, August, October and December. All material due in to Editor by 1st of the preceding month. The magazine is printed in England on FSC environmentally friendly silk art paper. Cover picture of Stevie Wonder courtesy of Antonio Cruz.
Feb-Mar 2021 • Harmonica.co.uk
3
Hello everyone, A harmonically warm welcome to all at HarmonicaUK and a special hello to the many that have chosen to join our growing family in recent weeks. 2020 certainly was a busy year for many involved in HarmonicaUK as we had to evolve during a year of such adversity. However, if you look closely then HarmonicaUK has been in constant evolution for more than 85 years, a fact that we must be sure to celebrate.
CHAIR’S MESSAGE
At our beginning in 1935 we were known as The Harmonica Song Band League. This name served us well right up until 1952 where we were renamed as the National Harmonica League (NHL). Late in 2019 we changed the name again to HarmonicaUK. I look back at 2020 with admiration as our team explored every option to ensure that not only did we tread water, but tremendous progress was made. A fact backed up by a lot of feedback from you all. Many of our members have enjoyed the weekly lockdown sessions and coffee mornings. In 2021 we can look forward to a brand-new look as the rebranding looks back at our past as well as looking forward, just as our forefathers have done since 1935. I hope our new look will stand the test of time. We are also looking at our IT. We must streamline all that we are doing, look at new systems and get our IT working for us from automated membership, communications internal and external and much more. Our committee is looking at our membership numbers and we have set a target of increasing our membership to 1000 members this year. Have a think to see if you can encourage anyone to join us for 5 pence per day. As I draw to a close, I’d like to say a special thanks to our proof readers and contributors who have helped make this edition possible. We sincerely hope that we all get to meet in person soon, but if not, please be reassured that our great organisation will continue to function, grow and engage.
Best wishes Pete
4
The magazine for HarmonicaUK
Meet the team Pete Hewitt, Chief Editor - Essex, UK
In August of last year, Ben Hewlett and I looked at forming a brand new sustainable editorial team. Over the coming months our plan came together and we did form a team of highly capable and enthusiastic people. I’d like to introduce to you the main players.
Barry Elms, Editor - Cornwall, UK After hearing the harmonica played on the Dr Who episode ‘The Happiness Patrol’ in the early ‘90s, Barry bought his first Marine Band, became hooked on blues harmonica, and has been playing ever since. Now he mainly plays folk music, jug band and blues. He also plays guitar, harmonium, melodion and washboard.
Steve Pardue, Designer - Northumberland, UK Steve is an artist, designer and amateur naturalist. He has been involved in interpreting the natural and built landscape for over 30 years and designs and produces work across a range of media and materials. Steve plays trumpet and flugelhorn in two local community brass bands and is continuously learning harmonica!
Sophia Ramirez, Sub-editor, Connecticut, USA Sophia is a high school senior. In her free time, she loves to write and, as of last year, play the harmonica. She’ll be going to Yale University next year, where she plans to be an English major and revive their harmonica ensemble.
Keith Parker, Advertising - Cambridgeshire, UK
Keith has been playing blues harmonica since the blues boom of the 60s, he has played on many European and American stages and still continues to play London and European clubs with his band to enthusiastic audiences.
Justin Norton, USA Correspondent, San Francisco Bay, USA
Justin Norton is a harmonica player, vocalist, and writer based in the San Francisco Bay area. He currently plays in the blues and roots duo Raag & Norton and has played with several other blues and rock bands and done studio and session work.
Roger Trobridge, Archivist, Berkshire, UK Roger has been a constant feed of advice, content and photographs on a daily basis.
Feb-Mar 2021 • Harmonica.co.uk
5
NEW! HarmonicaUK monthly Open Mic
PUBLICITY COLUMN Sam Wilkinson Vice-Chair
It goes without saying that 2020 was a difficult year for all of us, but it was also a time of innovation and opportunity, and HarmonicaUK made the most of this. The Friday social coffee mornings and Saturday Lockdown sessions began in May and are still going strong. Each of these has created a harmonica community which has allowed players (members and nonmembers) to get to know each other; this sort of networking has only been possible at live events in the past, such as the Annual Festival and the Chromatic Weekend. Hopefully, normality will return sooner than later, and we can meet up in person once again. Regardless, as long as there is the demand, then there is no reason why these virtual sessions will not continue. Regarding the Saturday Lockdown sessions, we are introducing Open Mic sessions, probably to run once a month – the first will be on Saturday 6th March. This is following the success and positive feedback we received with regards to the Christmas open mic. This was attended by one of our Patrons, Adam Glasser, who is keen to get involved, which is great news for HarmonicaUK. These events will be open to everyone (assuming they’re playing harmonica!) and are aimed at all abilities. Perhaps there’s a song you’ve been working on for a while and haven’t had the chance to play it in front of other people – now’s your opportunity! Feedback and tips are always valuable from a very appreciative and knowledgeable audience. Come along to take part or just listen in.
ADAM GLASSER
FREE CHROMATIC HARMONICA WORKSHOPS Delivered Online via ZOOM every Sunday in February 3pm - 4.30pm 7th, 14th, 21st, 28th Feb YOU WILL LEARN • Adam’s unique approach to learning • Playing and performing on Zoom • Individual trouble shooting • Breakout Rooms • developing a personal repertoire • examination of great players solos
Pre-registration:
adamgharmonica@gmail.com
w w w. A D A M G L A S S E R M U S I C . c o m
AN INTERVIEW WITH MICHAEL HEATH Laina Freeman
Michael Heath is a senior member of HarmonicaUK and a fine chromatic player and is a regular at the Friday coffee mornings. I hope you enjoy his story so far.
The beginning
I first lived in Plymouth and, although from a musical family, didn’t play any instruments until I was 16. Harmonica was still considered a bit of a novelty. I’d heard Larry Adler and Tommy Riley on the radio who were pioneers taking harmonica more seriously, playing different genres. However I never dreamt I could pick up a harmonica and play a decent tune. I used to visit my aunt in Tonbridge, Kent where there was a marvellous music shop, whose sparkling window of harmonicas caught my attention. I could just afford a Hohner Super Chromonica 12, at the princely sum of £2, 16 shillings around £85 today. My aunt then asked if I could play, so I went to my bedroom and worked on playing nice clean notes. I could whistle Irving Berlin’s ‘This is the Army Mr Jones’ and after two solid weeks was delighted to play the whole song. Toots was an excellent whistler, so there is a credible connection with harmonica playing.
Life’s loves
As well as playing harmonica, I used to attend social events at the local rowing club where I met my wife Pat who was a keen rower. Over the years Pat has been so supportive and a great ‘roadie’ during my later events. I always yearned to work on aircraft, so when I was called up for National Service I signed up in the RAF as an Aircraftsman 2 finishing my time there as a Junior Technician.
Feb-Mar 2021 • Harmonica.co.uk
7
Shower block melodies Posted to the Suez Canal zone, and as we were confined to camp, we made our own entertainment. Of course I’d taken my Chromonica and discovered the brick built shower block had wonderful reverberation. Around 6pm most days I’d entertain the lads with popular tunes like ’The Sunny Side of the Street’, ‘Summertime’ and the Skye Boat song. Learning everything by ear I practiced my songs in the band room. There was also a jazz listening club and I was inspired hearing innovative musicians like Stan Getz, Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker. Whilst their improvisation is unique I prefer to play melodies as near to their original. Max Geldray featured on the Goon Show and his Swing style really took harmonica in a new direction. However between 1955 and 1992 my one and only harmonica lay lonely in a drawer until I retired.
Large and little After moving to Barton on Sea, New Milton, Pat and I joined the popular New Forest Organ Society at Milford on Sea. It was very sociable with both hobbyists and professionals playing different electronic keyboards and organs. This is where I restarted and developed my harmonica playing after a break from playing. After so many years without playing I was apprehensive at first but muscle memory worked its magic. From then I was invited to play at events with different organists backing my harmonica. The electronic organ is a fantastic instrument capable of extracting many unique sounds and, although so much bigger than the harmonica, pairs very well with the right amplification.
Learning to read music and melodies At one organ demonstration I found a fascinating Easy Notation reading book. It highlights the note name and I was hooked. Within minutes I could play from notation, regardless of the key, and have never looked back. I still write the note name on new scores as well as carefully listen to a good vocalist’s version. Whilst I’ve never used tabs, Adam Glasser’s recent HarmonicaUK presentation shows they’re an excellent way of learning. Favourite instrument – I moved from Hohners to Hering Special 48s after meeting Harry Pitch and being impressed by the sound and the instrument itself. When Suzuki had a stand at the NHL Festival, I tried a Chromatix, now my current favourite. I’ve a Sirius 56 too but prefer the familiarity of a 12 hole where I can play everything I need, and if a melody goes below middle C I will use a ghost note.
8
The magazine for HarmonicaUK
Concert hall entertainment After community events, invitations to larger venues and audiences followed. I performed at Bournemouth’s Victoria and Miramar Hotels and at several gala concerts. I mostly play from the Great American Song Book which has music I know my audiences like to hear, so there’s a good connection between us.
Embracing new technology I’ve learned how to use a range of equipment and enjoy amplification for giving my music dynamics and variety. It also helps to conserve pressure on the reeds. My setup includes Yamaha mixing deck MG10XUF, Yamaha MSR100 and MSP5 speakers, and Roland C/F-CD Recorder CD2.
Scariest moment in playing Two years ago I was performing at an afternoon tea event with the New Forest Organ Society at Milton on Sea. My oldest son who had never heard me play helped me to set up. There were fee paying guests and I was to do two 20-minute slots. All went to plan until I couldn’t find my glasses. Mild panic set in until the Society Chair handed me her glasses. Luckily they were perfect and the show went on. But where were my glasses... inside my harmonica case just where I’d popped them whilst attaching my harmonica to the mic.
Players who impress Toots was the most influential. I’m very fond of Philip Achille and admire his talent moving from classical into jazz. Gregoire Maret’s level of musicianship is outstanding and I feel his connection with different musicians is another way forward in promoting the harmonica on a professional level.
Thoughts about the future for harmonica? Every country’s music is influenced by its culture and the harmonica is so versatile - for example Brendan Power’s Asian inventions and Argentinian tango mimicking a bandoneon. Here in the UK with older musicians fading away we need to keep drawing in young people. Players like Rachelle Plas and Will Pound are great ambassadors. I see HarmonicaUK ‘s role of working with schools as most beneficial. Promoting the health benefits of playing harmonica is key too. Many great players lived to a grand age. At 88 I intend to keep playing and am now compiling songs to record my first CD.
Feb-Mar 2021 • Harmonica.co.uk
9
This month I’ve mostly been teaching ‘tunes from the British Isles’ and live blues harmonica classes. When I was at school, a Welsh cell-mate would torture us by singing Sosban Fach at the top of his tenor voice - he looked like the ‘Go Compare’ man, but without the moustache. One of my American students - let’s call him Scott - asked me to put together a course of songs from the British Isles so he could engage with the natives when he next visits. So, the idea of a song from Wales, Ireland, Scotland and England was born.
BEN TALKS HARMONICA Ben Hewlett Vice-President
The first two tunes I chose were Sosban Fach and The Kesh. The Kesh is an attractive and addictive Irish Jig.
The three letters in the word ‘Jig’ remind us it is in ‘three time’ and multiples of three, such as 6/8 and 9/8, whereas a Reel is a long slippery fish from the Sargasso Sea. Okay, it has four letters and four beats to the bar.
A Jig has 6 or 12 beats in a bar. Some describe the rhythm as like saying ‘Diddley Diddley’, or 123 123 or even ‘rashers and sausages’. So a bar with one long note followed by a bar with three shorter notes could be sung as ‘Dum, Diddley’. I hope I’m not dumbing this down too much, but as I sing through a jig with no lyrics, to get the feel for it - and prior to trying it on the harmonica - I can’t help myself singing it like this! A bar with two notes followed by a bar with three notes could be sung as Dum Dee, Diddley. The only other combination here would be a bar of three notes followed by a bar of just one long note at the end of a piece, so I can sing it as ‘Diddley Dum’.
10
The magazine for HarmonicaUK
This tune starts on an ‘anacrusis’. I have represented that with (-2 or 3) and, below, (Da). The A section, first half. Strong emphasised notes in bold. (-2 or 3) 4 4 4-45 (Da) Dumdee Diddley
-4 -4
-456
Dumdee Diddley
-666
766
Diddley Diddley
-665
65-4
Diddley Diddley
Here’s the whole piece with its two sections: The A section (-2 or 3) 4 4 4-45
-4 -4
-456
-666
766
-665
65-4
4 4 4-45
-4 -4
-456
-666
765
-44-3
4 (4) -4 -4
The B Section 545
656
-67-6
654
545
654
-45-4
545
656
-67-6
656
7-77
-87-8
877
7 (65)
I know this looks weird but it’s how I start singing it, and I hope it will help you. I won’t teach you Sosban Fach here, but both these songs are in a pre-recorded video course which you can find here: http://ow.ly/FlrW50CPwxe Sosban Fach is a haunting Welsh classic which works well in 3rd position which I would recommend you learn. There’s a great video from Cerys Matthews on YouTube that you can play along with. Who knows, next time you go to Wales or Ireland, you can follow in Scott’s footsteps and impress the locals by playing their favourite songs to them.
Live blues classes are back It’s just like the old days of running evening classes - great fun having a group of people (on zoom) all chatting, performing, and learning from each other. There are usually ten people per group so I can give personal attention and really listen to their playing. HarmonicaUK Members can try one free - just email benhewlett@me.com and ask for ‘HUK free class pass’ or visit http://ow.ly/OUUk50CPwrV
‘Shout out to Brendan Power for supplying this chart from his book: www.brendan-power.com/instruction.php#view3’
Feb-Mar 2021 • Harmonica.co.uk
11
When I was young, I made small video games for my friends, and I now work for a video games company. It is for me a complete activity as it involves art, music and of course computer engineering. I was late to harmonica and started playing when I was 18. I used to watch a lot of movies and when I saw Midnight Cowboy I was drawn to the haunting sound of the harmonica in the film. It was a sound that was at once familiar and was like a voice. I found I couldn’t replicate the sound from the film. My first harmonica was a diatonic - a Hohner Golden Melody - and I realised much later that the film used a chromatic harmonica. In the beginning I played mostly melodies and listened to Toots Thielemans, Stevie Wonder and JJ Milteau. I loved the film La La Land and played a lot of music from the film. City of Stars is a simple tune but involves a lot of bends, and I was very unhappy, at first, with my results. But by using a chromatic tuner I was able to achieve more accurate bends, and I added vibrato techniques to shape my sound. I still use a tuner regularly to check my bends. You can make significant progress on your harmonica by polishing a song you really like. The songs I play are often not difficult by themselves, but I practise them and polish them until I get the sound I really like. It can take a lot of time to make even a simple tune sound right. Harmonica can be a tricky instrument. My studies involved a lot of maths and science and I found that harmonica helped me to relax and to sleep better. It is also a wonderful instrument to meet new people and can help to overcome social barriers. When I went to Japan for my studies, I discovered that blues was very popular there. There were a lot of bars where you can listen to live blues music and take part in open mic sessions. It was there, I started to play live and met others I could play harmonica with. We had a band for a while and I met lots of people who became good friends too. When I first started playing harmonica I didn’t know any music theory; it was only afterwards that I discovered it involved much more than just playing simple tunes. Blues opened the doors to improvisation, but after a while I felt limited because of my lack of musical background. I am now taking weekly music classes with Alexandre Thollon in Paris. He is teaching me about musical theory, jazz and how to practise efficiently.
VINCENT RYNIK Steve Pardue Editorial Team
Vincent Rynik is a software engineer from France and shares his experience playing harmonica with Harmonica World.
12
The magazine for HarmonicaUK
I am currently focusing on playing in all 12 keys on one diatonic harmonica to build my musical vocabulary. I am practising one key per month until I am proficient in all 12 keys. I play mainly on a Hohner Golden Melody and Hohner Special 20 and have customised harmonicas for jazz. I have a custom harmonica comb and cover plate made by a French luthier (Brodur), who uses a wooden body which makes the sound much warmer. I just buy Golden Melody reeds when I need to change them. I also customise my reeds myself to make bends and overbends easier to achieve. The key is to bring the reed of the harmonica closer to the plate, by leaving just enough space to be able to reach the natural blow and draw notes. For this, I press gently on the extremity of the reed (the one near the rivet) with a small screwdriver (see the picture). I leave just enough space that a piece of paper can just fit between the reed and the plate. I do this for all the holes of the harmonica. I make sure I can reach the blow / draw / bends / overbends. I then play several days with this new adjusted harmonica, and if the reed position changes, I continue to adjust the gap between the reed and the plate for those holes. I keep going until I reach the point where the harmonica suits my needs. My current projects are to continue to upload videos on my YouTube channel. I will also make a game soundtrack on harmonica and piano with a friend, for a project we are currently working on in our free time. See the tabs for City of Stars on page 20.
Feb-Mar 2021 • Harmonica.co.uk
13
Frank Eatwell, 4-2-1930 - 22-11-2020 An appreciation from Roger Trobridge. For most of his 25 years of active committee work, Frank was the membership secretary and welcomed everyone and helped them when he could.
I spoke with Frank after he retired and here is his story in his own words. Frank wrote: I was born in 1930. I joined the Army aged 18 in 1948 and served until 1969, with postings in many countries. Like many of my generation, I took up the harmonica when I was in the Forces. My first harmonica was a Hohner Echo de Luxe, tremolo tuned. Most players vamped, playing chords and melody. I couldn’t, but I could pick out a tune and soon realised the need for sharps and flats. I bought my first chromatic when serving in Hong Kong, a 10-hole Thorens (Crossbow), but then I found my first 3 octave chromatic, which became my instrument of choice.
90 YEARS YOUNG Roger Trobridge Chairman 2000-2012 Between 1980 and 2006, when Frank stood down from the committee, almost everyone in the NHL would have met Frank, either when they joined the NHL or when he was on the NHL Help Desk at our festivals.
I was soon playing popular tunes, and I bought my first harmonica record - ‘Comedians’ Gallop’ by Jerry Murad and the Harmonicats. I was self taught, but I got lots of musical help from the Regimental Bandsmen. The Army Radio broadcasts featured Ronald Chesney and Sidney Shaw, and my knowledge and technique improved a lot. On my return to the UK from Hong Kong, I joined the Hohner Song Band League, which soon became the NHL. I became aware of great players like Jim Hughes, Douglas Tate and Dave Beckford but never met any of them until the 1980s as the Army kept sending me abroad. I formed a five man group, the Harmonica Hoboes, when I was in Germany, and we performed in the NAAFI clubs and hospitals. It was a wonderful time until I was asked to go to the Far East again. An Army padre asked me if I would go with him to small units and play hymns for them. I found it a very profound experience. I was fascinated by steam engines, and I built a small one when I was in the Army. After leaving the Army I became a founder member of the newly formed Banbury Steam Society and spent many happy days taking part in the Original Bloxham Rally in Banbury – one of the biggest and best traction engine and steam roller shows in the country. After leaving the army in 1970, I had very little contact with any other harmonica players. I rejoined the NHL in 1979 when John Tyler was in charge and I began to attend all the functions. Hohner passed the NHL over to John Walton in
14
The magazine for HarmonicaUK
1981, and I organised a Harmonica Day at Stratford on Avon in 1983. Later, in 1986, I restarted the NHL Open Harmonica Championships which had stopped about 10 years earlier. It was held in St Paul’s Church Hall in Banbury, and excerpts from the event were captured in the BBC broadcast by Nick Baker – “Blow, Suck: Life and Times of the Harmonica” (1988). Since then I have been active on the NHL and IHO committees, and I still give lessons. I used to play with Chic Bolton in a pub in Leicester. I don’t play as much these days, for health reasons, but every day I continue to get letters on harmonicas from members and people I have met.
Top: Frank in a quartet at an event (possibly ad hoc mid1990s). Above: Frank with Gerry Ezard and Clive Moles.
Top Left: Steve Jennings presenting the St Paul Trophy to Frank in 1995 for his contribution to the NHL. Bottom Left: Frank was fascinated by steam engines, and he built a small one when he was in the Army.
I visited the USA on several occasions. In 1977 I went to Nashville and then I was part of a group of NHL members, including John Walton, Jim Hughes, Colin Mort, Frank Stevens and Norman Ditchett, who took part in an event organised by Cham’ber Huang in Silver Bay, in New York State in 1985. The following year I attended Al Smith’s course on chord harmonica in California, and I attended the SPAH Conventions in Detroit in 1989 and 1991 and in Chicago a couple of years later. My final visit to SPAH was in 1989 to St Louis. I made many friends on these trips, as well as at the World Championships organised by Jim Hughes in Jersey in 1987, and many, like Al and Judy Smith, stayed with us on their visits to the UK. It is a wonderful thing to be a member of the world wide harmonica family. Roger Allum met Frank at the Bristol Festival in 2005, and they remained friends. Roger wrote the following for Frank’s funeral, which had music by Larry Adler and Tommy Reilly. “Frank was an incredibly kind person. Although his life was fraught with difficulties, he maintained good humour and with Ann by his side, they both overcame many adversities and lived to tell the tales. Great people. My Sunday evenings will never be the same. We used to spend many hours away on the phone, reminiscing and musing over articles we had read and shared, countless repair tips and set music challenges for various instruments we would either purchase or had obtained over the years. A great friend who will be sadly missed.” Frank forgot to mention that he had won several cups in the Trio competition as well as being awarded the St Paul Trophy in 1995 for his contribution to the NHL. I remember him most for the Welcome pack he prepared for new members which contained useful information and contacts as well as the NHL badge which we used to include in those days. He liked helping people.
Feb-Mar 2021 • Harmonica.co.uk
15
HARPIN’ BY THE SEA
Harpin’ By The Sea goes live on Zoom and YouTube during the first weekend of February. Login details are on our homepage, and there’s plenty for all diatonic harp players to enjoy. Our international cast of guest artists includes Mark Hummel, Mickey Raphael, Joe Filisko, Steve Weston, Aki Kumar, Son of Dave, Steve Baker, Will Wilde, Victor Puertas, Marcos Coll, Dave Ferguson, Fede Vaz, Paul Gillings, Aidan Sheehan, and Adam Burney. Our artists will be leading tutorials, playing songs and answering your questions live. In return, we invite our virtual audience to show their appreciation by donating whatever they can to help our artists who have been out of work for many months now owing to the Corona Pandemic. To make your donation, simply type paypal.me/harpinbythesea into your browser window. On Saturday we will be taking a virtual factory tour of Hohner Harmonicas and running interviews with our harmonica trade sponsors, who will be available to meet afterwards in our virtual bar. John Cook will also be on hand in his technical studio for visitors to drop in and chat about their harmonica modification and maintenance needs. If that’s not enough to get excited about, on Sunday there will be a rare opportunity to win a limited edition Gold Plated Hohner Marine Band harmonica and other great prizes in our fantastic online raffle. Money raised from the raffle and our popular new souvenir t-shirts will provide bedside music therapy for children in critical care through the Wishing Well Music charity. Raffle tickets can be purchased using the link on our event homepage. So join us on your handset, tablet, PC or laptop or TV and celebrate a harmonica weekend to remember from the comfort of your own home. This is not just any online harmonica festival, this is a Harpin’ By The Sea online harmonica festival.
Tune in. Dig it. Tell all your friends. www.harpinbythesea.com
Bob Dylan Before I decided to start learning harmonica, there was Bob Dylan. I love his songs, so, whether it was “Mr. Tambourine Man” or “Blowin’ in the Wind,” I ended up listening to the harmonica without fully realising it - I just thought whatever he was playing sounded cool. Listening back again now that I’m learning, I really appreciate how enthusiastic his sound is. It seems sloppier and less technical than how I practice, and it reminds me not to get too caught up in technique, to have fun.
Buddy Greene Also before I picked up a harp myself, I found out about Buddy Greene from a video of him performing a classical harmonica medley at Carnegie Hall. I’ll admit it, I used to believe the stereotypes of harmonica not being ‘a real instrument’, something played exclusively by grandpas on front porches and not to be taken too seriously. Thankfully, listening to Buddy Greene play Bach and Rossini at the most prestigious concert stage in the US definitely helped me start to change the way I saw the instrument.
A PERSONAL PERSPECTIVE Sophia Ramirez Editorial Team As a high school teen who plays the harmonica when she should probably be doing homework, I’m pretty much at the start of my learning, and so I’m still just exploring different styles of playing. Here are some of my personal favourite players that I’ve stumbled upon along the way!
18
Adam Gussow I’ve been learning harmonica mostly from YouTube, and it’s amazing how accessible lessons from masters like Adam Gussow are. I doubt I’ll be achieving overblows any time soon, but I do enjoy hearing his. This is unrelated to musical influences, but I also loved the documentary Satan & Adam on Netflix - 10/10, would recommend.
Rachelle Plas I don’t remember when I first heard about Rachelle Plas, but I really enjoyed the live streams she hosted over quarantine, where she talked and played. She speaks French in them, which I figured would be an issue, but music knows no language barrier, as they say (that and the fact that she also switches often into English too, which helps). She says harmonica is like a second voice to her, and I love how clearly that’s conveyed in her modern style.
The magazine for HarmonicaUK
Little Walter I wonder how this guy ended up here. I listened to “Juke” mainly for the history of it, and, wouldn’t you know it, I thought it was pretty great.
Paul Butterfield I do want to get better at tongue blocking eventually, but at the moment I’m mainly a lip purser. While looking around for famous fellow pucker players, I discovered Butterfield. He has a really rich tone, and I’m obsessed with how his vibrato sounds.
Indiara Sfair She’s amazing! I love her improvisational solos - they’re so quick and soulful. Hopefully, as more women get involved in harmonica, a player’s gender will become less notable; for now though, in what seems to be a male-dominated interest, I appreciate having players like Sfair to look up to. There’s that! For the many of you who probably already knew all these incredible players already, hopefully my experience can at least remind you fondly of earlier days, when you still didn’t really get what ‘harmonica positions’ are. Or maybe that’s just me.
Bob Dylan and Joan Baez at a Civil Rights in 1963.
TA B S City of Stars cover from LaLa Land Vincent Rynik (Youtube: Zolta49) on a C Hohner Golden Melody playing in Dm (third position). You can see Vincent’s version here: https://youtu.be/JWNJbp9i4ag Piano accompaniment: Hyojeong Choi www.youtube.com/watch?v=XyT69c Part A -2 -3" -3' -4 -5 +5 -5 -4 +5 +4 -4 -3"... -2 -3" -3' -4 -5 +5 -5 -4 +5 +4 -4 -3"... -3" -3'... -4 +4 -4 +4 -4 +4 -4 -3" -3" -3" -3' -3" -6 +6 -4 +5 +5 -6 +6 -4 Part B -4 -4 -4 +4 -4 +5 +5 +5 -4 +5 +5 +5 +5 -4 +5 -5 -5 +5 +5 -4 -3" -4 -4 -4 +4 -4 +5 +5 +5 -4 +5 -3" (first time) (+5 -6 -6 +6 -5 -4) (second time) A A B B Ending
20
The magazine for HarmonicaUK
EVENTS CALENDAR Neil Warren Harpin’ By The Sea: 5-7 February 2021. UK. www.harpinbythesea.com
Chromatic Weekend: 18-20 June 2021. UK
SPAH Convention: 10-14 August 2021. Charlotte, USA. Currently planned to be a physical festival: www.spah.org
HUK Annual Festival: 1-3 October 2021. UK.
Wisconsin Annual Blues Harmonica Festival:
19 November, 2021. USA. Currently planned to be a physical festival: www.eventbrite.com/e/wisconsin-annual-blues-harmonica-festival2021-tickets-84058736945
HUK Lockdown sessions: typically run weekly, virtually: www.HarmonicaUK.com/lockdown-sessions/
Mundharmonika Live, Sept 14-19, Germany: https://mundharmonika-live.de/
http://recklesstram.com
When I was asked to write this article, I had to think what does being an endorser for a manufacturer mean? To some players it just means that you get your instruments cheaper or even free, but it is so much more than this. The first thing is recognition; it means that you as a musician have reached a level where you can promote the product to its best within your genre of music, and you are expected to always promote the product. I have been an endorser of Seydel harmonicas for 13 years, using 1847 diatonics in all aspects of my musical life, both live and for teaching.
SEYDEL ENDORSER Keith Parker, Editorial Team
It is like joining a family, and that family is close. It has enabled me to meet other members of that family around the world, like the great evening in 2017 that I spent playing with the great Jimi Lee underneath a tree in an Austin, Texas shopping mall; meeting Charlie Musslewhite backstage at the Jazz Café; spending the day in Paris with Mark Hummell following one of his legendary harmonica blow outs; being asked to judge the blues competition at the Klingenthal harmonica festival and being welcomed by the town mayor in front of everyone in the town square, incredibly special.
So, when we get back to playing live music I’m looking forward to more unforgettable memories to happen, so if you get offered an endorser deal consider it, it works for me! Keith with Mark Hummel in Paris
Concert Pictures KD Claben
But one night it all went wrong! Whilst on stage in the Blues Kitchen Camden, a thief entered the dressing room and walked off with my harp case with all my harps in it disaster! I was without my instruments and had more gigs in two days’ time. Following an urgent phone call to Seydel, who were brilliant, the next day I had replacement harps on my doorstep, so it works both ways.
SONNYBOY’S MUSIC STORE Sonnyboy’s
Music Store is run by HARMONICA players for HARMONICA players
We are importers and UK suppliers of high quality Kongsheng, Easttop and DaBell harmonicas.
Order direct from our online shop • We have tested and selected the best models from each factory and have UK stock ready for you.
• Quick delivery and great after sales service.
30 day no quibble money back guarantee if you’re not happy for any reason, plus you get three video courses on the house to help you learn to play the thing better!
Try one, we think you’ll like them! 24
www.sonnyboysmusicstore.co.uk
T h07973 e maga z i n e f o or r HPete a r m on o n i01594 c a U K 562545 Tel: Ben on 284366
BIG HARP GEORGE: Living In the City Blues Mountain BMR 04
Review by Norman Darwen Big Harp George is the stage name of George Bisharat, based in the San Francisco Bay area. As that name suggests, his forte is the chromatic harmonica. On this, his third album, George works mainly in a blues style, but one that encompasses a wide variety of blues, from the jazzy 40s/ early 50s feel of the instrumental ‘Baytown Bounce’ to the brassy, classy Rhythm & Blues and modern musician’s concerns of ‘Build Me An App’. He also dips into Middle Eastern sounds for the album closer. Throughout this release, George keeps things tight so that songs remain meaningful, instead of just a string of instrumental solos as can sometimes happen with the modern blues. There are some of the area’s best blues players in support, and George’s cool vocals, accomplished songwriting, and distinctive blues harp playing make this a very fine release indeed.
ALBUM REVIEWS Norman Darwen reviews two CDs
www.bigharpgeorge.com Shtreiml - Har Meron (download only)
Review by Norman Darwen Based in Montreal, Canada, Shtreiml is a five piece outfit under the leadership of Jason Rosenblatt, playing music of Turkey and the Jewish communities of Eastern Europe. This is their fifth album, and the first for six years. Jason himself plays piano and diatonic harmonica, but, as quickly becomes apparent when the instrument first enters on track 3, ‘Nigun Hachana’, he plays the diatonic harmonica chromatically - honest! His playing is impressive and varied, too. The remaining members of the band supply trombone, sax, flute, bass and drums, and there is also a guest trumpeter. Some tracks sound mournful, others are klezmer-inspired, and others have absorbed “outside” influences along the way - a bit of modern jazz, tango, and maybe even roots rock. Overall, this is by and large a meditative set that draws the listener in before releasing us with a frenzied (and fascinating!) dance.
www.jasonrosenblatt.com
Feb-Mar 2021 • Harmonica.co.uk
25
During 2020 I got a lot of design inspiration from some of the very earliest chromatic harmonicas made, back in the 19th century. A chromatic harmonica is essentially two diatonic reed sets a semitone apart, with a selector mechanism that ensures only one set of reeds is active at a time. We are now so used to the common format of a front mouthpiece and slider assembly that it’s easy to forget this is far from being the only way to simultaneously activate one set of reeds and blank off the other. In the early days of harmonica development, many different approaches were tried. A great place for learning about them is from this page on Pat Missin’s wonderful website: www.patmissin.com/patents/patents. html#chronology Another excellent resource is M.A. Weber’s website, devoted to chromatic harmonica history: https://chromhistory.wordpress. com/2019/02/10/chromatic-harmonica-history/ It has lots of good photos and some video clips demonstrating how these early designs worked. You’ll be amazed at the sheer variety and ingenuity of the many different approaches to making a chromatic harmonica!
THE FLAPPY CHROMATIC Brendan Power Patron
Quite a few of the early designs fitted into a category I call ‘Rear Selectors’: instead of having a front slider, they selected the desired reed-set from behind or under the coverplates. One that instantly appealed to me was the very first known design, by Johan Richter in about 1875. Here’s a photo of this type from the Hohner Harmonica Museum in Trossingen: Like a modern chrom it has two reedplates, each with blow and draw reeds, fixed above and below a central comb. However, it uses the most direct way possible of stopping one set of reeds from vibrating and opening the other: by simply pressing down on them!
26
The magazine for HarmonicaUK
The two coverplates are hinged at the front and spring-loaded at the rear. Whilst playing, you simply press down on the top cover to stop the upper set sounding and open the bottom set. They have a felt lining on the inside which protects the reeds from damage. You can hear this particular example demonstrated by the great Tommy Reilly, in this video 6:40-7:40: https://tv.nrk.no/serie/munnspillforum/1970/FTEM00002270/avspiller
I was intrigued, and decided to try and make my own version. Unlike the original basic design, I wanted to adapt it to having a push-button mechanism. This was to give a playing feeling more like a conventional chromatic, and raise the speed of the opening/ closing flaps as well. Of course, this complicates things somewhat but I thought it would be worth the effort. I spent a good couple of months last year trying different ways, and did achieve success – of a sort. I certainly got the plunger action and flap up/down speed working well, by using magnets instead of springs. However, along with the high flap speed came increased noise! No matter how I tried to dampen it, I couldn’t avoid the fact that when a fairly substantial part is slamming down on the reedplates at the speed of a typical slider trill, there has to be a rapid striking sound to some degree. And, since this is at the rear of the harmonica, it will heard by listeners and picked up easily by microphones. Conclusion: Technically it works, but is not a practical alternative to compete with the conventional front mouthpiece/slide assembly. So I reluctantly put my 21st century version of Johan Richter’s original chromatic harmonica design in a box, and moved on to other projects. Perhaps it will be opened by someone in another 150 years, they will solve the noise issue with some amazing new materials, and the Flappy Chromatic will rise again!
Feb-Mar 2021 • Harmonica.co.uk
27
If any blues player confesses to playing ‘the harp’ then you know this refers to the harmonica, so players already have a link to the traditional instrument of Wales! It survived the Welsh Methodist movement in the 19th century. There was a need for some light relief from the monotony and continual pressure of industrial work, drunkenness had become a significant social problem. Methodism bore down heavily on the music of the common people, associated with the taverns which developed with the growth of the industrial towns, and folk music and the instruments that had been associated with it were ostracised. Out went the dancing fiddle, the rude and raucous pipes were pretty rare by then, but the harp survived.
WELSH TRADITIONAL MUSIC Meurig Williams and Aidan Sheehan
Music has been part of the fabric of Wales since the Middle Ages. The laws of Hywel Dda from the tenth century state that the King should employ a Pencerdd (head of music) and provide him with a harp, a crwth (ancestor of the fiddle) and pipes to appropriately skilled players. No written notation has been found for this music, but the National Library of Wales holds the manuscripts of Robert ap Huw (1580-1665) which took some time to decipher and is the oldest collection of harp music in the world. You can find our more about Welsh traditional music, including the harp, crwth and pipes on the bilingual website of the Welsh Traditional Instruments Society, www.clera.org
Feb-Mar 2021 • Harmonica.co.uk
29
The triple harp, an Italian development, was the instrument of the great houses in Wales in the 18th and early 19th centuries until it was ousted by the heavy, trolley (and Volvo-estate!) demanding pedal harp of formal music. The triple harp is light enough to be carried on the harpist’s back and so was popular around the taverns; it was on one of these that the Welsh national anthem was first played, as a jig. Fortunately the Romany musicians who made their living from playing the harp were able to get their hands on the obsolescent instrument cheaply and continued the tradition through to the 20th century. The instrument and the associated style of playing continued into the present century. It survived in this unbroken tradition of harp playing, in songs which were enthusiastically gathered over a 70-year period in the 20th century, but also in many melodies which became hymn tunes, in the chapels. I went to a Welsh chapel and sung many of these tunes and to a Welsh primary school in the 1950s, where one of the parents was a traditional harpist, so it’s no surprise that I am now hooked on these. Little attention was paid to Welsh instrumental folk music until the second half of the twentieth century, following the formation of the Welsh Folk Dance Society which needed music for the dances. Enthusiastic musicians played the tunes still around and also searched the manuscripts of the old harpists in the National Library collection and published collections of these which, can be purchased from the society website (www.dawnsio.cymru). Our society, Clera, was formed in 1996 with the aim of playing Welsh traditional music with workshops and sessions, promoting the traditional instruments in their contemporary (fiddle, flute, whistle, pipes) and original (harp, crwth [like a violin] and pibgorn [‘pipe-horn’]) forms. Since then, the society has actively promoted the playing of Welsh traditional music on any instrument, preferably those acoustic instruments associated with folk music today; so guitar, banjo, mandolin, bouzouki, ukelele, viola, cello, accordion, concertina and of course the harmonica are all welcomed to join in sessions, with the occasional amplified instrument not ruled out. The Wales Arts Council has supported Clera in three national projects which have helped us in our work, starting and maintaining workshops and sessions across Wales, with each one resulting in the development of a website which we still maintain. Sesiwn Dros Gymru (Session across Wales) generated www.sesiwn.com which lists sessions, workshops and activities across Wales (currently dormant due to Covid). Alawon Cymru (the tunes of Wales) generated www.alawoncymru.com which has published a session
30
The magazine for HarmonicaUK
set of tunes monthly since 2011 and contains scores and MP3 files for hundreds of Welsh tunes. Telynor Cymru (Wales’ harpist), led by world-renowned triple harpist Robin Huw Bowen, celebrated the 200th anniversary of the birth of gypsy harpist John Roberts. John’s family was largely responsible for maintaining the unbroken aural harp-playing tradition in Wales. John Roberts’ lively style of playing was taught in workshops across Wales, and the associated website www.telynor.cymru holds the scores and tutorial videos.
Carl DeAbreu Photography
Meurig Williams is the Chair of Clera, the Society for Welsh Traditional Instruments. He started singing and playing traditional music at the Port Talbot Folk Club with guitar and banjo and whistle when he was 17. His passion for music has continued for over 50 years, moving on to the fiddle, mandolin, fiddle, ukulele, concertina, accordion, harp and pibgorn, and has also dabbled with the harmonica and autoharp. Since joining Clera in the early 2000s, he has devoted his attention to Welsh traditional music and was part of the Clera band which had around 50 members, Y Glerorfa, playing a major part in the Lorient Folk Festival in 2008 when Wales was the featured nation. He joined the Cardiff Welsh Session in 2006 and until Covid, led its weekly meetings on a Monday evening at the Goat Major in the centre of the city, and is eagerly awaiting the opportunity to get re-started.
We left 1939 with a young pair of chromatic harmonica players, Ronald Chesney and Tommy Reilly, just starting their careers and Larry Adler enjoying world wide fame, as the Second World War was breaking out. The Hohner Song Band League stopped officially at the start of the Second World War and did not really get going again as a club until 1951. Despite this, these years turned out to be an important time for the harmonica. The social changes brought about by the mixing of service men and women from all sections of society and all over the country and in foreign places led to a need for entertainment, and portable instruments like the harmonica were in great demand. Ronald Chesney led a campaign to collect harmonicas to send to the soldiers.
THE HISTORY OF HARMONICAUK Part 2 1939-1950 Roger Trobridge Chairman 2000-2012
After the war things came together for the harmonica. This is illustrated in the programme notes for a concert of classical music performed by Ronald Chesney in the prestigious Royal Albert Hall, in 1947, just after the end of WW2. It was the first solo concert held there by any harmonica player. Finding that his musical ability did not advance beyond the ‘party-piece’ stage, Ronald Chesney’s lessons on the piano terminated at the age of twelve. Freed from the grind of fivefinger exercises his natural love of music came to the surface, however, and nine years ago, at the age of seventeen, his studies were resumed. Discovering by chance the possibilities of the mouth-organ, he chose this surprising instrument for serious study and within two years had made his broadcasting debut with instantaneous success.
After appearances in many of the BBCs major programmes, his own feature, “Teaching the Allied Forces how to play the Harmonica,” commenced and brought him fan mail running into many thousands of letters. Averaging nearly a hundred a day, Chesney took pride that the majority of these letters came from servicemen, stationed in all parts of the world - from the desert and from the lonely Arctic circle, where the pocketsized mouth organ was a substitute for full-sized symphony orchestra or swing band, depending on the musical tastes of the player’s comrades. To these men his programmes of instruction and music were a link with home.
32
The magazine for HarmonicaUK
His virtuosity on such a small instrument attracted the attention of concert impresario Harold Fielding, who has during recent years presented him in concerts throughout Great Britain, including a musical festival at Sadler’s Wells. Still a bachelor at 26 and a young man of simple tastes, Ronald Chesney spends most of his time in a workshop at home, improving the mechanical aspect of the harmonica to keep pace with his musical progress. He believes the instrument capable of great improvement and considers he has only just begun to discover its vast musical possibilities.” The harmonica was being taken seriously at last! Larry Adler had been playing in America, entertaining US troops at home and then in Europe. Ronald and Larry both went to Trossingen as soon as the war ended to get more instruments. Lots of things were on the move. Ronald Chesney was touring the country with top musical artists, and Larry Adler was performing in the USA and around the world. Tommy Reilly had been interned in a prison camp at the start of the war when he was studying violin in Germany. He returned when the war was over and started playing harmonica in Music Hall and on the BBC. Max Geldray had escaped to the UK from Holland at the start of the war and joined the Dutch Brigade of the British Army. He began playing in London jazz clubs in his spare time and even played in a concert for the Queen at Windsor in 1942. After the war he continued to find some work in clubs, but his big break was just round the corner. After the war Morton Fraser advertised for harmonica players and started the Morton Fraser Harmonica Gang with demobbed soldiers. Eric York, Jimmy Prescott and Henry Leslie (aka Cedric/Les Henry) got together after leaving the Army and formed the Monarchs (later The Three Monarchs), initially as a straight act. The comedy came later. The clouds were gathering for Larry Adler. He was blacklisted by the US House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) in 1947 along with many others in show business. This prevented him from working in America, which led to him moving with his family to live in the UK where he was much more appreciated.
The Golden Age of the Harmonica was about to start...
Feb-Mar 2021 • Harmonica.co.uk
33
STEVIE WONDER ‘WITH A CHILD’S HEART’ Buster Wolfe
After his blindness developed at birth, Stevland Hardaway Morris developed a closeness for musical instruments, starting with the harmonica at five.
Known professionally as Little Stevie Wonder, he followed with piano lessons at six, and playing drums at eight. In church after moving to Detroit, he performed piano, bongo drums, and harmonica. He first heard and felt the music of Motown when he held a radio that played Sam Cooke and Ray Charles to his ear. Little Stevie’s musical abilities and performance prowess gave him the opportunity for a contract on the Tamla label, which was a part of Motown, and as Little Stevie Wonder, he went to the top of the Billboard Hot 100 when he was 13 years old, the youngest artist ever to do so. His first No. 1 came from his “Fingertips,” which was written to feature his bongo and harmonica talents on the album, “The 12-Year-Old Genius.” Later, when the 20-year-old Stevie sat next to iconic composer Burt Bacharach and talked about his success with his single, Stevie said how he felt. “It was a good time to be at the top of the charts,” he told Bacharach, who saw how Stevie had been successful. HUK member Richard Smith at the 2000 NAMM (National Association of Music Merchants) show with Stevie Wonder.
“You know, another thing too about your approach is it was such a special one,” Bacharach said. “And I can’t think of anybody else in the music business that handled your success quite the way you did.” “Sound is one of the most important things in my life,” Stevie said. “I hear things that most people think of as beauty. You know what you see; you know what it was.” Throughout his younger years, Stevie made the harmonica his featured instrument, starting with a diatonic harmonica for blues, while a chromatic gave his music a jazz beat. Meanwhile, keyboards led him through his composing prowess and steadied the tune. He started growing up as a man after his fourth studio album, “Stevie at the Beach,” talked about sand, surfing, and the beauty of nature. Released in 1964, the most famous single on that album was “Hey Harmonica Man.” Later in the 1960s, Stevie’s harmonica stood out in his instrumental jazz or soul music, like singles “I Was Made to Love Her” and “For Once in My Life.” In both of these hits, Stevie displayed his trademark harmonica style as a virtuoso.
Stevie Wonder photographs courtesy of Alamy.com
36
Compared to the harmonica in predominantly American folk- based singles, Wonder’s solos are known for their complexity and use of jazz scales.
The magazine for HarmonicaUK
From a playing perspective, Stevie overwhelmingly favours the chromatic harmonica. Unlike the diatonic harmonica, used for folk music and the blues, the chromatic harmonica has a full range of notes, by the number of more holes (up to 16, rather than 10) and a slide, which raises the pitch of each hole by a semitone. The primary downside of the chromatic harp is the additional difficulty, for some, in learning to play it. Although Stevie now mainly plays a custom-made Huang harmonica, many of his recordings feature the Hohner Chromonica Super 64. A slightly cheaper alternative, the Hohner Chromonica 64, replaces the silver mouthpiece surface of the Super 64 with nickel. Stevie’s 1966 song, “With a Child’s Heart,” carried Stevie through his life. He turns 71 on May 13. For Stevie, a child’s heart teaches youngsters not to worry or fear. “Just being alive makes it all so very clear.”
“With a Child’s Heart” ends with:
Take life easy, so easy nice and easy Like a child so gay and so carefree The whole world smiles with you As you go your merry way Oh with a child’s heart Nothing’s gonna get me down When Stevie turned 21 in 1971, he signed a new contract with Motown for unlimited creative freedom. In 1972, he released “Music of My Mind” as well as “Talking Book,” which introduced one of the greatest singles in history – “Superstition.” He stood out by using the Hohner Clavinet keyboard for its unique sound. He followed up his early 1972 music with three Grammy Awards for Album of the Year in “Innervisions” in 1973, “Fulfillingness’ First Finale” in 1974 and “Songs in the Key of Life” in 1976. Now, after nearly 60 years of greatness in music, Stevie’s collection of achievements includes: Releases (493): Singles and EPs – 294, Albums – 42, Compilations – 142 Appearances (3,204): Albums – 268, Singles and EPs – 108, Compilations – 2,529, Mixes – 163, Videos – 124, Miscellaneous - 12. Throughout his legendary career, Stevie Wonder’s music, including his expertise of the harmonica, has inspired and lifted hearts.
Feb-Mar 2021 • Harmonica.co.uk
37
Teachers and Repairers Adam Pritchard blues
Cheltenham 01242 253949
Paul Gillings tuition
Norfolk/ Suffolk 01502 589439
Mat Walklate all styles
Greater Manchester 07725 479148
Steve Lockwood diatonic/tonic/chromatic
Cambs 07786 256178
Roy Green chromatic/blues
Cranbrook, Kent 01580 720148
Aidan Sheehan Cajun pop folk blues
Cwmbran 07812 143226
Gary Murray chromatic online
01344 842162 garymharmonica.co.uk
Adam Glasser chromatic tuition
Skype adamgharmonica@icloud.com
Johnny Mars blues
Somerset 01823 400744
Tony Perry chromatic jazz classical
Beds/ Cambs/ Herts 01767 680668
Eddie Martin blues eddiemartin.com
Bristol/Frome 07974 120418
Fredrik Hertzberg blues Sweden
Onlinefredrikhertzberg.com
George Wickstead blues/diatonic
Ormskirk/North West 0775 3633720
Mike Fairbairn diatonic blues
Notts 01623 753693 fairblues@hotmail.com
Joff Watkins diatonic/chromatic joffharp@yahoo.com London 07890 834002 Julian Jackson jazz classical joolsj@yahoo.com
London 07930 801344
John Monaghan chromatic repairs/tuning
Widnes 0151-424 9594
Richard Taylor diatonic hove.actually@ntlworld.com
Brighton 01273 271203
Tony Jukes diatonic/chromatic tjukes@hotmail.co.uk
East Midlands 01455 202829
Will Pound all styles online will@willpound.com
Warwicks 07884 222356
Eva Hurt adults/kids eva.harmonica@yahoo.com diatonic/chromatic/tremolo
Skype/ London 0757 8808 353
John Cook Hohner-affiliated Harmonica Repairer East London 01708 446644 john@johncookharmonicas.com Cathal Johnson diatonic tuition/repairs/tunings
Republic of Ireland 03834 444980
Ben Hewlett diatonic Skype global
Bristol 07973 284366 benhewlett@me.com
Will Wilde diatonic willharmonicawilde@hotmail.com
Brighton 07854 591413
Ian Briggs blues ian.briggs.moneens@gmail.com
Devon 01395 443158
Ed Hopwood diatonic edhopwood@gmail.co.uk
West London 07814 637317
Greg Miller diatonic london-harmonicaschool.com
Brentford 07715 583993
Ricky Cool blues/country
Birmingham 07749 918343
Moses Jones chromatic/diatonic
Bristol 07707 1934377
Tim Haigh Blues contact@learntheharmonica.co.uk
North London 07947 363441
John Beckett diatonic
Kent ME1 3PA 07951 650731
38
The magazine for HarmonicaUK
Small Ads Wanted - social media marketing expert, work available now. Ben 07973 284 366 Gerry Ezard chromatic/chord/bass CDs £10 01656 784904 Honeyboyamps.com - we can refurbish your tatty old cabinet! Patrick Ellis CD Interpretaciones £12 inc p+p 07760 132980 Alan Glen Barcodes CDs £10 0207732 1127 glenalan9@aol.com Igor Djeke cool stuff - visit www.facebook.com/harpplayercustomshop Harry Pitch 3 CDs @£11 01628 622895 haru.harmonica@talktalk.net David Hynes finest Irish Traditional harmonica CDs £7 davesharmonicas.com Bass Harmonica for sale, in good condition, box a bit used organbeal@hotmail.com Harmonica Player Wanted Surrey, by Country/Bluegrass guitar/voc paddy.peters@yahoo.com Bargains New/Used Harmonicas For Sale – please ask for list - davetaylorbluespiano@gmail.com
Hohner Blues Harp, C I got my first harmonica from my wife, then girlfriend, before we cycled around the world in 1989. Every night, after IS MY THIS NICA we pitched our tent, I would play “Home Sweet O HARM Home”, and for so many years after this was the only tune I could play! It still plays but needs a bit of a clean inside which I am a bit nervous about doing! Steve Pardue SHARE YOUR HARMONICA STORY WITH US - SEND TO EDITOR@HARMONICA.CO.UK
Be a part of your HarmonicaUK magazine! If you’ve enjoyed this issue of the HarmonicaUK Magazine, we’d love you to get involved. We always need volunteers to generally help out, and people to write us articles or reviews. For articles we need either 300 or 600 words, ideally in Word or Pages format, and some photos or images to go with it if possible. If you’d like to help or submit an article, please get in touch with Barry Elms - editor@harmonica.co.uk. The Magazine Team Pete Hewitt, Barry Elms, Justin Norton, Steve Pardue, Keith Parker and Sophia Ramirez. In order to make the magazine interesting for readers, the harmonica community, including the club members, is invited to submit articles of between 300 to 900 words for publication. Reviews, interviews and people profiles should be accompanied by a photograph of the person. Photographs should be submitted as JPEG at 300dpi and minimum 148mm wide. All photographs should include a credit and permissions to use in the publication. HarmonicaUK cannot take responsibility for photographs submitted to us that infringe copyright. We reserve the right to edit or defer articles and they might not always be used. Articles should be submitted either in an email or attached as a Word or similar format. Photographs can be sent as attachments or via Wetransfer.
Feb-Mar 2021 • Harmonica.co.uk
39
