HARMONICA WORLD
OCTOBER - NOVEMBER 2021
Harmonica.co.uk
President: Paul Jones Vice-President: Ben Hewlett vicepres@harmonica.co.uk Patrons: Lee Sankey, Adam Glasser
Contents 4 Chair’s Message 5
News Update
Executive Committee
6 Events
Chair: Pete Hewitt chair@harmonica.co.uk
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News Desk
Vice-Chair: Richard Taylor hove.actually@ntlworld.com
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HarmonicaUK Rebrand
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Ben Talks Harmonica
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A Tale of Two Greats of the Harmonica World
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Tribute to a Past Chairman
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Lesson with a Living Master
Secretary: Davina Brazier sec@harmonica.co.uk Treasurer: Phil Leiwy treasurer@harmonica.co.uk Committee Members Membership Secretary: David Hambley memsec@harmonica.co.uk 7 Ingleborough Way, Leyland, Lancs, PR25 4ZS, UK +44 (0)7757 215047 Publicity: Sam Wilkinson publicity@harmonica.co.uk IT: Barbara Tate* Tremolo: Simon Joy* Editor: Barry Elms editor@harmonica.co.uk
25 Reviews 29 My First Harmonica 30
Blues by the Sea - Paul Gillings
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Around the World with 80 Great Harmonica Players
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Harmonica Biographies
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Adam Glasser Chats with: Roni Eytan
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Classifieds
Assistants to the committee Education: Dick Powell edu@harmonica.co.uk Health: Rollen Flood* Archivist: Roger Trobridge gopher@internet–gopher.com *Use the contact form at harmonicauk.com/about-us
Cover: Billy Boy Arnold. Photo by: Urko Dorronsoro
HarmonicaUK membership UK - Annual UK membership £20, Under 18s £10, Europe £25, Outside Europe £30.
Registered Charity, (England and Wales) No. 1131484 www.harmonica.co.uk
October - November 2021 • Harmonica.co.uk
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Hello everyone, A message from our Chair, one year in I must start by thanking the team who have helped us achieve so much in so short a time. From our committee, assistants to the committee, right down to the enthusiasm of you, our members, I know this year will be recorded as a remarkable one.
CHAIR’S MESSAGE
As a result, we have produced a top quality magazine with its extra benefits of being available in electronic format and for the visually impaired. Our behind the scenes work of ensuring we are fully compliant has been staggering. I can rest easy at night reflecting on the great work that Davina and her team are doing. After confirming our core and brand values, we are satisfied that HarmonicaUK will be fit for purpose for many years to come. We have a new website, IT system, automated membership, and in the past 12 months we have organised 3 world class online festivals. Our Newsdesk has been launched, putting us at the forefront of communication from harmonica players and enthusiasts from around the globe and, finally, our first 2 of 6 new ambassadors are announced in this edition. As I look over this whole process, I have to remind myself that this great work has been achieved by volunteers working in their spare time. This is an extraordinary achievement, if not the most extraordinary set of simultaneous achievements since 1935. Well done to this brilliant team. I was very pleased to learn that SPAH has recognised Jim Hughes for his lifelong contribution to the harmonica, and I feel honoured to award Roger Trobridge our highest award. More on these stories later on in this issue. Finally, I was very saddened to learn of the passing of past Chairman - Colin Mort. Colin was a great Chairman and a full tribute is paid later in this issue. At Colin’s funeral, Roger Trobridge officially represented all from NHL/HarmonicaUK who knew and admired this wonderful man. David Inns, Rowena Millar and Andy Millar attended too: Rowena performed a tribute on harmonica, and a recorded tribute by Johnny Mars was played to the congregation. At the time of writing, I do hope that our October festival was a great success. We will of course completely cover this in the next magazine. I really hope that you love our improvements as much as we do, Now where is my harmonica??
Best wishes Pete 4
The magazine for HarmonicaUK
Welcome to this issue of Harmonica World, packed with some great articles and news of exciting changes in HarmonicaUK. Thanks to all our contributors and volunteers on the editorial team for pulling together a great magazine for our members. At Harmonica World we always need volunteers to write articles or reviews, or generally to help out. For articles we need either 300 or 600 words, ideally in Word or Pages format, and some photos or images to go with them if possible. If you’d like to help or submit an article, please get in touch by email.
NEWS UPDATE Barry Elms Editor
Finally, we are always on the lookout for short news items for this page - please send them in by email.
Barry Elms, Editor editor@harmonica.co.uk
Were you an NHL member in the ‘90s? Roger Trobridge would like to know if anyone who was a member in the early 1990s would be able to help him identify members in some videos which he is restoring of club events from the period. It would be good to name as many as possible while we can. Please get in touch with Roger by email: gopher@internet–gopher.com
Farewell! Regrettably, this will be the last time I write the Publicity column in Harmonica World. Life events mean that I am taking a step back from some of my HarmonicaUK responsibilities. I may be able to pick things up again in a year or two. But fear not, I will still be organising and hosting the Lockdown Sessions twice a month! On the subject of the Lockdown Sessions, I wonder if it’s time for a name change… something more positive! Top of my list is ‘Saturday Sessions’, but I’m more than happy for other suggestions. You can contact me at the usual email address, publicity@harmonica.co.uk
PUBLICITY COLUMN Sam Wilkinson
In terms of publicity, much of this is covered in the rest of this edition, especially in relation to the Festival and AGM. Regarding our main social media channels, there is a steady flow of people joining the HarmonicaUK Facebook group (now around 2,500) and over 1,050 followers on Instagram. All it remains for me to do is to thank everyone who has helped and supported me: the Committee, artists and last but not least, you, the members.
See you soon!
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HarmonicaUK Annual Festival: 15–17 October 2021, UK. Virtual festival. Wisconsin Annual Blues Harmonica Festival: 19 November, 2021, USA. Currently planned to be a physical festival: www.eventbrite.com/e/wisconsin–annual–blues–harmonica– festival–2021–tickets–84058736945 HarmonicaUK Lockdown Sessions: typically run weekly, virtually:
EVENTS CALENDAR Neil Warren
www.harmonicauk.com/lockdown–sessions/ Mundharmonika Live, 14–19 September, Germany: https://mundharmonika–live.de/ Fédération Internationale de l’Harmonica presents United In Music: The 9th World Harmonica Festival goes online, November 5th & 6th 2021. Following the cancellation of the World Harmonica Festival 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many of the festival artists will appear at United In Music, a live Zoom event over two days from the Music School in Trossingen, featuring a combination of live performances, streams and exclusive video material. Live interviews with performers, breakout rooms and a virtual bar offer visitors the opportunity to meet online, interact with the artists and enjoy the festival atmosphere. On Friday evening, the WORLD OF CHROMONICA offers an exciting programme featuring some of the world’s finest chromatic harmonica artists and groups from Europe and Asia, including Sigmund Groven, Long Deng Jie and the Sirius Harmonica Ensemble. On Saturday, INTERNATIONAL HARP MASTERS presents a selection of today’s leading diatonic harmonica performers from the USA and Europe, among them Jason Ricci, Joe Filsko, Dennis Gruenling and Steve Baker. Full details here: www.world-harmonica-festival.de
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The magazine for HarmonicaUK
Launching Newsdesk Exciting times for HarmonicaUK as we find different ways of communicating in a more instantaneous way. Our very enthusiastic and capable team are Gary Newman, Laina Freeman, and Suzy Colclough, with input from HarmonicaUK Editor Barry Elms and Gene Myers’ guidance on communications strategy.
NEWSDESK
As part of a 12 month trial we will be publishing our popular Harmonica World quarterly. This will be boosted by a series of news releases and broadcasts across a range of media to ensure we optimise visibility of HarmonicaUK. The Newsdesk team will be collating, reviewing and organising information and stories daily for our website, social media and new monthly newsletter. After a year working with the magazine team I can fully appreciate the drain on them. Once the magazine lands on your doormats it’s full steam ahead to start the next. So I needed to find a way to retain their talents whilst giving them some downtime but still increase our communications in a more modern way. The bottom line for me was not to risk losing an overstretched team to burnout. This is only a 12 month trial to see how things are going, and then we can reflect. Once established, I hope that members, players, and top artists worldwide will see Newsdesk as the One Stop Shop and inform us of imminent radio shows, TV appearances, gigs etc. Reflecting on the past year, we have a new magazine team, with the highest quality magazine in hardcopy. This is also available electronically and reformatted for the visually impaired. I feel this is a massive achievement in just 12 months. Please rest assured that the quarterly magazine in all formats is here to stay.
Now let me introduce the team: Susie Colclough I would like to think I am a fun-loving, happy person with a caring nature. Before I lost my sight at the age of 24, I worked for Barclays Bank. Following this, I trained for seven years in numerous therapies which resulted in my being a holistic therapist treating mind and body. I love playing the chromatic harmonica as well as walking with my guide dog, socialising, attending live music events, and I’m a prolific reader.
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The magazine for HarmonicaUK
Gary Newman I’m originally from Essex, but moved to Norfolk five years ago and I’m loving it. I had a very varied career, starting as a soldier and finishing up as a probation officer, retiring early through ill health. I am a family man, very happily married to Sandra for almost forty years, with two sons and four grandchildren. I love football (Gillingham fan) and music - playing harmonica (mainly diatonic), guitar, bass and keyboards.
Laine Freeman As a relatively new chromatic player, I'm excited to join Newsdesk where I hope to bring some of my sales & marketing skills gained during my working life. Now retired, I love living by the sea with my wife and 2 Burmese cats. We have a wildlife garden with a visiting young vixen who listens to my practice with curiosity. I enjoy cooking and horse riding.
Gene Myers My father played country harmonica, and when I first saw James Cotton play in 1977, I became hooked. I've had a few timeconsuming careers, which brought me from the US to England 25 years ago and have absorbed most of my time, but in recent years, I've rekindled my passion for playing blues harp. I live in Brighton with Sue, my partner, and we both enjoy attending live music events and travelling.
HarmonicaUK needs you! As part of our evolutionary phase which we are currently in, we are trying to build future proofing into our organisation. We are in need of volunteers to help in a few areas of the day-to-day running of HarmonicaUK and some specific projects. If you have any spare time and could help in any of the following areas we would love to hear from you, please email chair@harmonica.co.uk • Events organisation; • Copywriting/editing; • Graphic design; • Membership management; • Book keeping; • Photography/image management.
October - November 2021 • Harmonica.co.uk
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“Identity is the cause; brand is the effect, and the strength of the former influences the strength of the latter” Larry Ackerman History books will mark 2020 as the year of global lockdown. The spectre of the COVID-19 pandemic saw the UK’s population confined to quarters, masked and socially distanced. For HarmonicaUK, the year saw the newly elected Committee meeting on Zoom, forging plans for the future and reflecting on the organisation’s purpose and appeal. Housekeeping projects were launched, including the unification of its two websites, automated membership and a restyling of Harmonica World magazine.
REBRAND 2021
As further projects emerged however, it became more and more apparent that HarmonicaUK was lacking a coherent brand. Its visual identity had fragmented since the days of the National Harmonica League (NHL), and its values warranted review. As Vice-Chair, Richard Taylor volunteered to develop a new brand for HarmonicaUK and drafted a phased plan that would begin with a thorough appraisal of the organisation’s core values and behaviours. Drawing from inherited documentation and HarmonicaUK’s constitution, and with extensive Committee consultation, the spirit of HarmonicaUK was identified as: · Serving the public and involving its membership · Documenting its past and shaping its future · Being inclusive and embracing diversity · Being fun, inspiring and evolving Added to this, HarmonicaUK’s behaviours were identified as: · Being welcoming and helping others · Being professional and showing integrity · Forging relationships · Being respectful and earning respect · Valuing innovation Subsequent phases of the plan provided a pathway to distil these values and behaviours into a professionally designed brand pack and logo. The outcome would be uniformly applied to all the charity’s activities, from its website and magazine, to routine communications, festival signage, trophies, and even merchandise. Just one problem remained; who was the right person to conceptualise the plans and convert them into graphic form. Professional branding companies were approached and trusted contacts in the design world were emailed when, unexpectedly, an in-house solution materialised in the form of Steve Pardue of Differentia Ltd.
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The magazine for HarmonicaUK
Steve’s professional work involves working across a wide sector from public art, interpretation for public spaces and nature reserves to branding and design. He agreed to ponder HarmonicaUK’s core values and its mandate to connect the organisation’s past with its future. Brand images and logos for harmonicas have been agonised over since the mid 1800s, but Steve and Richard together looked at the core values and original principles and wanted to develop a brand that was simple to implement as well as providing a distinctive and memorable brand for the organisation. The initial ideas examined the physical qualities of the harmonica, internally and externally, from reeds to cover plates. Steve also explored lateral concepts such as sound waves, straight lines and curves, and lettering from the pre-existing NHL and HarmonicaUK logos As a design professional Steve was conscious that the outcome should work at any size, from a tiny internet favicon to a full blown festival banner. Questions remained however. How do you select one image to represent every type of harmonica? Should the logo be linear or square? What font would complement the brand? The creative process continued. Eventually, Steve found the solution in a disassembled harmonica. A stylised interpretation of the comb and cover plates seemed to echo the H in the NHL logo and the H in HarmonicaUK’s title. Simultaneously, this idea avoided copying so many other harmonica brands with their familiar play on the harmonica’s breathing holes and physical appearance. After many months of design development, Committee consultation, prototypes and refinements, HarmonicaUK’s new brand, colour scheme and house font were finally passed by HarmonicaUK’s Committee. The outcome may take a moment to settle on the eye. It may appeal instantly. Either way, it is uncomplicated, fresh and imaginative. Our new brand is here to carry HarmonicaUK into the future and pay tribute to those who built our heritage.
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HarmonicaUK New Website and automated membership system. In January of this year, we formed a group of people with IT knowledge and experience to help us make a plan together for a completely new website and automated membership system, thus moving away from our two current websites to one singular, streamlined one. Our work began in looking at what our exact specifications were, and then categorising what was essential, nice to have, could have etc. Over the following months, we moved from the specification to which company could complete this task. White Fuse was our clear winner with its intuitive website: they had a team who could build our website, import our membership and thereafter offer us 5 days a week support. As a member you will see many benefits - you can access your own account and change your address and what information you are interested in hearing about. We have a members only page, where you can access magazines and forums, and for those that enjoy our social and lockdown sessions you can continue your conversations on our forums page or even start a new one in-between our Zooms meetings. Our new membership system will allow us to email out to all members or target smaller audiences as and when necessary. White Fuse have produced a pro video for our launch, and this will also be made available to you as a self-help video to get you started. I know you will love the changes. Many thanks to Dave Hambley, Barbara Tate, Barry Elms, Richard Taylor, Sam Wilkinson, Slawomir Nowordworski and Barry Nichols for their help in various stages this year. Additionally thanks are due to Balwant Thanki, who has been our official photographer for years and has taken hundreds of pictures that we’ve been able to draw from. A final plea. When you come to renew next year, please consider using the new website to set up a direct debit membership. If we can move away from PayPal, Standing Orders, Cash and cheques, then your renewal will need no human input at all, saving much of our volunteers’ time.
Ambassadors As part of our relaunch, HarmonicaUK’s Committee, Patrons and Presidents have voted on an exciting new concept. We will be appointing six ambassadors to HarmonicaUK to help promote our organisation to new audiences and to inspire younger players
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The magazine for HarmonicaUK
to join our membership. Part of the selection process requires that they should be of a generation younger than the current committee, have shown commitment towards HarmonicaUK, and be of a professional standing which we can all look up to. This global search has been an intensive one, and I am pleased to announce that Rachelle Plas and Sam Spranger are our first two ambassadors. The team will appoint a further four ambassadors in the coming months. We believe that our Ambassadors’ close association with HarmonicaUK will mutually help us further our shared aim of inspiring anyone and everyone to pick up and enjoy the harp. As such, we shall be dedicating a section on the new website to allow them to share their news, ideas and adventures in music. Rachelle Plas I’m so happy to be appointed a HarmonicaUK Ambassador. It’s wonderful news, and I’m very enthusiastic about promoting HarmonicaUK and the harmonica, especially to a young audience. HarmonicaUK is such an active and amazing organisation. The harmonica is a very accessible and popular instrument, and also one of the most transportable music instruments with its pocket size ;-) Rachelle Plas was a member of the French Judo team. A decisive experience which led her to become multiple times French Champion winner of the Tournament of France and vice-world champion of this martial art. She combined her high-level sports career with the exercise of her passion - music - and her artistic activities. She then devoted herself entirely to her artistic projects and released the EP “Cyclone”, then the single “Open your Eyes”. In 2021, Rachelle Plas released her new eponymous album in digital format, along with a music library dedicated to the harmonica, and her JazzPop single “Bubbles”. Sam Spranger As a proud member of HarmonicaUK, I am absolutely thrilled to act as an ambassador for our organisation. There is such a rich membership of passionate players that share my love of promoting education on the instrument. It is a real honour to be part of the force that is bringing HarmonicaUK to the next generation. Picking up the diatonic harmonica at age 13, Sam found that he had a preternatural talent for the instrument. He cut his teeth by taking the open mic, busking, bar, and cafe scenes of London by storm with his spontaneous blazing riffs and heart wrenching solos. He now plays with The Bad Day where he prides himself on being a ferocious live performer and showman who constantly strives to push the boundaries of the instrument and change perceptions of the harp in mainstream society. Additionally, Sam enjoys playing classical, jazz, and ragtime music on the chromatic harmonica.
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Equal or Just? Melodies or Chords? Equal temperament is a better tuning if most of what you play is melodic, and if you like to play melodies in many positions on a diatonic harmonica. Just intonation is a better tuning if most of what you play is chordal music and in second position. The difference in these two tunings or temperaments is quite subtle and if you cannot hear the difference between the two you probably do not need to know much about this.
BEN TALKS HARMONICA Ben Hewlett Vice-President
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I discovered this concept after writing my first book on the harmonica called ‘Get Chugging’ and sending it to various well known players to give me some feedback.
One person who replied to me immediately was Larry Adler who basically said “it stinks”! Actually it was something like ‘whilst I applaud your educational aims, I cannot get excited about an instrument with missing notes. It’s true I once did a duet with Sonny Terry at the Albert Hall and enjoyed it, but it is not something I seek to repeat. So with regret I cannot give you a useful quote for your book’.
The magazine for HarmonicaUK
Another person who commented, significantly, was Joe Filisko. I don’t recall his exact words but it was something favourable about the concept of chugging, rhythms and trainsounds, followed by whether I knew I had chosen the exact wrong instrument for the job? I used a Hohner Golden Melody, which has equal temperament, to play chords; it would have sounded much better if I’d used a just intonation tuned harp. So what is the physical difference between the two tunings, and can you even hear the difference between the two tunings? I have recorded some videos and put them on sonnyboysmusicstore.co.uk under the ‘Temperament’ tab if you would like to explore, and I would also recommend looking at PatMissin.com under ‘Tuning’ for a forensic description and audio examples of the differences. We asked Kongsheng if they could produce a just intonation Mars harmonica, and they asked for a tuning map. The only map I had at the time was from Kinya Pollard, David Barrett’s Harpsmith, so we sent that to them and the result turned out to be excellent. The tuning chart is on this page for your information and education! But what’s in it for me, I hear you ask? If you like the sound of the pre-war blues players, and the sweetness of the chords that they used, this was the tuning that I am told they used, so it gives you a chance to sound more like your heroes than before. And if you enjoy playing chordal music such as Folk music, Cajun, Blues, Old Timey, Bluegrass, Country and a host of others, you should definitely check this concept of fine tuning out.
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Jim Hughes In August of this year, SPAH awarded Jim a Lifetime Achievement Award at their convention in of recognition for his lifelong contribution to the harmonica community as a performer, teacher, twice world champion, and writer (teaching books). In addition to this was his re-invention of the harmonica festival, following the one he organised in Jersey in 1987 and subsequently for the Hohner Championships in Trossingen, which take place every four years. In 2012, HarmonicaUK also awarded Jim with a similar award. On a personal note, I have to say that I’ve always been in awe of Jim for his brilliant playing, with a tone, accuracy and musicality that belongs to him. He is simply mind-blowing. Well done Jim, you have certainly inspired me and other players from around the globe. The Jim Hughes Story https://vimeo.com/587163443
A TALE OF TWO GREATS OF THE HARMONICA WORLD
Roger Trobridge
Pete Hewitt HarmonicaUK Chair
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In the summer of this year and following an unanimous vote by our committee, it was agreed that Roger should receive our Lifetime Achievement Award. This is HarmonicaUK’s highest award. Roger joined the committee in the late 90s, and was elected as Chairman in 2000, a position he held until 2012. It has to be mentioned that during the period leading up to 2019, he was also Editor for 18 years. This in itself is an extraordinary achievement. However Roger continues his work as an archivist of all things harmonica. Roger jokes that many of the world’s top players have spent a night in his spare bedroom at his home in Maidenhead. This is a fact! Once again and on a personal note, I have never heard Roger play the harmonica, but this fact is somewhat irrelevant compared to his achievement in his position as Chairman, Editor, researching, reporting and archiving the top players that ever lived. It is an honour to present Roger with this prestigious award and, I stand to be corrected, but I believe he is in a league of his own. Well done Roger, you are a most worthy recipient! I look forward to an invitation for a night in your spare room, although I didn’t find your shed too uncomfortable last time.
The magazine for HarmonicaUK
COLIN MORT (1937–2021) Tributes to a past Chairman - a grandee of the harmonica world.
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On 13th August the world lost Colin Mort, who played a key role in the history of the National Harmonica League, now HarmonicaUK. Colin was born in Kent and after spending some of his early years in India, he completed his education at Framlingham College in Suffolk. He bought his first 10-hole harmonica at the age of 12 in Port Said when he was passing through the Suez Canal on the way to Rangoon. After school he completed an Engineering Apprenticeship with Rolls Royce and met his wife Marion at the University of Edinburgh. They married and set up home in Derby, where Colin began his lifelong association with vintage Rover cars. In 1965, Colin moved to Harrow in London and started a new job with IBM. In 1971, he purchased his beloved Rover Tourer which became his lifelong restoration project. In 1976, the family moved to Shirrell Heath, near Southampton, as Colin continued to work for IBM. Colin’s involvement with his children’s music lessons re-awoke his passion for music and he began to play harmonica again. He joined the local Choral Society and with the help of a music teacher, began to study music seriously. Colin came across the NHL in the early 1980s and met up with the new President, John Walton. Colin got involved: in 1986 he won the NHL Championship in Banbury and in 1987 he competed in the World Championships in Jersey, Channel Islands. That same year, the presidency of the NHL passed to Colin. He reorganised the committee, becoming Chairman, and persuaded Larry Adler to become President. Colin kept the organisation afloat, filling roles such as treasurer and newsletter editor as necessary, and slowly eliminated its debts, helped by a succession of committee members, before stepping down in 2000. He put up a website on Compuserve, which I took over in 1999 to build harmonica.co.uk. Colin met Rowena Millar (then Gelling) in 1982. They entered harmonica competitions as a duo, and formed trios/quartets with Rowena’s husband Andy, Steve and Josie Jennings, and later, Gerry Ezard. They joined Jim Hughes’s National Harmonica Orchestra, competing at two international festivals. Colin was an engineer and learned how to service and tune his harmonicas, skills he enjoyed passing on to others. After I took over, he spent time with me and Ben sharing his knowledge. Encouraging children and opening up the organisation to diatonic players was part of his strategy for the future. In retirement, Colin taught, played, and founded Southern Harmonics in Hampshire. He continued as NHL Membership Secretary for a while, helped at annual festivals and chromatic weekends, and organised a harmonica band tribute to Ken Howell and Douglas Tate: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ik55cSUKEns
The magazine for HarmonicaUK
Roger Trobridge presenting an award for trio playing to Colin, Rowena Millar and Gerry Ezard.
Colin’s health deteriorated following the death of his wife, and he moved to Devon near his younger daughter. Rowena kept in regular contact and played harmonica for him until his death in August, as did another long-time friend, Johnny Mars. Colin was hard-working, conscientious and self-effacing, generous to a fault. He did not seek the limelight, but had a cheery smile and impish sense of humour. People fondly remember his sandals, socks, and woollen sweaters. When I took over from Colin as Chairman, I wanted to write a tribute. Colin said, grinning, “Perhaps we don't need to say anything other than, ‘Colin has retired. Roger is the new Chairman’ ”. Roger Trobridge (Spiderman), past Chair, with contributions from Colin’s long-time friend, Rowena Millar, and Colin’s family. I first met Colin at my first NHL annual convention at Stratford Upon Avon in 1983. I was immediately drawn to this sincere and welcoming man. Although we met on a number of occasions, sadly I never knew him well. As chairman, Colin’s leadership, resilience and ability to steer our ship in treacherous seas has, without doubt, guaranteed him a place in our rich history as a truly great chairman. Rest in peace, Colin. We hope that we can continue to carry your torch. Pete Hewitt - Chair, HarmonicaUK Colin was one of the grandees of the harmonica world as I started out in this community. He came to do some performing for a school event that I put on - the Guinness World Record attempt for largest harmonica ensemble in the world - and we got it - the inaugural record! He showed me quite a lot about harmonica engineering, rivets, making tools to help you maintain instruments, and even gave me a plinker to plink the reeds. I still have it and use it. He made the design so that you could always easily pick up this thin flat sliver of steel - I think he said it was made from blue steel which had been strengthened for plinking! Colin was very interested in engineering and had been working on one of his Rover car projects for many years. He showed me around his garden and I think there might have been 17 sheds full of his projects going on. My cousin Rachel ran a weekly choir at the care home he stayed at in Devon, and she says he often played harmonica in the group and he talked fondly of the old harmonica days. He certainly made an impact on the world of the harmonica and especially to the National Harmonica League over a number of years and will be fondly remembered and sadly missed. Ben Hewlett - Vice-President, HarmonicaUK
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I played the harmonica a bit when I was in my teens, then at 19 got called up for national service and when I was in Cyprus, a chromatic harmonica caught my eye. I gave up playing in 1959 when I was 21 and got into singing. At 60, music was still calling me and I purchased a Hohner Meisterklasse, set out to find a teacher, found Colin only about 15 minutes away, and started to learn. I had in my mind that I would be learning by ear, but no! After teaching me how to hold the instrument correctly and teaching some vibrato and dynamics, out came the scales and sheet music. Colin gave me a couple of pieces to learn: ‘Spanish Folk Song’, a little haunting piece, and some Bach. I played it in the Festival competition in 2000 and was awarded First Place in the Chromatic class. I had a degree of success at other festivals also, both harmonica and general. Colin was a stickler for detail and I could tell from adjudicators’ comments that he was teaching me well. I always remember Colin saying, ‘It’s not so much what you play but how you play it (I believe he was quoting Tommy Reilly). He was generous with his time, and always had a cup of tea on the go. We talked a lot about, and listened to, music, and there was always something to be learned. Colin was prolific. I believe he was NHL Chairman, Treasurer and Secretary all at the same time for a period. He also led Southern Harmonics at his and Marion’s home, ‘Rivendell’. Colin was committed to the NHL and I’m sure will be remembered with gratitude.
Thanks Colin, rest in peace with Marion. God bless, Dave (David Inns)
Jim Hughes presenting a certificate for duo playing to Colin and Rowena Millar
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The magazine for HarmonicaUK
Original Chicago blues great Billy Boy Arnold shares his story and insights BILLY BOY ARNOLD is one of the few remaining first-generation Chicago bluesmen alive today. Although he's 85, Arnold is still incredibly active. Before the pandemic, he was still playing shows, and he recently finished his autobiography The Blues Dream Of Billy Boy Arnold with author and harmonica pro Kim Field. Arnold learned to play harmonica from the godfather of all blues harmonica players: John Lee Williamson, the original Sonny Boy (more about that below). After mastering the basics, he developed an instantly recognisable style: simple, effective, memorable, and always rich in tone. Plenty of aspiring players have since learned Arnold's hooks and licks. Arnold teamed up with Bo Diddley when he was just a teenager, helped seed rock and roll music in the 1960s with his hit "Wish You Would" (famously covered by The Yardbirds and many others) and continued to thrive past middle age with the Alligator Records career highlight and comeback record Back Where I Belong in 1993. He was also a contemporary of the best Chicago blues harmonica players ever: Little Walter, Rice Miller and Big Walter Horton. Arnold never tried to compete with those players. Rather, he was so confident in his laconic style and his ability to craft songs that he took his own path and thrived amidst a virtual Mount Rushmore of great players. While blues harmonica playing in the 21st century has become a vehicle to show off chops and technical prowess, Arnold’s playing offers timeless lessons. First, honour the song and sing it well if you can. Second, if you have a good idea, milk it and let the listener hear it. Finally, remember that when it comes to soloing, less usually works better than more. People will understand you can play quickly. Show them that you’re not just a soloist but a complete musician. Harmonica World was delighted to get a harp lesson from one of the original blues harmonica greats in the form of this interview! Arnold's biography will be available via the University Of Chicago press this autumn.
LESSON WITH A LIVING MASTER Justin M. Norton
When did you first hear a harmonica? What about the sound grabbed you? My parents played blues records when I was a kid, but I didn't pay any attention to them until I heard the original Sonny Boy Williamson (John Lee Williamson). I liked his singing and his style and his harmonica playing. He had a personal style. He was original. He was the original blues harmonica player and a prolific songwriter. Then I heard Little Walter and thought the harmonica was a beautiful instrument. I didn't intend to become a harmonica player. It just happened that way.
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After you heard Sonny Boy I, what was your process for learning the instrument? After I heard Sonny Boy, I thought I'd buy a harmonica to see if I could start playing like that. I had a couple of lessons with Sonny Boy before he got killed. He taught me about ‘choking’ the harmonica. Today they call it bending the notes, but black people back then called it ‘choking’ - to get that blues sound. He demonstrated it. It was only a few lessons, and he had guests at his house, so it wasn't a lot of time. Then one time, I went by his house, and he'd been murdered. I (later) learned by playing from records. Most of the guys started listening to records and practicing. Then it just depends on what you want to do with it. If you want to do it, it's something that will grow on you. It's incredible to consider you learned directly from the person who created so much of the language of the blues harmonica. Meeting Sonny Boy was one of the greatest highlights of my life. Little Walter took it from there and became the superstar of the harmonica after Sonny Boy. One of your first big experiences was working with Bo Diddley. What sorts of things did you learn from that experience? Well, I was 15, and he was 23. He was unique, and he had his original style. He was a very nice person, too, with a lot of character. And he was original in his music: he didn't copy anyone. I knew from listening to him and being around him that he had something special.
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I wanted to talk to you about one of your most famous harmonica licks - the lick to "Wish You Would” (played entirely on holes 1 and 2 in second position). Where did you come up with that? I didn't have anything mapped out. When I was writing the song, I just came up with the lick. Whenever I would sing that song, I'd play that lick. When people hear the record, they (play the lick) like they would with "Juke." I remember listening to The Yardbirds version of “Wish You Would,” thinking it's missing the lick. They were young guys like I was. Eventually, they learned the song and could do it as well as I could. It grows on you. What do you remember about Little Walter? I was in awe of Walter. He was special - there was an aura around him. He knew so much and could do so much on the harmonica - it was like magic. No one could challenge him because he was so way out there ahead of everyone. But if you knew Walter, you could say, "how did you get something like that?" How do you find your voice when there is someone like Little Walter in the blues scene at that point? (At first) I wanted to sound like Sonny Boy but knew that sounding like him wouldn't do me any good. And I knew that playing anything Walter did note for note wasn't the way to go. I did know one thing many people in Chicago didn't know: to be successful, you need to write your material. I knew Sonny Boy wrote all of his songs, and Walter wrote 75 to 80 percent of his songs. You can only go so far with another guy's material. One of the things about your harp playing I've always admired is your ability to leave space and say just what is needed for each song. I got that from Sonny Boy. He would sing a verse and then play the harmonica. Some guys would only sing two verses and then play two verses of a solo. But Sonny Boy used the harp to accent whatever he was thinking and singing. I started out listening to T. Bone Walker. He played beautiful, original guitar. He'd sing, and then he'd accent (the song) with his guitar. Some guys blow the harp and then sing. Walter was sort of like a chef. Muddy Waters said Walter never got in his way but knew how to accent everything. What do you like and not like about the blues harmonica you hear now? I don't listen to too much blues harp - I listen to a lot of guitar and piano. Each (harmonica) player has their personality and puts it into their music. There are a lot of great players out there. A lot
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of guys I play shows with play more harp than I do. You always need to keep doing it and never take it for granted. What was it like working on your biography? I never thought about doing a biography because I never thought I had anything great to say. But when we sat down, I just told the truth - what happened. I don't like to put out stuff that's not for real. What's your advice to people learning to play blues harmonica? Well, I'm kind of a lazy guy (laughs). I'd say work hard on the harp and listen to the greats. But don't put too much into the greats because then you'll sound just like them. My mom always said Sonny Boy was "gifted." And I'd say, "how do I get that gift?" I couldn't play anything on the harmonica but then learned to play something. I also learned to be a blues singer by listening to Muddy and Lightnin’ Hopkins and Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup. I listened to all of them. I loved their music and wanted to be a blues singer. So it's important to listen to the greats and learn your instrument. But ultimately you need to be able to do something that is authentically you. If you play daily and you want to be good at this, it grows on you. It depends on what you want to do with it. Many harp players thought they were better than me, but I wrote my songs and came up with something different.
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REVIEWS Something Inside Of Me: Unreleased Masters and Demos From The British Blues Years 1963 -1976 (Wienerworld WNRCD5114) Review by Roger Trobridge, Chairman 2000-2012 This 4 CD box set contains 96 unreleased tracks which take you back into the world of the British Blues clubs in the late 1960s/ early 70s. It shows many of the music styles and types of performers you would find there - soloists, duos, trios, jug band acts and blues/R&B bands. The bands and performers include Danny Kirwan’s The Boilerhouse, Duster Bennett, Dave Kelly, Brett Marvin & The Thunderbolts, Dynaflow Blues, Simon & Steve, Jeff Curtis & The Flames, The D.J. Blues Band, Bob Hall, Graham Hine, Al Jones, The Nighthawks, Shakey Vick’s Big City Blues Band, Dave Peabody with Tight Like That and The Vintage Jug Band. There are lots of great tracks, but for me the high spot is the release of the 18 tracks by Simon and Steve (Simon Prager - guitar - and Steve Rye - harmonica). Steve Rye is one of the unknown gems of the UK harmonica scene, and he influenced many of the ones who followed in the 70s and 80s. Steve died aged 46 in 1992. The box set comes with a 150-page book with comprehensive biographies of the main bands and musicians. The story of Steve Rye is told by his partner on guitar, Simon Prager, who is still performing as a duo with Kevin ‘Doc’ Stenson. Steve started playing harmonica after hearing Sonny Terry play ‘Fox Chase’ on BBC Radio’s Children’s Favourites and went on to teach himself to play like Sonny by listening to his records. He met Simon in 1964 after seeing Sonny Terry play at an American Blues Festival in London, and they found they had a common interest in the early blues. They began gigging around the local London folk clubs, like Bunjies, where they were part of the scene with Jo Ann Kelly, Dave Kelly, and Tony McPhee. Their repertoire included music from Sonny, Leadbelly, Big Bill Broonzy, Sleepy John Estes, (John Lee) Sonny Boy Williamson, Gary Davis... and much of it is illustrated on these tracks. Steve was probably the best UK blues harp player. His downfall was his drinking problem. His unreliable behaviour limited his career with groups like The Groundhogs, with Bob Hall and Tony McPhee. There is more harmonica by Duster Bennett, Shakey Vick and
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REVIEWS
‘Wolfie’ Witcher and lots of great singers and guitarists on the other tracks So, if you want to relive or discover the music being played in the folk/blues clubs at this time, pull up a chair and listen to the four CDs as you read this lavishly illustrated book about the musicians and bands who were responsible for it.
Adam ‘Tidy’ Burney Neil Warren Adam ‘Tidy’ Burney is a harmonica player, singer and songwriter who hails from Croydon, South London. He’s best known for his band, the enigmatically named ‘The Brothers of Mothershovel’, who play a range of genres, all blues-based but with an edge of Americana, roots and even punk. The band is underpinned by Adam’s brand of infectious, rhythmical harmonica, producing a driving sound and music to dance to. And by the way, check out The Brothers of Mothershovel music videos online, they are something to behold. I recommend starting with ‘Hovel Bop’ and ‘The Return of Jerome’. All of the music Adam has released derives from his deep love of the blues, and an appreciation of the blues masters. Starting from way back in the pre-war era where the harmonica rose to prominence in the 1920s, then through to Sonny Terry and Little Walter. With these roots, Adam has always had ambitions to release a more blues-based album. And with Tidy’s Blues Sandwich, he has achieved just that.
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REVIEWS Recruiting some of the stellar names from the London blues scene, including Chad Strentz (who regularly sings with Paul Lamb) guesting with a couple of vocal tracks, he has produced an album with plenty of blues, but also heavily spiced with all the fun elements from his Brothers of Mothershovel days, including reworks of some of the songs from that band. Adam writes all the songs on the album, usually starting out by coming up with riffs on the harmonica which he puts to the band who then fill it out to create the complete number. This approach ensures the harmonica is central to each song, and is typically based around a catchy motif that is always appealing to the ear. His lyrics add to the effect, as he often employs subtle repeated phrases to drive home the message. The first track on the album, ‘Mudball Mooch’, is an electric blues that captures a Little Walter type sound, and is also a testament to the influences of British players Paul Lamb and Steve ‘West’ Weston on Adam’s playing. ‘A Nod To Noah’ pays homage to his love of pre-war player Noah Lewis. Adam’s irreverent style shines through in ‘Make The Tea / On The Run Again’ and ‘Old Man Blues’, one of the songs he has lifted from the Mothershovel band. Chad Strentz really adds to power to Adam’s lyrics on the two versions of ‘This World Will Keep On Rolling’. The highlight of the album for me is the song ‘Hip Bop’. Adam has released a few songs in this vein (such as Hovel Bop). It features his most fun-filled rhythmic playing and is a joy to hear. Adam may not be the most technically minded player. He’s a straight ahead diatonic player who plays to the strengths of the instrument, with repetition a strong part of his armoury. What you do get from him is lots of tasty, forceful harmonica that is highly effective, more catchy than a viral infection, and above all, a whole heap of fun. You can listen to the album on Bandcamp at this link, where you can also buy all the digital tracks for £7: https://tidysbluessandwich.bandcamp.com/releases If you prefer a physical CD, contact Adam at: adamburney123@gmail.com Be sure to check out Adam’s music videos from his YouTube channel, they’re a blast: search for Adam Burney harmonica on YouTube. Adam has recently been interviewed on the Happy Hour Harmonica podcast, where you can hear much more from him and how he put the album together. https://happyhourharmonicapodcast.buzzsprout.com
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MY FIRST HARMONICA Keith Parker, Editorial Team
I first heard diatonic blues harmonica in 1964 when my older brother came home with a record player and a selection of singles, one of which was the Rolling Stones Not Fade Away, Wow, what was that sound? A mouth organ! I wanted to make that sound and play music - anything is better than a school recorder, so after saving my pocket money I went to the music/record shop in Bishops Stortford and said to the lady behind the counter “I want a mouth organ. I want to sound like the Rolling Stones”. Well, she must have looked at this 11-year-old boy with money in his hand and thought “it’s only a fad”, and she took my money and sold me a Hohner Larry Adler 12 chromatic! I took it home very excited, but I very quickly realised that this did not sound like the Rolling Stones, and it had cost me £21 shillings and sixpence, all my savings. A couple of months went by, and I went back to the shop and tried again. Even worse this time, they sold me a Hohner curved tremolo, but I wasn’t giving up. Time passed, and one Saturday night I was allowed to go to the dance in the local village hall with strict instructions to stay by my brother’s side. The music at this dance was provided by a live group playing British RnB and rock and roll, and then it happened: the moment that changed my musical life. The singer invited a young man on stage, and he pulled a small harmonica out of his pocket and joined in with the band to a Chuck Berry number. “Yes, Yes”, I shouted, “That’s it! That’s the sound I’m after”. In the break, I plucked up the courage to ask this young man what he was playing, and he showed me. It was a Hohner Echo Super vamper, so that’s what I need. I went back to the shop to buy one, but what key do you want? Key, key... I don’t know, and she sold me an E! I then set off on the road, learning to play, but with no books, videos and certainly no YouTube, the only way was to listen to records and try to copy them. My learning source was the album “Fresh Cream” by Cream, which I wore out, but it enabled me to learn that sound which I later discovered was bending and phrasing. The rest is history. I met that now-not-so-young man with the Super vamper again about 40 years later when I moved to the same town where he lived, and I told him this story; to which he said to me “you have taken it to another level”, “Maybe”, I said, “but without you I would still be trying to play the blues on that Larry Adler 12 chromatic”. Sadly, he passed away, and I played a tribute to him at his memorial, and guess what I played? That’s right - “Not Fade Away”. I still have that Echo Super vamper in E, but sadly it does not play anymore. That moment in the sixties has enabled me to play with some great musicians on stages in lots of countries around the world, and even now, lots of years later, that sound still gives me that WOW!
It’s been a busy year for the Lowestoft-based harp player: presenting and playing a set with Danny R at February’s Harping By The Sea (HBTS) festival, the launch of his and Danny’s fabulous Cafe Studios EP in June, a return to gigging an upcoming album, and on the strength of the HBTS appearance, a slot at the SPAH festival in August. I caught up with Paul, who joined HarmonicaUK (then the NHL) back in 1988, to talk about all of the above and what the future holds. Originally turning up as a punter at HBTS, Paul is now one of the presenters and teaches a workshop alongside our own vice chairman Richard Taylor and team. Paul’s recent collaboration with singer/guitarist/songwriter Danny R has so far produced the Cafe Studios EP, a four track EP with songs written and arranged by Danny and with Paul writing and playing the harmonica parts and singing too. I remarked that although I could hear lots of influences within these tracks, there was nothing I could specifically relate Paul’s playing to, a remark he was delighted with. “I believe you should like something because it sounds good, not because it sounds similar to something you like. I try to get my sound to be as original as possible.” A self-confessed frustrated indie guitarist, Paul has been influenced by bands such as Stone Roses, The Bluetones and Pearl Jam, and with his use of different chord progressions and split octaves he has achieved a truly unique and fascinating sound. The two only started recording together last September, but the fit is a good one. “I haven’t always been great at expressing my emotions and feelings and managed to put over what I’m trying to say musically. I feel that has changed, especially working with Danny.” They have been doing some gigs together including the Red Rooster festival, and will be supporting the award winning blues duo When Rivers Meet at the Hunter club in December. Getting slots at two online harmonica festivals this year has been a coup for them. “It was fantastic to be asked to perform at the festivals - a great opportunity to get our material out there, and we receive really positive feedback from them both.” The performances can be found on YouTube.
BLUES BY THE SEA - PAUL GILLINGS Dave ‘Dogfish’ Colclough, Editorial Team
There is more in the pipeline for Paul and Danny, but for the moment Paul is working on a harmonica instrumental album where Danny is playing some lead guitar lines. “I’m writing and performing all the songs myself apart from Danny’s part and also mixing them in my home studio, it’s going to feature some quite angry harmonica and should be out later this year.” He has also guested with Norwich-based rock/blues five piece Little Red Kings at some of their gigs and a collaboration with Tom Malachowski produced the seven track mini album Norfolk boy, and I urge you to check these guys out along with Paul’s previous two albums “You Don’t Even Know” and “Invisible Prison” from which a track appeared on the blues show with Cerys Matthews. Links can be found at paulgillingsharmonica.com A Seydel endorser, his diatonic harp of choice is the 1847 or the session steel, although he is currently in love with their low low tone harmonicas at the moment! Also a chromatic player, Paul is hoping that Santa brings him a Seydel Symphony in his stocking this year! He’s an innovative and original player, and I for one look forward to any future projects that come our way.
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An interview with Peter Golding is a hard thing to put into a two page article. He was born in Willesden, London, and his father was a headmaster. His obsession with playing chromatic harmonica as a lad began when he heard one of his friends playing the instrument at his boy scouts chapter. He went on to cut his teeth when he lived in the infamous Beat Hotel in Paris where he busked on the streets and in cafes on diatonic, chromatic, and guitar. He went on to busk around Europe and parts of the Levant, riding from city to city on a Lambretta he picked up in Milan. Since then he’s done various musical projects, most notably his blues album Stretching The Blues and performing at Larry Adler’s memorial. Oh, and he’s also famous in the fashion industry for making the coolest designer jeans known to man. His latest album, Red Hot and Live, explores his love of Gypsy Jazz and is a pre-lockdown concert recording of his Cafe Django band performing at the Chelsea Arts Club.
AROUND THE WORLD WITH 80 GREAT HARMONICA Tell me about your approach to the harmonica? PLAYERS I will use whatever I can get to get the sound I want. The sound Red Hot And Live, An Interview With Peter Golding Sam Spranger, Editorial Team
always comes first over a specific technique or discipline. My playing has always been a natural style based more on the heart than the head. I don’t overthink things. The feel is almost getting lost today in music and we can become obsessed with the technicalities. I really respected what William Galison said during the Chromatic Harmonica Weekend, ‘The whole thing is about the tune and the audience.’ And equipment do you use? In those early days I joined the Hohner song band league, and Normans’ harmonicas was THE guy to get harps from. He turned me onto Hering Chromatic harmonicas which are fantastic and also the old Hohner Pro-Harps. Hering chromatics have got a certain sound that means you can be as rough as you like with them. I use a variety of keys which lets me be adaptive, especially with Gypsy jazz, as you’re sometimes playing in the relative minor to the key stamped on the harp. I would often get them customised by Brendan Power, as well as go to Joe Filisko and Richard Sleigh for Marine Bands. For years I’ve also enjoyed Steve Baker’s amazing SBS harmonicas as well. As regards to mics, for the blues I have this old beaten up Shure 707 which is fantastic. I’ve played a range of amplifiers including the Fender Bassman and Bandmaster, but recently I love using a smaller old Kalamazoo amp. For Gypsy Jazz it’s just a SM58 or a Beyer dynamic through a powered speaker with XLR into the PA for a more natural sound.”
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As you know I’m a teacher in a school and I played Red, Hot, & Live to the kids and they loved it! Tell me about the album. Well, it’s been said we are probably “The only Harmonica led Gypsy Jazz band!” I’m so thrilled the kids liked it, wonderful! The album came about as I was looking through my old recordings during lockdown, and I came across a CD which was a direct feed from the sound-desk during a Cafe Django gig at the Chelsea Arts Club and I couldn’t believe how good it all sounded! So I edited it from the download at a studio in Camden. What I really enjoy about the playing is the reward of having created the band and seeing how everyone interacts… and as everyone knows, if you wanna play harmonica in a band, you better start your own! You can learn more about Peter as well as listen to and download Stretching the Blues and Red Hot and Live at www.cafe-django.com You can also watch the Full interview online @mybrokenharp on YouTube.
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Famous musicians generate interest beyond their music. Background and major life events of the various Beatles are well known to my generation. Tabloids and social media bring contemporary stars to us, whether we like it or not. Books like the superb ‘Chronicles, Volume One’ by Bob Dylan, the surprisingly excellent ‘Life’ by Keith Richards, and the simply wonderful B.B. King's autobiography ‘Blues All Around Me’, written with David Ritz, provides a deep focus on musical icons from my era. Little was known about harmonica players when I started in the late 1970s. This changed in 1993, when Kim Field released ‘Harmonicas, Harps and Heavy Breathers’. Kim is a well known harmonica player and a skilled writer. His book outlines the development of the harmonica and profiles the key 20th century players. Some of the early pioneers, including DeFord Bailey, Herman Crook and Charles Leighton were still around when the book was written, and their respective interviews are a high point. Every harmonica player should read this book, along with Kim Field's upcoming release, ‘The Blues Dream of Billy Arnold’, highlighting the sole surviving (and still performing) major harmonica player from the early 1950s Chicago scene. Electronic media provides another window into our music icons. The Musicians Hall of Fame interviews are a favourite for me, the Vince Gill ones in particular. Harmonica players are not front of mind when major outlets plan interviews, so it falls on our community. PT Gazell has done a series of interviews - a ‘Seydel Overtones’ YouTube search will find them. Hohner has a ‘Harmonica Masters’ video series, featuring their major endorsers. Howard Levy and David Barrett have done some nice interviews. The 2020 COVID lockdowns accelerated online projects by necessity. Tomlin Leckie has become one of the more prolific online harmonica teachers; in 2020 he started a podcast series with well known players. There are now around twenty episodes, each around an hour featuring icons such as Adam Gussow, Brendan Power and Jason Ricci. They are easily found on YouTube. 2020 brought another harmonica podcaster to light: Neil Warren. Neil is well known in UK harmonica circles, has won the HarmonicaUK championship several times, and has harmonica transcripts at harptranscripts.co.uk. His name rang a bell when he contacted me last month, to ask if I would like to be in his Happy Hour Harmonica podcast series. I replied with a yes, then went online to see what I was in for. Starting in April 2020 with a Paul Lamb interview, Neil has done 45 podcasts to date. Google ‘Happy Hour Harmonica’ to find them. Similar to Tomlin Leckie, Neil keeps his guests for around an hour. His cast is impressive, and includes Howard Levy, Charlie McCoy,
HARMONICA BIOGRAPHIES Tony Eyres
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Kim Wilson and Rachelle Plas. I listened to a few to get up to speed, and found them compelling, in particular Jerry Portnoy, whose career spans the Muddy Waters band to Eric Clapton, and includes lessons from Walter Horton. Carlos del Junco was another fascinating interviewee, likewise Joe Filisko. Neil prepares his interview well. His understated style draws his subjects out, and reminds me of Michael Parkinson. A key feature is the musical excerpts which compliment the stories. An hour is a long chat, so Neil structures his interviews carefully, to cover early beginnings, major career points, recordings, playing styles, equipment and a final segment on "what would you do if you had ten minutes to practise?" I had a sinking feeling that my interview would be short unless I came up with something. I sent Neil three pages with everything I could think of. He asked for recordings of my 1980s blues band. I do have cassettes from back then, but no player. I found an old Sony Walkman, but it didn't work. Given how I sounded back then, the absence of a player was perhaps a lucky escape all round. We coordinated times (I'm in Sydney), I tested the podcast software beforehand, we overcame some technical hitches (I was too loud, a common complaint), and settled in. I found myself to be an agreeable topic, the hour passed quickly, a day or so later the editing was done and the podcast went up. I've encouraged Neil to keep at it. These projects are easily started, harder to keep going. Neil has been going for 18 months and has compiled a major resource. Another year or so at this rate and his podcasts will become the resource for in depth overviews of our generation of players.
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PERFECT INTONATION The standard Mars is tuned to equal temperament which gives a bright sound BUT now we also have ‘JUST’ intonation for that authentic Pre-War Blues sound.
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arp Benders H
Order direct from our online shop Tuned to JUST INTONATION this model is supreme at making chords sound sweet. It is the pre-war tuning used by all the great and famous recording artists up to the 1960s like Little Walter, Big Walter, both Sonnyboy Williamsons and all the other greats. As it is tuned to make the chords sweet you lose the sweetness in melody playing. For example, 5 draw will sound flat in a tune. Fine in 2nd position but less good in first position.
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Born in Jerusalem in 1991, Israeli harmonica virtuoso Roni Eytan is one of the most original and creative players of his generation. His extraordinary musical world ranges from virtuoso jazz improvisation to the hauntingly expressive microtonal influences of his Middle Eastern roots. He studied composition most recently at the Herbie Hancock Institute in Los Angeles, and before that at Berklee College of Music where he was invited by legendary Panamanian pianist/composer/arranger Danilo Pérez on international tours. Here is an excerpt from a long and passionate Zoom conversation we had in July 2021: "The way I got into harmonica was pretty random. I had previously told my parents I wanted to try the trumpet. I didn’t get on with it and we returned it to the store. I felt a little bad so I thought next time I'm going to start smaller, something a little more modest. A friend showed me a chromatic harmonica which looked and sounded nice. As a kid, I loved the Moomin TV series in which a character plays harmonica. So I just picked the harmonica, never imagining it would be serious. In Jerusalem I was lucky to take lessons from Elisha Avshalom who showed me the basics - how to get single notes, simple Israeli songs. Pretty early on I got into jazz. I play Suzuki harmonicas mostly - the Gregoire Maret G48, the 16 hole Sirius and Brendan Power's Microtonal Chromatic which is a whole other beast! I added the 16 hole much later in the game. In some ways I'm still not as comfortable on it. My muscle memory is oriented to the 12 hole.
ADAM GLASSER CHATS WITH: RONI EYTAN
I play mostly tongue blocking. It's one of my aims to develop corner switching. I experimented a little bit but I'm still an amateur at this point. With my students, I'm big on developing control over how we breathe. Exhale and inhale. That's our constant struggle - but I would say it's a beautiful struggle! The challenge is to create the balance between them so you're in the flow. I have different exercises for developing control over exhale, inhale, and the transitions between notes and between passages which require different kinds of combinations. You add different variables. First you start by: exhale, inhale on one hole; then you do it with: exhale, inhale, involving switching holes, and so on. I believe in a very slow process of building technique thoroughly breaking things down, finding out how small phrases sit. I spend a lot of time thinking about sound on the harmonica, working on it consciously and unconsciously, just focused, listening. There is something in the sound that I still haven't heard yet which I am developing. I met Danilo Pérez at Berklee College of Music. He was a big inspiration as a teacher and he asked me if I wanted to join him on a tour! I was very young at the time. It was one of the biggest learning experiences I had. I grew up with the idea that you need to spend some time next to masters connected to the lineage passing on knowledge. And these tours were incredible! One day being in Germany, then next day Spain, then Azerbaijan and seeing how Danilo found a connection every time to the people and the musicians in the band. I've been working a lot recently on my own music. When I was in the Herbie Hancock Institute I got into writing and studying composition, especially with Tigran Hamasyan, the Armenian pianist I admire very much. He's also one of my favourite current musicians and a big inspiration. I still don't have an album out of my own, but I've been planning one for a while that I'm going to record soon.
5 WEEK ZOOM GROUP COURSE:
CHROMATIC HARMO ICA WITH
ADAM GLASSER Limited to
12
spaces!
Course Dates Monday 1st November 4-5pm Monday 8th November 4-5pm Monday 15th November 4-5pm Monday 22nd November 4-5pm Monday 29th November 4-5pm Please note all sessions will take place on Zoom Fee: The cost of this course is £45 which is paid in advance and gives access to all five sessions
To register For full details and to register please send an email to adamgharmonica@gmail.com with the subject line 'Harmonica Course November'
Participants will Explore and discuss favourite pieces of music Choose a personal musical objective Receive bespoke learning materials (pdfs, videos, mp3s) related to your goals Receive Adam's latest practising tips and short cuts Practise live performance (on zoom) in a supportive environment Receive ongoing support and feedback
CLASSIFIEDS Teachers and Repairers
KEY D Diatonic.
John Cook 01708 446 644 R Repairs. Certified Hohner, Suzuki and Seydel technician. Chromatic and diatonic service repair and tuning. Repair workshops and private repair. London. Zoom. john@johncookharmonicas.com
Chromatic.
T
Tremolo.
U
Tuning.
R
Repairs.
Eva Hurt 07578 808 353 C Triola. Classical, folk, musical theatre. Triola. London In person, Skype, Zoom. eva.harmonica@yahoo.com
Ricky Cool 07749 918 343 D Blues, country, roots. Birmingham. In person, Skype, Zoom. rickycool@ blueyonder.co.uk
Cathal Johnson 0834 444 980?? D C Blues, country, traditional Irish dance. Republic of Ireland. In person, Skype, Zoom. Certified Hohner technician repairs and tuning. www.harmonicasireland.com
Mike Fairbairn 01623 753 693 D C Blues. Derbyshire. In person. fairblues@hotmail.co.uk
Julian Jackson C D All genres. London. In person, Zoom. joolsj@yahoo.com
Paul Gillings 07880 324 163 C D All genres. Norfolk/Suffolk. In person, Skype, Zoom. paulgillingsharmonica@gmail.com
Moses Jones 07707 193 437 D C All genres. Bristol. In person, Zoom. moses.jones88@yahoo.com
Adam Glasser C All genres. London. In person, Zoom, phone by arrangement. adamgharmonica@icloud.com
Tony Jukes 01455 202 829 C D Blues, folk. East Midlands. In person, Skype, zoom. tjukes@hotmail.co.uk
Roy Green C D All genres, excluding jazz. Cranbrook, Kent. In person. roysgreen@talktalk.net
Steve Lockwood 07786 256 178 D U All genres. Cambridgeshire In person, Skype, Zoom. steve@steve-lockwood.com
01580 720 148
Cain Hamilton D U Custom and tuning. Holywell, Wales. sugarharmonicas@outlook.com Ben Hewlett D All genres. Bristol. In person, Zoom, Skype. benhewlett@me.com
07973 284 366
Ed Hopwood 07814 637 317 D Blues, Folk, Roots. London. In person, Skype, Zoom. info@theharmonicabarge.com
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C
07930 801 344
Johnny Mars 07947 252 186 C D Four different types of tuning. The Mars Method of Harmonica Tuition. johnnymars@me.com Taunton. In person, Zoom. Eddie Martin 07974 120 418 D C All genres. All genres. (except jazz). Bristol. In person, Skype, Zoom. www.eddiemartin.com John Monaghan C U R. Widnes.
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01514 249 594
CLASSIFIEDS Gary Murray 01344 842 162 C Jazz, blues. Berkshire. Online. www.garymharmonica.co.uk
Richard Taylor 07525 256 954 D All genres. Preschool to adults. Brighton and Hove. In person, Skype, Zoom. hove.actually@ntlworld.com
Keith Parker D Blues, country, rock. Cambridgeshire. In person, Zoom.
07966 471 734
Will Pound D C Paddy Richter speciality. Caernarvon. In person, Zoom. will@willpound.com
07884 222 356
Mat Walklate 07725 479 148 D C T All genres. Manchester. In person, Skype, Zoom. mat.walklate23@btinternet.com
Adam Pritchard 07429 126 120 D All genres. Cheltenham. In person, Skype, Zoom. pritchharp@gmail.com Aidan Sheehan 07812 143 226 D All genres, excluding jazz. Cwmbran. In person, Skype, Zoom. aidenharpsheehan@gmail.com Sam Spranger 07815 538 888 C D All genres. London. In person, Skype, Zoom. sam.aspranger@gmail.com
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Joff Watkins 07980834 002 D C All genres. London. In person, Zoom. joffharp@yahoo.com Will Wilde D All genres. In person, Skype, Zoom. willharmonicawilde.com
07854 591 413
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 Bargains New/Used Harmonicas For Sale - please ask for list - davetaylorbluespiano@gmail.com Wanted. Chord harmonica in good playing order. Please contact rickycool@blueyonder.co.uk
Editorial policy is to let the enthusiasts write about their interests, with the aim of providing a balance of interest in the magazine that caters for all tastes. Editorial changes are made only if absolutely necessary, in order to retain the contributor’s own style of writing. Members are invited to submit articles of 300, 600 or 900 words with relevant photographs, which should be JPEG files at 300 dpi and minimum 148mm wide. All photographs should include a credit and permissions to use in the publication. Harmonica World checks the ownership of all submitted images to the best of its ability. If you believe your copyright has been infringed, please contact us. 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. The editor’s decision is final in all matters relating to this publication. All the contents are copyright, and no part may be reproduced in any form without the prior permission of HarmonicaUK and the author, and the source must be acknowledged. The contents of the magazine do not necessarily reflect the views of HarmonicaUK, and it accepts no responsibility for any errors, misrepresentations, or opinions expressed by the contributors. Harmonica World is published six times a year by HarmonicaUK, at the beginning of Feb, April, June, August, October, and December. The copy/advertising deadlines fall on 1 January, March, May, July, September, and November. The magazine is printed in full colour on FSC silk art paper.
October - November 2021 • Harmonica.co.uk
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JUST HOLES – NO SLIDER
WWW.SEYDEL1847.COM
THE NONSLIDER CHROMATIC DE LUXE STEEL – PLAYING CHROMATICALLY RE-THOUGHT. A CHROMATIC HARMONICA WITH DIRECT TONE RESPONSE LIKE A BLUES HARMONICA, THAT WORKS WITHOUT SLIDER AND WITHOUT VALVES, ON WHICH TECHNIQUES LIKE BENDING OR OVERBLOW ARE PLAYABLE. WE CALL IT NONSLIDER CHROMATIC DE LUXE STEEL, A DESIGN STUDY THAT OPENS UP MANY NEW POSSIBILITIES FOR THE PLAYERS TO PLAY CHROMATICALLY, NO MATTER IF THEY HAVE PLAYED CHROMATIC HARMONICA BEFORE OR IF THEY PLAYED DIATONIC BLUES HARMONICA! THE NONSLIDER CHROMATIC IS A VERY RELIABLE INSTRUMENT THAT IS VIRTUALLY MAINTENANCE FREE. 48 TUNING STABLE STAINLESS STEEL REEDS GUARANTEE A GREAT SOUND AND A LONG PLAYING PLEASURE. FURTHERMORE, STUCK VALVES OR A JAMMED SLIDER ARE THINGS OF THE PAST. YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES LESS CAN BE MORE. ALL PARTS OF THE NONSLIDER CHROMATIC ARE MADE FROM ANTI-CORROSIVE MATERIALS.
