HARMONICA WORLD Summer 2022
Harmonica.uk
Contents
President: Paul Jones Vice-President: Ben Hewlett vice-pres@harmonica.uk Patrons: Lee Sankey, Adam Glasser, Roger Trobridge Executive Committee Chair: Pete Hewitt chair@harmonica.uk Secretary: Davina Brazier sec@harmonica.uk Treasurer: Phil Leiwy treasurer@harmonica.uk Vice-Chair: Barry Elms communications@harmonica.uk
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Chairman’s message
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Newsdesk items
7 Peter Madcat Ruth on Learning Harp and Lessons With Big Walter 10
Paul Appleton
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Cold Heart Revue
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Fatal Attraction Part 2 by Phillip Hopkins
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Beginning Tremolo by Tony Eyers
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Harping back to Happiness by Paula Brainyon
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Cyril Davies Tribute Night at the Eel Pie Club – 24 March 2022
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History of Harmonica UK Part 8
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Chris Collis Interview
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Tab for Seneca Square Dance
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Park Jiha Interview
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Quiz answers
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Reviews
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Classifieds
Committee Members IT: Barbara Tate Safeguarding: Simon Joy Outreach: Richard Taylor outreach@harmonica.uk Health: Sam Wilkinson: publicity@harmonica.uk Newsdesk: Suzy Colclough newsdesk@harmonica.uk Membership Secretary: David Hambley memsec@harmonica.uk 7 Ingleborough Way, Leyland, Lancs, PR25 4ZS, UK +44 (0)7757 215047 Assistants to the committee Editor: Dave ‘Dogfish’ Colclough editor@harmonica.uk Archivist: Roger Trobridge archivist@harmonica.uk Advertising: Keith Parker Education: Dick Powell edu@harmonica.uk Health: Rollen Flood Outreach: Laina Freeman Newsdesk: Gary Newman Design and artwork: Differentia.co.uk Cover: Peter Madcat Ruth.
HarmonicaUK membership Annual UK membership £20, Under 18 £10, Europe £25, Outside Europe £30
Registered Charity (England and Wales) No. 1131484 www.harmonica.uk
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Hello everyone,
A MESSAGE FROM OUR CHAIR
I trust this summer magazine edition finds you safe and well. I guess the big story is that our Chromatic Weekend continues to make great progress. The team and all the helpers have really done a great job. I will look forward to personally welcoming you all to our weekend. This is probably the last chance that you will have to book in, so please don’t delay. We also have several diatonic players attending this year, so this will be an exciting weekend, with lots of jamming and of course a first-class line up to teach and perform for us at the Saturday evening show. 2021 was a fast and furious year for my team as we worked towards our relaunch/rebranding and new IT. This year we began a new journey by exploring what we can do as a charity to help and support others. Richard Taylor, assisted by Laina Freeman and Sammy Boy Wilkinson, set out their stalls for us during an Outreach Zoom Conference on the 20th of March. The event was well attended by so many professional people and interested parties from within HarmonicaUK. During this awe-inspiring meeting, Chris Startup from Project Sounds spoke about how harmonicas can help with all sorts of lung problems, from COPD to long COVID. Neil Cunningham from Southwark Fostering talked about how they are helping underprivileged children with a need for support with instruments and teaching. Sammy Boy spoke of his work with other organisations who are also promoting harmonicas and singing for health. Sam Spranger, who is one of our ambassadors, spoke of the real value that playing provides in supporting good mental health. I have to say that the teams are really defining what we can do to bring joy, health and of course camaraderie to our already great organisation. If you missed this meeting, a recording is available on our website in the outreach section. So it is with great pride that I thank all involved for giving their time and thank you, our members, for the loyal support that you have shown us - thank you. One final thing - save the weekend of October 21-23rd in your diaries for the HarmonicaUK October Festival, this year back to in-person. Details will be available soon in the Autumn edition of Harmonica World, and on www.harmonica.uk/events
Best wishes Pete
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The magazine for HarmonicaUK
NEWSDESK Editor’s welcome Dave “Dogfish” Colclough
Dave “Dogfish” Colclough Editor
Hi everyone, and a very warm welcome to your Summer Edition of Harmonica World. You’ll find inside articles about diatonic, chromatic and tremolo harmonica. Also, items relating to health and the imminent Chromatic Weekend (18th-19th June), plus a quiz courtesy of Keith Parker. So, dive in and enjoy! We’ve had some great news, information and gigs coming into Newsdesk, check them out along with the details of the Chromatic Weekend at https://www.harmonica.uk
Members’ Letters Dear Harmonica World, A friend of mine has been getting rid of his CDs, and one I received was by the late singer, Dickie Valentine. During the live section, Dickie gave this joke: A mouse goes into a music store and asks for a mouseorgan. The owner says “Funny - you’re the second mouse who’s been in to ask for a mouseorgan”. “Ah”, said the mouse, “That would be our Monica”.
Anthony Craven In Memory - Doug Jay by Norman Darwen HarmonicaUK is saddened to hear of the passing of harmonica player and singer Doug Jay. Doug died on 18th February 2022 in Atlantic City, New Jersey. He was 68 years old. Doug was born on 10th August 1953 in Pensacola, Florida, and his family eventually settled in Washington DC, where he began his musical career on the local blues scene, initially inspired by hearing the music of Little Walter. He recorded as a member of The AllStars out of Charlottesville, Virginia, playing on their album Tip Your Waitress, which appeared on the Adelphi label in 1978; the following year none other than Bruce Springsteen sat in with the band. Later Doug worked with Bob Margolin, guitarist for Muddy Waters in the late 70s. In 1990 Doug moved to California. He was a versatile player, and more than adept at the driving style popular on the West Coast at that time, and he released his first solo album, Until We Meet Again on his own Blue Jay label in 1993, garnering a lot of acclaim for his
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NEWSDESK blues playing and writing. As a result, he began to tour in Europe, and he eventually relocated to Osnabruck in Germany, where he led Doug Jay & The Blue Jays, using it as his base for around a decade and leaving a huge influence on many German blues musicians. He recorded the albums Jackpot in 2005 and Under the Radar in 2007 for German label CrossCut before he returned to the States, living near family members in New Jersey. He had been admitted to hospital in January 2022 with breathing difficulties.
Diatonic Harp Quiz 2 Courtesy of Keith Parker
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Which player recorded the iconic tune Whamma Jamma? Who was the harp player with Canned Heat? Who was born Amos Wells Blakemore Jr? Who had the stage name of Ice Pick? Who played harmonica at the Grand Ole Opry from 1926 - 1941? What company Manufactured the legendary ’59 Bassman? Which rack player had both Eric Clapton and Jimi Hendrix in his band at the same time? Who manufactures the Big Six harmonica? Who recorded the album Mr Freeze in 1995? Which American player has quested with Walter Trout? Which American player’s band was called the Red Devils? Name John Popper’s band. Which player had a harmonica mail-order company in the 1940s, and appeared at the Grand Ole Opry? Which American player is famous for appearing at the legendary Carnegie Hall? Which session player played on the hits by Culture Club? Who recorded an album named Blowin’ Like Hell on ALLIGATOR records in 1990? Who formed the Fabulous Thunderbirds with Jimmy Vaughan? Pic 1 Which player is pictured with the quiz master? Pic 2 Who is the player pictured with the quiz master in Paris? Pic 3 Who is the award-winning player pictured with a young fan?
The magazine for HarmonicaUK
PETER “MADCAT” RUTH is one of the best-known harmonica players alive. His harmonica playing has been heard on hundreds of albums of all music styles, from blues to pop to country. He’s also known to generations of harmonica players for his instructional videos on topics including harmonica basics and rhythm playing. Ruth developed his highly personal style in the shadow of some of Chicago’s blues greats. He talked to Harmonica World about his apprenticeship, lessons with Big Walter Horton, and more.
PETER MADCAT RUTH ON LEARNING HARP AND LESSONS WITH BIG WALTER By Justin M. Norton
How did you discover the harmonica? RUTH: My father played harmonica for about five minutes a year. So, I knew what the instrument was. When I was 15, I heard Sonny Terry on the radio, and I said: “What is that?” My Dad didn’t sound like that when he played. I was already playing guitar and loved it. When I heard the harmonica the sound of it just got to me. I had to learn how to do it. How did you apprentice yourself to learning the instrument? RUTH: It was 1964 and there weren’t any books out. So, I got an LP called Folk Festival at Newport that had two cuts by Sonny Terry and Brownie McGee. I got out my harmonica and tried to play along. One song was in the right key (F/Bb harmonica) so it sounded cool to play along. On the other song, I was like: “this sounds terrible.” It was in the wrong key (laughs). It wasn’t like you could go on Google then and type “learn blues harmonica.” How did you develop skills on the instrument, especially when the living masters weren’t open about sharing? RUTH: They certainly weren’t. What really helped me was that I was taking guitar lessons at the Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago (eds: modern master Joe Filisko heads harmonica instruction at the school now). They didn’t have any harmonica courses then but sold harmonicas in their store. I said I wanted to buy a harmonica and he (the clerk) said what key. The salesman told me to get an A harmonica to play in E. So, I got a C and A. Then I kept getting Sonny Terry records. For the first two years,
I just tried to play along with Sonny Terry records. That was the learning experience for two years. Sonny’s style is so idiosyncratic. There are certain articulations and breathing patterns no one else uses. Did that experience set the foundation for how you approached the instrument? RUTH: After two years I thought there must be some other harmonica players out there. In about 1966 I got Junior Wells Hoodoo Man Blues and that blew my mind. Then I got The Best of Little Walter and The Best of Sonny Boy Williamson (II) and there was an explosion of information. My learning method was still listening to records. I was also good enough with a guitar to find out where cross harp was for each key and get the right harps. I played guitar with harmonica on a rack. I didn’t get into a blues band until 1967.
Photo by Thomas
Fouts
I understand you had some in-person lessons with Big Walter. RUTH: In October 1966 I was in a Unitarian youth group. The president of the youth group wanted a blues group to play in our church basement. We sent a representative down to Jazz Record Mart. They said we could hire Johnny Young and Walter Horton in our price range. So, they came and played in our church basement. Curiously enough, there was a young skinny white drummer playing with them. He looked to be my age. Turned out it was Iggy Pop (then known by his name Jim Osterberg). I didn’t even know it was Iggy Pop until decades later when I read an interview and he said he played a basement with Horton and Young. (That day) I heard someone say that he (Big Walter) gave lessons. I got up the nerve and ended up taking three lessons. Tell me about what you learned. RUTH: He said to get in touch with him via Bob Koester at Jazz Record Mart. Bob then told me to call Lincoln’s grocery store to get in touch with Walter. He didn’t have a phone but hung out there. I kept calling and asking for Walter and on the fourth or fifth time, he was there. Next Saturday I went down at 2 in the afternoon. His lessons were just playing something and then asking me to play it. He never said inhale and bend this note down a half step (laughs). I have to imagine just being in his presence and hearing that sound made a huge impression. RUTH: Absolutely. It showed me it was possible. When I heard him play it seemed possible. It wasn’t some recording technique or special amp. That’s him at the other side of the table making this incredible sound.
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You are known for comping and solo playing. So many players now seem to only want to get up and play behind a band. Is that component missing from a lot of playing? RUTH: It’s important and it was a foundation for me. When I listened to Little Walter his band did the changes, and he would float on top. Big Walter would always do the changes with the band. One of the things I always try to do is learn the melody, then learn how to play the chord structure of a song. It’s not so much about “what lick can I fit in here.” It’s about learning to play the song through melody and chord structure. Website: https://www.petermadcatruth.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_ query=peter+madcat+ruth+youtube Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/petermadcat.ruth Music Instruction: https://www.homespun.com/instructors/peter-madcat-ruth/ Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Madcat_Ruth Photo by Joel Brown
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Photo by Prakoso Umam
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This issue, my interview is with Stafford-based diatonic player and HarmonicaUK member Paul Appleton. He has been playing the harp for over 14 years now, originally inspired by the likes of the legendary Sonny Boy Williamson, Big Walter, and Paul Butterfield, to name but a few. Paul has since carved out his own unique style of harmonica playing, which can range from raw and aggressive to elegant and sweet. Photo by Steve Luff
But how did it all start? Paul says, “I was given a cheap harmonica as a gift one Christmas. It came with a little book that taught you how to play simple tunes such as Twinkle Twinkle Little Star etc. and after working my way through it, I Colclough was hooked and wanted to take it further.”
PAUL APPLETON By Dave “Dogfish” Editorial Team
What was the next step? “After some research, I discovered blues music, a totally new genre of music to me, and my blues education began. I went to a music shop in Stafford Town called Guitar and Son and bought a Hohner Big River harmonica. Next stop was a record shop called Collectable Records where I asked the owner for advice. “It’s the blues you want!” he told me. I bought a blues CD that originally came with a Sunday supplement that had a picture of Sonny Boy II wearing his bowler on the cover and featured various artists.” With no previous musical experience apart from playing 3 Blind Mice at school on the recorder (remember them?), Paul started to play from ear by listening to this blues CD. “I can hear influences in my playing, but I’ve never tried to copy anything note for note but prefer to put my own stamp on it whilst honouring the original style.” Carrying his harmonica everywhere, and apart from a few lessons from Mat Walklate to go through positional playing around 6 years ago, he has worked it out for himself. “I not only work out a tune by listening to the harp version, but sometimes emulating guitar and fiddle parts. There are many other instruments I borrow from, even the vocalist.” Paul performs regularly as part of a duo with guitarist Steve Luff, possessing uniquely distinctive vocals, Steve harnesses the raw energy of the acoustic guitar, while Paul’s accomplished Chicago-based blues marries with Steve’s Delta blues approach. He has performed all over the UK with Steve and several other professional blues outfits including The Eddie Angel Blues Band in several of London’s top blues venues.
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Are you a pucker or tongue block player, or do you take a hybrid approach? “I pucker on hole one and when executing the blow bends, the rest is all tongue blocking. I can really get the sound and also accompaniment with myself that I’m after, the complete Band in the hand thing if you like.” This style particularly suits Paul’s latest interest of Americana, old time, hill country music and gospel, and in 2021 he recorded and released the album Harmonicana, a CD of completely solo harmonica covering the aforementioned genres, and of which a review can be found in this issue. Another highlight in 2021 was when he entered HarmonicaUK’s Player of the Year Competition, at the October Festival, encouraged by mate Russ Turner, and came in joint second (ironically alongside Russ) with his version of Bonaparte's Retreat. Paul has another album coming out soon, a 9-track collaboration with Steve called Educated Man. I’m also delighted that Paul will be writing for Harmonica World and will be tabbing out some tunes with links to tutorials on his YouTube channel where you can find all his excellent content. Paul’s YouTube channel - https://m.YouTube.com/channel/ UCn1GkKGse7x5xTWjjNyskHA Website: https://www.chicagoblues.co.uk/ Photo by Steve Luff
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My name is David Robinson, although I perform music under the name The Cold Heart Revue. My interest in music began as a nine-year-old boy. There was an extra-curricular course that my primary school ran that was hosted by visiting American harmonica hero Johnny Mars. He gave me my first musical instrument; a harmonica in a red box that was adorned with his name. He was a wonderful teacher and knew exactly how to unlock the door to let music into our minds. I grew up in Portsmouth in the UK and Johnny was the first real musician that I had met. He gave me the inspiration to make music my life. I grew up and attended music colleges in Liverpool and London. The guitar is my main instrument, but I always keep a harmonica handy at every recording or performance. Before the pandemic I once opened for the band Madness at a football stadium in Portsmouth. My compositions Hope and Magazine and (You’re A) Picture On A Wall reached No#1 on the iTunes Blues Singles chart,
COLD HEART REVUE Royal Variety Performance By David Robinson and I regularly played my music at festivals, concerts and gigs with the intention of refining and learning from other, more experienced, musicians. The pandemic hit me, and every other person in the arts, hard. It was right that our health be protected, but my income was reduced to nothing. There are no reserves of help for musicians. There is rarely enough to cover the present moment, never mind a net that will relieve you under additional pressure. After receiving many rejections for help, I reached out to the Royal Variety Charity and received a one-off monetary grant. It reminded me that a tiny amount of respite is of real importance when your environment is hard.
I received a phone call from the producers of The Royal Variety Performance, and they asked me to make a little film about my music and my grant that would be televised. I keenly agreed. There was a remarkable group of individuals that organised my travel to a recording studio on the outskirts of London and a production team that lit the room… and me! I requested the advice of the director on how I should reply in my interview, and he told me to just, “relax and talk. The right phrasing will come”. He was positioned off camera and my answers reached a moment of rare clarity, and I raised my voice about the need for the arts in the UK. Music plays an important role in hard times, giving people a distraction and lifting their morale. Music, radio, television, and theatre are relied upon to give us more than we ever knew we needed. I opened up, and my depth of feelings on the matter unfolded in the interview. The director nodded and, without the loud roaring ‘cut’ that I had expected, my moment in front of the camera ended. On the night of The Royal Variety Performance my little film was screened in the Royal Albert Hall before the likes of Rod Stewart and Elvis Costello, who are heroes of my youth. A few weeks later it was on ITV. I received warm phone calls and pats on the back from kind-natured friends and family that knew how nervous I had been. My music is returning, and I have a new album on the way. I have been nominated for a UK Blues Award for my radio programme A Night of the Blues, and although I would never hope to repeat it, I have learned over the past couple of years that there might be a little help for a musician if you look really hard. I am rather lucky that I found it. https://www.instagram.com/thecoldheartrevueofficial/ https://www.bluesbroadcasters.co.uk/david_robinson.htm https://twitter.com/coldheartrevue https://www.facebook.com/thecoldheartrevue https://thecoldheartrevue.wixsite.com/my-site?fbclid=IwAR0UkcQy oXzn84YvNSH6Sh0ZQvhXLKisazXvZtEpUjYP31rxGRJogwGVutI
Photos by Jess Blake Photos
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© The Tommy Reilly Family Trust
“Hello. Tommy Reilly speaking.” I gulp. Having heard the bewitching strains of Tommy Reilly’s harmonica floating through my kitchen window from my neighbour’s flat, I borrowed the recording Serenade - and played it almost to destruction. Now I’ve taken it upon myself to phone the great man himself for a lesson. This is 1989, and prior to this I haven’t heard of Tommy Reilly, I’m ashamed to admit, having been born after the Golden Age of the chromatic harmonica. But anyone who gets to record as soloist with the world-renowned orchestra of the Academy of St Martin in the Fields, as Reilly has done, is clearly a top musician. To achieve this on harmonica is, frankly, astounding. The playing on the cassette is phenomenal, and I’ve never heard anything like Reilly’s tone, speed, clarity, and sheer virtuosity. My philosophy is that if I want to do my best, I must learn from the best, so I’ve decided to ask the great man for a lesson.
FATAL ATTRACTION: MY LIFE IN HARMONICA Part 2 By Phil Hopkins
This call holds all the terrors of phoning someone for a date - multiplied by ten. It’s been ridiculously simple to get Mr Reilly’s number - I’m a member of the Musicians’ Union, I own the MU directory, and in the harmonica section is the phone number of… yes, you’ve guessed it. “Hello Tommy. Er, Mr Reilly,” I hear myself croak. “Yes?” he says, patiently. I introduce myself. “Can I come to you for a lesson please?” There’s a pause. “You know,” he replies, speaking slowly and kindly, “I don’t teach much these days. But I’ve got a book. You can get it in the Charing Cross Road shops. It’s still in print. Thank you for calling.” Sensing the imminent end of this call I wedge my metaphorical foot firmly in the poor man’s door. “I’m sure I can buy the book,” I gabble, “but…” All the beautiful things I’ve just heard him play flash through my mind. “Does the book show me how to get your smooth legato? The slow vibrato in the lower notes? The staccato effects?” There’s a pause. “You know what,” he says, “I think you’d better come for a lesson.” Between 1989 and the late 1990s I make the trip several times a year to Tommy’s beautiful home in rural Surrey. I realise that Tommy and his wife Ena are a wonderful team. Ena provides coffee and biscuits on arrival at 11 a.m. There’s showbiz chat as Tommy
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Photo by Jon Frost
and Ena (who was a successful entertainer) discuss their touring experiences. Then it’s an hour or two with Tommy in the music room, followed by a cooked lunch with starter, mains, and dessert. I know some of the session musicians Tommy used to work with, so there’s a bit of gossiping to be done. We do more playing after lunch. When I finally stumble out of the front door at four o’clock, I have been relieved of the less-than-princely sum of ten pounds. What I have gained is priceless. On these lesson days, I check my ego at the front door, because my technique is going to be ruthlessly examined. It’s painful to be brought down to size, but sometimes it’s the only way. Tommy Reilly has played with the world’s finest musicians, and he knows that the road to excellence is a hard one. Even though I’ve done professional work, Tommy’s not impressed. He gets me playing slow scales, one step up then back, two steps up then back, three steps up then back. “Each note is a jewel,” he says. “Produce something beautiful each time you play.” He also says, “You should be thinking of the next note before you’ve stopped playing the one you’re on.” It’s a Zen-like study in simplicity, and I realise that I’m just not ready for the fast stuff I’m attempting to play. My ambitions at this stage are in the world of jazz, but I realise that this emphasis on technique and tone will pay off in whatever musical sphere one chooses. The lessons are worth it for the moments Tommy demonstrates his musical points on his Polle chromatic. Keeping his head still, his hands cradle the instrument as his arms move effortlessly from side to side like a piece of well-oiled machinery. The phrases he
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plays make perfect sense, like well-crafted sentences in a classic novel. One day I arrive for a lesson and Tommy leans against the front door frame. “So,” he says, a kindly twinkle in his eye as he checks out the sheet music in my hand. “What piece are you going to murder today?” We work on all kinds of repertoire, Bach sicilianos, Gordon Jacob’s Suite, some Gershwin. Tommy goes over and over my phrasing until my head reels with the intensity. “That sounds amateurish,” he chides after one of my efforts. “One note must melt into the next.” But after a couple of years of visits his tone changes slightly. One day I play Clair de Lune by Debussy. Just me and Tommy Reilly, alone in his music room. No accompaniment, a dry acoustic. Sounds terrifying? It is. “You know,” he says when I finish. “That wasn’t too bad at all.” Eventually the lessons cease, and in time I realise that the hours spent chatting with Tommy and Ena have been as important as the music lessons. Their kindness has shown me that, while music is important, friendship is what counts in life. Serenade Tommy Reilly https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uyUgDoVLdAE Phil Hopkins YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCp2HzSYG7L_KRPC_weZyZCA
© The Tommy Reilly Family Trust
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In October 2020, I was part of the HarmonicaUK Virtual Festival. I was planning to talk about my Major Cross tuning; however I was asked to do a tremolo seminar instead. Which I did. Likewise, there was a call for tremolo articles for this edition - again I've raised my hand. While I'm mostly a diatonic player, specialising in traditional tunes, I've been playing tremolo since 2008, when I was given one at the Asia Pacific Harmonica Festival. I like the tremolo and have performed and recorded with it. That said, I'm far behind tremolo specialists like Donald Black, the Murphy Brothers, and the scores of astonishing tremolo players I heard at the Asia Pacific Harmonica Festival. However, I do have a perspective these players do not: how to approach the tremolo from a 10-hole diatonic background. My HarmonicaUK seminar had this theme, which this article repeats.
BEGINNING TREMOLO By Tony Eyers
You could always watch my HarmonicaUK seminar, found via "Tony Eyers Tremolo" on YouTube. Or save the effort and read on. The tremolo is initially daunting to a 10-hole player. Many holes (42 or 48), all so small and close together. Not so bad though. The tremolo is a double reed instrument, meaning that you play two holes (i.e., two reeds) at once, giving the distinct tremolo sound. Hence the two rows of holes each have the same reed set, with each reed pair tuned more or less in unison for the Asian style tremolos which most Irish players use. So, you're actually dealing with only 21 (or 24) holes. Each tremolo hole has a single reed only, either blow or draw, unlike the 10-hole, with two reeds per hole. Hence the 21-hole tremolo has 21 individual reed pairs, very similar to the 10-hole diatonic, with 20 reeds. The similarities go further, greatly easing the transition from 10-hole diatonic to tremolo. The 21-hole and 24-hole tremolos have essentially the same layout, the 24-hole version has an extra note at the bottom and two extra ones at the top. As far as I can tell, the Irish tremolo players mostly use the Tombo Premium 21. Seydel makes a nice 24-hole Asian style tremolo, called the Skydiver, shown here. Most tremolo players grip the instrument with two hands, one at each end. I hold it like a regular diatonic, with both hands cupped around the instrument. Try both methods and use whichever works best. My way looks odd, with this long instrument protruding from the hands. However, a mic can be cupped for live performance. We begin with a scale. Take a 10-hole diatonic and a tremolo in the same key (e.g. C). Play a 4 blow on the 10-hole, then find the
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same blow note on the tremolo. This is your starting point. Now play a slow scale on the 10-hole, starting at hole 4, ending at hole 7. Find your previous starting point on the tremolo and try the same scale. It should work. The 7 draw follows the 6 draw on the 10-hole scale,and the same pattern applies for the tremolo. It is common to miss holes with your first tremolo attempts. The feeling is disconcerting, like stepping into empty space. However, repeated attempts should eventually produce the tremolo equivalent of the hole 4 to 7 10-hole scale. With this milestone reached, try a tune. Again we start with the 10-hole diatonic. Pick an easy first position tune. Play it through several times on the 10hole, then find the same starting note on the tremolo and repeat the tune. Go back and forth until you have it, try a simpler melody if your first attempt doesn't work. Even "Mary had a Little Lamb" if need be. Eventually the penny will drop. The moves for first position tunes, at least between holes 4 and 7, are basically the same on the tremolo. With the first tune under your belt, others will follow. Blues players will have less joy with the tremolo, as the double reed setup precludes note bending, hence standard second position moves based on the 2 draw are more or less out. However, the tremolo equivalent of third position has possibilities for blues. To explore this, play a scale starting on a 10-hole 4 draw and ending on the 8 draw, the middle part of the 3rd position blues space. Now find the equivalent tremolo starting point and play the same scale. The layout is the same and can be a base for third position tremolo blues. There is clearly more to this. For details, maybe you should watch my HarmonicaUK seminar on YouTube: https://harmonicatunes.com https://www.youtube.com/user/HarmonicaAcademy
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My name is Paula Braynion, and I’ve been playing the harmonica for just over 2 years. I’d like to share the reason I started playing the harmonica, and how it has helped me. I’ll also look at the wider power of music to help people and how it fits into my role of working with people with learning disabilities and mental health issues. I run a not-for-profit social enterprise called Future Directions that supports adults with learning difficulties and/or mental health issues. When the pandemic hit in early 2020 it was incredibly difficult for those of us working in social care and other key workers. None of us had encountered anything like it before. All of us had to continue to work and keep the people we support safe. I felt personally responsible for nearly 1000 staff and 400 people we support. Everyone was scared, especially in the early days when high rates of people were dying.
HARPING BACK TO HAPPINESS By Paula Braynion
During lockdown, life became a strange mix of going to work, dealing with all this and then at weekends in between work calls having nothing to do or nowhere to go except for walking the dog. It was one of the hardest professional times of my life. At weekends I booked some online Zoom experiences to escape the constant pressure of trying to make the right decisions to keep people safe. In one of the Zoom sessions, I could hear a harmonica playing, and it reminded me how I always loved the harmonica, so I thought why not take it up. I ordered a harmonica, joined online forums, and found a tutor who’s been teaching me for the past two years. In the early days, it was particularly painful for my husband’s ears, so he helpfully suggested turning our summer house into a harmonica hut. This means I have my den and space where I can get away and practice. Learning the harmonica has been a godsend to my mental health and has enabled me to keep going during the pandemic: Playing the harmonica is a form of mindfulness for me: when I practice, I have to focus purely on playing and the music. During that time, I am truly in the moment and there is no space for worry or stress. Music has been proven to lift the mood and be an important valve for releasing emotion. What does that better than playing the blues? As I practice and learn new things, I get a sense of achievement which, again, has been shown to lift the mood and promote selfesteem. It has connected me to a wider harmonica community, enabling
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me to grow a network of friends sharing the experience of learning together. Having the harmonica has created a physical and mental space for me to get away from work and get lost in music. It has been invaluable helping me to be resilient and cope with everything during the last two years. Yet I shouldn’t be surprised, as scientists have proven that humans are hardwired to respond to music. Some studies show that music lifts the mood and has been useful for those who have depression. It can stimulate and help repair neural pathways for people who have had strokes, and it helps people with Alzheimer’s to reconnect to lost memories through hearing songs that connect to past events in their lives. Music has been shown to give our brains a total workout, reduce anxiety, reduce blood pressure and improve mental health. The latter is particularly important in my line of work, but music has wider benefits. We support some people who are non-verbal but do communicate in other ways e.g. through body language, sign language etc. For these people, music can be incredibly powerful in bridging the communication gap and connecting to people who are verbal through sharing and experiencing music together. Music is a fabulous medium for non-verbal people to express themselves and their emotions. In Future Directions we recognise the importance and power of music so much that we employ a music man, who, amongst his many talents, plays the harmonica (but not as well as me!). Kevin enables many of the people we support who are non-verbal to enjoy the shared experience of making music. During lockdown, Kevin and his team set up Funtime Friday, which is still going every fortnight on Facebook, where we share 40 minutes of playing, dancing, singing, and enjoying music. This also enables people we support to feel connected to the wider community and for friends and family who couldn’t see them during lockdown to take part together online, again showing the power of music to connect to people and lift moods. Going forward, we at Future Directions will continue to offer people we support more opportunities to experience the power of making music. On a personal level, I can’t imagine life without playing and learning the harmonica. It is a wonderful journey that I am getting so much from. In the words of Elton John: “Music has healing powers. It has the ability to take people out of themselves for a little while.”
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The concert has taken place at this time every year since 2008 (COVID willing) and this year it is a part of the Rock's Diamond Year Events organised by The Ealing Club (www.ealingclub.com). 2008 was 50 years on from the first meeting of Muddy Waters with Cyril Davies (harmonica) and Alexis Korner (guitar) at The Round House pub in Soho, which led to them to changing from acoustic to electric blues musicians. 60 years ago, in March 1962, Cyril and Alexis started the first Chicago style blues club featuring Blues Incorporated at the Ealing Club, Ealing Broadway, before moving rapidly to the Marquee Club in Central London. The young musicians like Mick Jagger, Paul Jones, Eric Burdon, etc. formed their own groups and the rest is history.
CYRIL DAVIES TRIBUTE NIGHT AT THE EEL PIE CLUB 24 MARCH 2022 By Roger Trobridge HarmonicaUK Patron
The driving force behind this tribute at the Eel Pie Club in Twickenham was harp player Alan Glen who is well known to HarmonicaUK members. He gathered a group of talented blues musicians who have been performing since the sixties to play with his band (The Incredible Blues Puppies) - Bob Hadrell (organ), Tim Haig (guitar), Chris Belshaw (bass) and Peter Miles (drums). There are no rehearsals - this is a fun evening with talented musicians and great singers sharing their talent on the stage. What followed was a series of blues, jump blues and some original pieces which had them dancing in the aisles with great Hammond Organ sounds from Bob Haddrell, guitar solos by Tim Hain, Dave Peabody, Manny Fizzotti, Bob Hokum and Nick Hyde, with harmonica contributions from Alan Glen, Laurie Garman, and Dave Raphael. Belinda
Alan Glen. id Peabody Photo by Dav
Right - Tim Hain, Belinda Campbell, Pete Miles, Alan Glen and Chris Belshaw. Photo by David Peabody
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Right - Nick Hyde and David Raphae. Photo by David Peabody
Dave P eabod y Photo by Gen and Alan Gle e Myer n. s
Campbell, Honey B Mama, Paul Cox, and Pete French produced powerful vocals and Nick Hyde sang some of Cyril Davies’ songs just like the man himself.
d Alan Glen. Paul Cox an e Myers en G Photo by
One of the regulars, Don Craine, singer and guitarist from the Downliners Sect, died a few weeks before the event and so the concert started with All Night Worker, one of his favourites, as a tribute to him. Cyril’s Country Line Special got the special treatment it deserved from Laurie Garman. The evening ended with a new tune written as a tribute to the club and Don Craine, Eel Pie Special, featuring Alan Glen and Tim Hain. If you missed this event and wish you hadn’t, you have another chance. Alan Glen has booked a prime slot on the main stage at this year’s Ealing Blues Festival in Walpole Park on Saturday 23 July at 7pm-8.30pm for “A Tribute to Alexis Korner & The Birth of British Blues”, with the same band and lots of guest artists. This was my first live gig in over two years, and it was great to be able to meet up with old friends and enjoy live music again. If you like live music, you have to support it. You can keep up with events where Alan and his bands will be playing on his website - www.thebarcodes.co.uk
Above - Belinda Campbell, Paul Cox and Alan Glen. Photo by Gene Myers
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The new millennium, 2000, brought about a rebirth of the National Harmonica League (NHL/HarmonicaUK). John Walton and then Colin Mort had created and kept the now independent NHL running since 1981, but at a cost to themselves. The membership of about 300 was not growing, and many of the members who had helped to run and inspire it had stood down or died. The friction between John and Colin and their respective organisations, the IHO and the NHL, was not helping. The successful International Millennium Festival in Bournemouth run by John Walton marked the end of the IHO and Colin asked me to take over as Chairman of the NHL. Apparently, my experience developing ice cream made up for my inability to play the harmonica. Larry Adler died in 2001 and Paul Jones agreed to take over as President. Times had changed, and I was familiar with the Part 8, The Final Part (then) new world of the internet, and I had 2000-Present already started integrating our activities into a website packed with information about what we did, plus educational resources Roger Trobridge and forums to bring the membership together. The improved HarmonicaUK communication by Skype and email also meant that meetings Patron no longer had to be held face to face, and documents could be shared instantly rather than sent by post. Another effect was that the committee could now function with members based at home. Administration costs almost disappeared. Other things had changed. The older members had been mainly chromatic players, but younger diatonic blues players were getting involved. I am a researcher at heart, and it was apparent that there was no archive of what had been achieved so I set about collecting what I could from previous Chairmen (John Tyler, John Walton, and Colin Mort) as well as Steve Proctor (Sutherland Trading) who was part of Hohner at that time, and collectors like John Bryan and Brian Holland. These showed that the tremolo and traditional music were not really represented in the NHL. A meeting with Ernie Gordon was instrumental in remedying this. In 2001, I attended the SPAH Convention in Denver and the World Harmonica Festival (WHF/Hohner) in Trossingen, Germany. Both of them lasted for four 1 0 days and showed the value of “total 0 2 en Trossing immersion” festivals. We needed to find a way to do the same, and we were very fortunate that Ben Hewlett was teaching at the Folk House, in Bristol. In 2001 we convinced them to hire out the whole building to us from Friday night to Sunday afternoon Bristol Folk House and we established a long running,
THE HISTORY OF HARMONICAUK
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Rachelle Plas (2010)
otel
Hillscourt H
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tolerant, agreement with Jurys (The Bristol Hotel), and as they say, the rest is history. Taking part in the official side of the SPAH and WHF festivals showed that we were a member of the international harmonica community. We became more outward-looking, both in the magazine and the many overseas artists we invited to our annual festivals. Colin Mort and Frank Eatwell stayed on to help the new committee, which was fortunate to pick up some very useful members. Pete Wheat had great contacts with the European Blues Association, Gerry Ezard combined a business background with a lifetime playing chromatic at the highest level. Phil Leiwy kept a tight grip on the finances and Dave Hambley modernised the membership systems. Barbara Tate looked after our IT needs. Many others helped where they could, especially at the annual festival which Ben Hewlett organised. The membership rose steadily to over 600. By 2005 it was clear that we needed to provide support for chromatic players as we had been doing for diatonic players. We decided to run a weekend residential course in Birmingham, partly for the location but also to be near to Jim Hughes and Philip Achille. The Chromatic Weekend started up in June in 2006 and following work by Gerry Ezard, Steve Dooley, Colin Mort, Neil Warren, David Hambley, Davina Brazier, Hilvert Scheper and others. It is still running today at the Hillscourt Hotel.
The magazine for HarmonicaUK
In 2009, the NHL was granted Charity status in recognition of the work it does. This had financial implications, but it also is a public record of the status of the organisation. I stood down as Chairman in 2012 and Ben Hewlett took over. This is the end of the history as I need to tell it. I stayed on as editor of the magazine, which I had edited since 2002 and led its development into the modern international magazine that it had become.
n
Over to you Be
Ben kept the NHL moving and tackled the three major problems he inherited: how to find a new editor for the magazine, as I was long past retirement age, what to do about the name of the organisation, and how to find a successor to run the organisation. Dave Taylor took over as editor in 2019. The name change took a few years to happen, but finally he solved his biggest problem when he persuaded Pete Hewitt to take over as Chairman in 2020. Ben’s lasting legacy will be the work he is putting in to establish the Rock School educational project.
Pete takes ov er from Ben
Pete has revolutionised and reinvigorated the organisation using his management and people skills to find and entrap many new volunteers. The responsibilities are now spread more broadly making the organisation more resilient, as shown by its reaction to COVID restrictions. Barry Elms, Dave Colclough, and Steve Pardue have brought a totally professional approach to the magazine. Working with Richard Taylor, Pete has overseen an impressive brand relaunch program, which has resulted in the official change in name to HarmonicaUK and a set of brand images and core values which have been applied to the new website, the magazine and all other activities like the Outreach programme. HarmonicaUK looks to have a secure and developing future.
ment
time Achieve Roger’s Life 1) 02 Award (2
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Attendees of HarmonicaUK events will recognise the piano player who works tirelessly along in the background, accompanying many of the harmonica performers on the stage. That piano player is Chris Collis, and we’ve been talking so I can find out more about him. Neil: How long have you been performing with HarmonicaUK (previously National Harmonica League)? Chris: Twenty years, since 2002. How did it first come about? Jim Hughes telephoned me. I didn’t know who Jim Hughes was back then, or what an important part of my career he would become. Jim was looking for an accompanist for an up-and-coming harmonica player, Phillip Achille. I first met Jim and Phillip at Solihull School chapel where we rehearsed up to three times a week. So, you worked closely with Phillip in his rise to stardom? I did, yes, and I like to think I played a part in it. We worked closely together since Phillip was just a young boy, playing a lot of classical arrangements, including some pieces composed specifically for the chromatic harmonica. I take great pride that I went on to accompany Phillip at his first World Championships in Trossingen in 2013, where he won the Classical session. Subsequently Phillip and I were invited to play in the gala concert at Trossingen, which was a big honour. Were you involved with Phillip’s entry in the BBC Young Musician of the Year in 2007? Yes, I also accompanied Phillip in that competition, where he did fantastically well to make it to the quarterfinals against a very talented line-up. We performed together on BBC4 TV in Gateshead. The BBC selected Phillip for a fly-on-the-wall documentary, with the film crew following us around. What was the first HUK event you took part in? It was a one-day festival held in Birmingham, where I accompanied a young Phillip in what was probably his first performance in front of a HUK audience. You’ve been the piano accompanist at the main HUK festival for many years now - how did that start? Other people heard me playing with Phillip and started asking me to accompany them, and it developed from there. Jim Hughes also supported this. I had started playing with Jim around schools in Birmingham. Do you play any harmonica yourself? I don’t, although Jim Hughes showed me a few basics to help my understanding of the instrument. I did have a connection to the harmonica before I got involved with HUK though, as my
CHRIS COLLIS INTERVIEW By Neil Warren
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grandfather played. I’ve always been impressed by the quality of sound from the instrument. And I’ve listened to many albums by players such as Tommy Reilly and Larry Adler to develop my appreciation of playing with the instrument. How do you approach accompanying the harmonica? If the harmonica player is not using an amplifier, I’m careful not to play too loud. Another thing is to not play in the middle of the keyboard too much, as that is the same range of the harmonica. So, I play bass in left hand, and chords in right hand. Do you recall any memorable performances with other harmonica players (besides Phillip)? Playing with Jim Hughes for sure. Jim is world class and a delight to work with. I owe a lot of the success of my musical career to Jim. As to other players, to name a few: I’ve played with Douglas Tate, Frank Semus and Harry Pitch, Adam Glasser and Phil Hopkins. International players include Will Galison from the US, and Antonio Serrano from Spain, who are both tremendous players. I played with Jens Bunge from Germany on some of his own compositions (Jens is appearing at the Chromatic Weekend this year, where Chris will be on piano duty once again). And folk musicians Ernie Gordon and Tom Byrne. Note: there are YouTube clips of many of these performances, recorded by Roger Trobridge (search for “rtrob”). You also recorded some albums with Gerry Ezard? I did - three albums, the first called “My Stuff”. What do you do when not working with harmonica players? I’ve done a lot of work with singers, including the opera star Margaret Preece. I’ve done a lot of work with community choirs. In Birmingham I’m part of ‘Community Spirit’, where a lot of choirs come together and perform in the amazing venue of the Symphony Hall. There is a big event there on July 10th. I’ve also worked as an accompanist for music exams for lots of different instruments. And with violinist Ralph Allin, and Jadie Carey, the bassist and cello player. Both very versatile players. My day job is with Solihull Music as a teacher and musician. Outside that I’m a freelance pianist, composer, and arranger. In 2021 two of my songs made it to the semi-finals of the UK songwriting competition, with entries coming from 80 countries. Any words of advice to harmonica players, from a pianist: Be wary that you’re sometimes a soloist and sometimes an accompanist, and the interchange between the two instruments. Any finishing comments: I believe it’s vital that we inspire the next generations of musicians, not just for harmonica, but all types of instruments. I am hopeful that creating music exams for the harmonica will help with this. And with the rebranding of HarmonicaUK, I think the future is in good hands for the harmonica.
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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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Introducing 'Signature' the new harmonica profiling and tuning app from Harmonicatech.com. Seasoned computer programmer Gene Myers and harmonica technician John Cook have combined their many years of experience to develop and produce a piece of software that overcomes the confusing complexity of tuning harmonicas. This simple app takes the guesswork out of harmonica tuning. Signature is easy to use, intuitive, and designed for both harmonica players and repair technicians. In order for Signature captures to capture data, the user simply plays their harmonica into their pc, tablet or device’s microphone, a single note at a time with the software interface guiding the player as to when to move on to the next note to be played. After all the notes are played, the captured data is saved and the harmonicas ‘signature’ is established. The software then comes into its own, enabling the user to select and evaluate the signature against a range of temperaments and tunings, and it displays what adjustments are needed to each reed.
The software comes with predefined temperaments and tunings, and also enables users to upload their own. The final part of the software walks the player through the tuning process. With the use of simple and engaging graphics, the software identifies what reed and where along the reed to file to optimise the tuning. The process is fast, efficient, reliable, and enjoyable. Signature enables harmonica players not only to tune their instruments, but to keep them in tune and create signatures of their personal preferences and musicality. Signature allows you to store your harmonica signatures online, and works offline too. Signature works with all modern browsers, and on a range of devices including Windows, Apple, Linux, Android, and iOS. It doesn’t require third-party components, and performs like a desktop application, but in a web browser.
THE SENECA SQUARE DANCE By Paul Appleton
This is a tune from the Ozark mountain areas of Oklahoma, Missouri and Arkansas. The title refers to the town of Seneca, Missouri, however this isn’t the only known title for this tune. Waiting For the Federals, The Federal Hornpipe and Shelby’s Mules are all known to have been used to describe this piece. It is also known to be a variation of an older song called Shoot the Turkey Buzzard. There are several techniques at play within the piece of music: tongue flutters, vamping, tongue slaps are all present, as well as appropriate harmonies under the leading notes being played. This simple melody is one of my favourites. You will find a link below to my YouTube channel if you want to hear it played. G Harmonica First Position: Song body (play twice) 4B 4D 5B 5B 5B 6B 5B 4B 4D 5B 5B 5B 4D 4B 4B 4D 5B 5B 5B 6B 5B 5B 5D 6B 5B 4D 5B 4D 4B Chorus (Play Twice) 6B 6D 7B 7B 7B 6D 6B 6B 6D 7B 7D 7B 8D 8B 6D 6B 6D 7B 6D 6B 6D 6B 5B 4D 4B 5B 5D 6B 5B 4D 5B 4D 4B Ending (play three times) 5B 5D 6B 5B 4D 5B 4D 4B YouTube Links: Have a listen to the song being played by Paul: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=izPjHB_ s6UY&t=9s Paul Appleton’s YouTube Channel: Paul Appleton Harmonica - YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCn1GkKGse7x5xTWjjNyskHA)
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Park Jiha is a multi-instrumentalist from South Korea. She plays traditional instruments including the saengwhang, related to the sheng which is sometimes put forward as an ancestor of the harmonica. In January 2022 she told me about her background, and the saengwhang.
PARK JIHA
I began by asking if she could tell me something of the history of the instrument: So, the Saenghwang was used during the Goryeo and Joseon Dynasties for court music, roughly a thousand years up until 1892. It comes from the same family as the Chinese Sheng and Japanese Sho. You can also find similar ones in surrounding countries. How popular, and easy to obtain, is the instrument? It isn’t really popular. Myself, I had the opportunity to learn it as well as the Piri (an oboe like instrument) I specialised in, and I had to purchase it through a professor who had links with people able to make some. Which isn’t common really.
Interview by Norman Darwen
How did you come to play it, and what is it about the instrument that appeals to you? Where did you get influences from to play the instrument? As I said above, I was studying Piri and had the chance to be studying Saenghwang in parallel when I was in university. Back then I was quite attracted by the sound of it, but I was mostly told the traditional way to use it, more technical, so I kind of adapted it to fit the music I wanted to create. People in the west talk about the instrument (and the Chinese sheng) as an ancestor of the harmonica - what are your thoughts on this? There are similarities since it creates sound from both inhaling and exhaling but the sound is really different. Do you have any particular process and approach for composing for the saenghwang? Most of the time people adapt compositions to the instrument but I just try to use the right instrument matching the composition I have in mind. The sleeve of The Gleam (depicting the saenghwang) is simple and beautiful. Did you pick it yourself, and if so, why did you choose that image? It was a desire to show the contemporary aspect of the instrument, and the instruments I use in general. Instruments being traditional or not, it does not matter much - the way we use them to create is important to me, and, like what I create, these instruments can be
as contemporary as it can be. I am looking forward to having The Gleam out on February 25th. A review of The Gleam can be found in the Reviews section of this magazine. Website: http://parkjiha.com/ You Tube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-l8QfYNvdN5buho1Kbjprg
Answers - Quiz 2
7 John Hammond Jr
14 Buddy Greene
1 Magic Dick
8 Seydel
15 Judd Lander
2 Alan (Blind Owl) Wilson
9 Gary Primich
16 William Clarke
3 Junior Wells
10 Jason Ricci
17 Kim Wilson
4 James Harman
11 Lester Butler
18 Mark Feltham
5 DeFord Bailey
12 Blues Traveler
19 Mark Hummel
6 Fender
13 Wayne Raney
20 Paul Lamb
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REVIEWS Park Jiha - The Gleam - Glitterbeat Gbcd 119 A Review by Norman Darwen Park Jiha is a South Korean multi-instrumentalist, with a background in the traditional music of her country. However, this is not an album of Korean traditional music, though Ms. Jiha does use traditional instruments. On this collection of layered sound impressions and ambient and mood music, she plays the oboe-like piri, the glockenspiel, the yanggeum (a hammered dulcimer), and, most relevant for readers of this magazine, the saenghwang, a harmonica-looking instrument rather similar to the sheng, with which some readers may be familiar - it is this that is depicted on the album cover. Breathing is an important part of the approach to this album - one composition is entitled The Way of Spiritual Breath - and so too is light. The album itself is structured (loosely) to the rhythm of the day, from dawn to nightfall. The saenghwang adds a shimmering quality to some of these rather ethereal eight tracks, but, if possible, lend an ear to the starkly beautiful Nightfall Dancer where it is the main instrument for both melody and, more subtly, rhythm as the glockenspiel provides a simple, repetitive accompaniment. The whole album is dreamy, relaxing, and rather individual and different. Website: http://parkjiha.com/
Paul Appleton - Harmonicana - Own label A Review by Norman Darwen The music on this CD might come as rather a surprise to some readers, given that Staffordshire-based Paul’s admitted influences are Sonny Boy Williamson, Big Walter Horton and Paul Butterfield and he is known for his blues work with guitarist and singer Steve Luff and several professional blues bands. As the CD title suggests, this is more folk based, featuring songs played in first position on a diatonic. This CD is a product of lockdown, which Paul tells me allowed him time to explore other styles. Laurie Garman recommended to Paul that he check out American diatonic player Sam Hinton, which he duly did, leading to him backtracking through a whole bunch of traditional American material - hence the album title. The material itself is a very attractive mixture of styles. Some of these songs are well-known (try Turkey in The
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REVIEWS Straw), some less so. Paul took songs from Mr. Hinton and others, some from cartoons and films he remembered from his youth, and some from hillbilly fiddle players. A few are songs I remember learning at school - The Camptown Ladies in particular - and I suspect other readers of a certain age will have similar memories. The recording is completely solo, so that the sound is full and suitably “old-timey”, almost like a vintage field recording but with modern recording technology. This kind of harmonica playing is something of a rarity on CD these days, and especially when played by such an accomplished musician as Paul. Recommended, of course.
Paul Gillings - Mr. Smith A review by Sophia Ramirez From Lowestoft harmonica player and singer-songwriter Paul Gillings comes his third studio solo album, Mr. Smith. Described by Gillings as a tribute to his parent’s record collection, drawing on seventies rock guitar riffs and “sixties song smithery”, Mr. Smith perfectly captures that surprising diversity of sound one might find browsing a shelf of old records. It achieves a stunning range of rock and blues, a track list that will get you on your feet while saving space for softer moments. The opening track Promo roars into action with a catchy harmonica hook and a fast beat, and Short Straight Hair keeps up that head-bopping energy. Rise Up To Meet Me introduces Gillings’ vocals and showcases his song writing talent, while also spotlighting his harmonica in lightning-quick, rocking solos. The voice and the harmonica in Blaming You also work well together, the harmonica singing along to simple lines like “I just can’t go on blaming you for all I’ll never be” that still powerfully communicate a complicated mix of love and regret. And concluding the album, Wind Down After Work Blues calms things down with a rhythm low and slow and swinging, closing up shop on the previous tracks’ exciting ride of rocking blues and harmonica riffs. Website: https://www.paulgillingsharmonica.com/ You Tube: https://www.youtube.com/c/paulgillings JazznBlues Club: https://jazznblues.club/viewtopic.php?t=64242 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/paulgillingsharmonica
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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 Ricky Cool 07749 918 343 D Blues, country, roots. Birmingham. In person, Skype, Zoom. rickycool@ blueyonder.co.uk Mike Fairbairn 01623 753 693 D C Blues. Derbyshire. In person. fairblues@hotmail.co.uk Paul Gillings 07880 324 163 C D All genres. Norfolk/Suffolk. In person, Skype, Zoom. paulgillingsharmonica@gmail.com Adam Glasser C All genres. London. In person, Zoom, phone by arrangement. adamgharmonica@icloud.com Roy Green C D All genres, excluding jazz. Cranbrook, Kent. In person. roysgreen@talktalk.net
01580 720 148
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 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
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C
Chromatic.
T
Tremolo.
Julian Jackson C D All genres. London. In person, Zoom. joolsj@yahoo.com
U
Tuning.
R
Repairs.
07930 801 344
Moses Jones 07707 193 437 D C All genres. Bristol. In person, Zoom. moses.jones88@yahoo.com Tony Jukes 01455 202 829 C D Blues, folk. East Midlands. In person, Skype, zoom. tjukes@hotmail.co.uk Steve Lockwood 07786 256 178 D U All genres. Cambridgeshire In person, Skype, Zoom. steve@steve-lockwood.com 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.
01514 249 594
Gary Murray 01344 842 162 C Jazz, blues. Berkshire. Online. www.garymharmonica.co.uk Keith Parker D Blues, country, rock. Cambridgeshire. In person, Zoom.
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07966 471 734
CLASSIFIEDS 07884 222 356
Mat Walklate 07725 479 148 D C T All genres. Manchester. In person, Skype, Zoom. m.walklate23@btinternet.com
Adam Pritchard 07429 126 120 D All genres. Cheltenham. In person, Skype, Zoom. pritchharp@gmail.com
Joff Watkins 07980834 002 D C All genres. London. In person, Zoom. joffharp@yahoo.com
Aidan Sheehan 07812 143 226 D All genres, excluding jazz. Cwmbran. In person, Skype, Zoom. aidenharpsheehan@gmail.com
Will Wilde D All genres. In person, Skype, Zoom. willharmonicawilde.com
Sam Spranger 07815 538 888 C D All genres. London. In person, Skype, Zoom. sam.aspranger@gmail.com
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
Will Pound D C Paddy Richter speciality. Caernarvon. In person, Zoom. will@willpound.com
Richard Taylor 07525 256 954 D All genres. Preschool to adults. Brighton and Hove. In person, Skype, Zoom. hove.actually@ntlworld.com
07854 591 413
Wanted. Chord harmonica in good playing order. Please contact rickycool@blueyonder.co.uk
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Summer 2022 • Harmonica.uk
39
WWW.SEYDEL1847.COM
AVAILABLE ONLY FOR A SHORT TIME.
GIVE YOUR SOUND A FRESH BREEZE AND ENJOY AN ENDLESS SUMMER: ALSO THIS YEAR WE OFFER THE SEYDEL SESSION STEEL SUMMER EDITION. IT COMES IN A CHERRY RED BODY BETWEEN ERGONOMIC SHINY COVERPLATES MADE OF STAINLESS STEEL. BUT NOT ONLY THE COLOUR IS STRONG, ALSO THE SOUND. YOU WILL ENJOY THIS INSTRUMENT MUCH LONGER THANKS TO THE SUPERIOR TECHNICAL RELIABILITY AND ITS EXCELLENT PLAYABILITY. AS THE SEYDEL 1847 MODELS THIS HARMONICA IS EQUIPPED WITH STAINLESS STEEL REEDS WHICH PROVIDE THE BEST RESPONSE AND LAST UP TO FIVE TIMES LONGER THAN CONVENTIONAL BRASS REEDS. YOU MAY CHOOSE FROM THE SIX MOST IMPORTANT KEYS G, A, Bb, C, D, F. THE MOST ECONOMICAL SOLUTION IS TO TAKE SIX INSTRUMENTS IN A SET INCLUDING A CONVENIENT GIGBAG – FOR THE PRICE OF FIVE ! SUMMER EDITION SUPER SET THE OLDEST HARMONICA COMPANY IN THE WORLD CELEBRATES 175 YEARS OF TRADITION AND INNOVATION. THAT’S WHY WE ARE GIVING AWAY A VOUCHER FOR A MARSHALL MINI AMP IN EVERY FIFTH SUMMER EDITION SET.
