easy reeding
kim wilson
hohner’s Magazine for the harmonica enthusiast To subscribe go to www.hohnerusa.com/subscribe.php
On the Rise: A Profile of Diatonic Master Grant Dermody
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aster diatonic player Grant Dermody has long been well known amongst serious harmonica players. A respected teacher, he has taught at Port Townsend, WA, the Augusta Heritage Festival in Elkins, WV, and as part of the Filisko Mob at SPAH conventions. He has completed various recordings, from old time (he’s one of the best, if not the best, old time harmonica players) to his beautifully eclectic solo recordings with featured guests like Joe Filisko, Phil Wiggins, and the late great John Cephas, among others. His 2010 release Lay My Burden Down has some of Cephas’s last recordings. Lately Dermody’s star has been rising. A chance encounter at a festival led to a pairing with guitarist and songwriter Eric Bibb. Bibb’s release “Booker’s Guitar” has gotten rave reviews across the board, and Dermody’s sympathetic – and by many accounts, perfect – accompaniment is a featured aspect of this release that has risen to the top of the blues charts, and resulted in a tour of the British Isles. A master of tone, and not overplaying, Dermody is a craftsman, and we started out talking about his tools. Why the Marine Band? I can’t get the tone, and response, that I want out of anything else. It just fits what I like to do. What inspired you to play harp? My Dad bought me one when I was 18. He played on the ship in the Navy in World War II. He played a chromatic harmonica, that I
still have. I moved to Alaska right out of high school when I was 18, and my Dad thought I needed something to do. These were the pipeline days. There was a lot of money and a lot of music in the bars. I started playing, sitting in, with a whole bunch of different bands. Favorite players and influences? Walter Horton, Sonny Terry – those are the main two. Little Walter of course, how can you can not be? John Cephas and John Jackson have influenced me deeply, as have John Dee Holeman and Louisiana Red. And then Charley Leighton completely blew me away. I could not believe how beautifully he played, how anyone could sound like that. He had enormous tone, and deep, deep, deep musicianship. This was at my first SPAH convention. No one could ever get underneath a melody like he can…Let’s see, there are others…Toots Thielemans, Joe Filisko, Mark Graham, Dennis Gruenling. There’s a lot. Kim Wilson – that guy’s amazing. He just blows my mind. He’s probably my favorite living Chicago player. He’s just a monster musician. As a teacher, what are your key goals and methods? It needs to be fun. The biggest challenge, and joy, is meeting the student where they are. Where are they? What’s the next step? Those A-ha moments. I try to help them with overall musicianship, too. You’re an accomplished Old Time musician. How is Old Time different from blues? It depends on the tune. A lot of fiddle tunes are in mixolydian, and for those cross harp works very nicely. It’s just a matter of where the melody works the best. Old time music is fiddle tunes – you’re locking in with the fiddle. Tongue blocking is essential. Each time is slightly different, with different embellishments. With blues, vocals drive the tune, and when you solo, you’re not playing the melody. You’re soloing over chord changes. In blues playing, what is your goal? Just listening and responding, not thinking, is when it’s best for me. There’s always a quest for better tone. You’re never done, there’s always more to learn. Be as honest and deep as you can. Did your work on “Booker’s Guitar” come intuitively? My playing with Eric is a supportive one,
it’s all about what the song needs. It’s all about the song. It’s always about serving the song. Always. Together we lock in and create something pretty cool, rhythmically sometimes it’s sweet and ethereal. Other times you need something that drives. It’s “bring what is needed.” What advice do you have for players trying to get to the next level? Playing different kinds of music is a really good thing – it takes you out of your comfort zone. Gets you listening deeply. Working on your singing. Playing with different players. Whatever you find yourself always doing, trying to NOT do that. The main thing is enjoy the ride. Enjoy doing it. Make it fun. And work on your tone. Tone is a lifelong quest. Do a lot of listening. Your new record Lay My Burden Down is an eclectic mix of material. Does that reflect your wide tastes, or is there a unifying theme? Boy, that’s a good question, hmmm… Part of my goal on harmonica is I’ve admired guitarists who can play anything, in any style. My record starts with country blues, there’s gospel stuff, there’s bluesy old time. I think it reflects who I am, and where I’ve been. There’s been a lot of loss, a lot of hard times over the last two years of making this record. I lost my wife, my Mom, my Dad, a dear friend in John Cephas. Phil Wiggins, John Cephas’s duo partner, wrote the liner notes, and he did a beautiful job, almost poetic. You say he “gets” you. What does he get? We’ve known each other a long time, have taught together many years, have been up late late together. He’s seen the arc of my growth, he’s been there for most of the ride. We see it… as telling the story of your life right now. He knows what losing Eileen means, and how that translates into the music. It seems with Eric Bibb and a strong new record of your own, that your star is on the rise. Do you agree? And how does it feel to be on a top selling blues record? I’m grateful and thankful. Yeah, things are going well right now. A lot of work has gone into it. You never rest. When things are going well it doesn’t mean you get to slack off. You have to keep moving. I’m thankful to play this instrument that I love, and with great musicians. And I intend to do that for the rest of my life. Photo by Marco Prozzo
Welcome to Easy Reeding, Hohner’s Magazine for the Harmonica Enthusiast. We hope you like it, and will subscribe -- it’s free. This is our special NAMM issue, designed to showcase our exciting new products and offerings. Legendary blues harmonica player Kim Wilson is featured (cover photo by James Montez), and he’ll perform in our booth (#3240) on Friday 1/14 and Saturday 1/15 at 2:30 with famed bassist Larry Taylor of Canned Heat. Please stop by to see them, and our other performers. In this issue is also an artist testimonial for the Hoodoo Hand Wireless Mike System, info on a harmonica education partnership for our customers and some endorsee news. Enjoy! Easy Reeding is written and designed by Andy Garrigue, Harmonica Marketing Manager, Hohner, Inc. agarrigue@hohnerusa.com Graphic Design assistance and contributions from Bart Thomas and C.J. Cramer.
Much More than Just a Fabulous Thunderbird: An Interview With Legendary Blues Harp Player Kim Wilson By Andy Garrigue
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n the last year or so, bluesman Kim Wilson has had a variety of experiences which put him outside of the Fabulous Thunderbirds front man persona he is most well known for. While that legendary blues rock band, which is still actively touring, is blues based, Wilson’s recent forays have been as diverse as going back to classic Chicago blues from the 1950s to working with a fellow Michigan resident, a neighbor in fact, Kid Rock. Wilson was tabbed for heavy duty on the outstanding blues biopic “Cadillac Records,” which starred Adrien Brody as Leonard Chess of Chess Records, and Beyonce, as Etta James. Wilson’s role was to supply the harmonica parts for Little Walter Jacobs, who was featured heavily in the store that concentrated on Muddy Waters and James. In a recent interview, Wilson advised that he had to play more than just Little Walter’s licks in the film. We started out talking about the movie, and then turned to his hallmarks, and the model he has recently been using, the Marine Band Crossover. Wilson will be
the featured performer at the Hohner booth (#3240) at the NAMM show, with short sets at 2:30 pm on Friday January 14 and Saturday January 15, accompanied by bassist Larry Taylor of Canned Heat fame, and an original member of John Mayall’s Los Angeles based Bluesbreakers. Getting picked to play the parts of Little Walter must have been a pretty cool gig. Weren’t you up for a Grammy for that? It was. I was up for a Grammy, but didn’t win. Beyonce did, for her version of Etta James’ “At Last.” The fact that they told the story was amazing, any version of the story. I think Beyonce put some of her own money in it, which I thought was a pretty cool thing to do. I thought she did a great job in her role. She can really sing. How was it to play Little Walter’s parts? I loved it. Little Walter is no doubt my biggest influence. The type of musical freedom he has…My whole thing is that freedom to improvise and having that freedom – that’s what I live for. That track of “Can’t Be Satisfied,” that’s an incredible rendition of it. I also had to be the sound of Howling Wolf, and the sound of Henry Strong. It was a shame Sonny Boy Williamson wasn’t in there. Sonny Boy’s might even be my favorite stuff on Chess Records! I had to wear a lot of hats. At one point I had to be a guy in a club who wasn’t very good, and then be Little Walter, and knock him off the stage. So you had to be the average chump who got his head cut by Little Walter? I had to be that guy! What’s up with the Fabulous Thundebirds? You seem to be keeping really busy, and I know you’re very excited about the talent in the band. We’re touring constantly, in the US and overseas. We’re getting bigger shows, casinos, festivals, and we’re getting that with our new management. We’re reaching new people. You’re always auditioning. But this is not a retro thing – we have something to say now. You recently worked with Eric Clapton, and have two cuts on his new album, including a Little Walter song. I tracked nine cuts. I was happy to be on two, believe me! It was nice tracking live with Eric.
It’s gotten some good reviews, my stuff on the album, and so has the Kid Rock. So the Kid Rock record is out? It’s out, it’s out, and my particular track has gotten some good reviews. And I haven’t even heard it! Rick Rubin produced it. It was recorded n this incredible place, this old mansion on a hill. It’s got to be haunted. The rooms had 30 foot ceilings. I had a great time. Kid Rock lives right down the road from me here in Michigan. It wasn’t a leap for me at all. Even though I am a blues player, I can apply what I do. They call me for what I do. I can blend in with pretty much anything. I have the accompanist’s mindset. And being able to accompany, that’s kind of a lost art. How was Amanda’s Rollercoaster, the blues harmonica summit weekend that your wife Amanda Taylor put together? [Editor’s Note: It was kind of a “Last Waltz of the Blues,” a great gathering of talent and old friends for a series of shows in an intimate venue (Bob Corritore’s Rhythm Room). A CD and film are to follow.] It was unbelievable! It was one of those magical things. Highlights? James Cotton and Hubert Sumlin. Lazy Lester and Billy Boy Arnold, he did a great set. There were a lot of highlights to this thing. Jerry Portnoy. It was just loaded with them. People will go crazy when they see this film. The music alone – there’s so many moments, it’s just incredible. Paul Oscher was ridiculous! Across the board, it was history.
Jerry Portnoy (above) shone at Amanda’s Rollercoaster. Photo upper left by Dave Blake. Photos of Wilson (lower left) and Portnoy by Garrigue.
What are three things that Kim Wilson is known for? I’m known for the musical freedom I have, how I can improvise, and mix a lot of techniques together. I’m known for unpredictability, it’s never the same. I can create excitement, but still keep it cool and relaxed. In blues, you find a lot of overplaying and not really phrasing. The phrasing really comes with the freedom. It all starts with the sound, and then it’s the phrasing. It’s what you don’t do. The space. The call and response. You find yourself leaving space, instead of covering it up. I really showcase everybody in my band. I’m really lucky to have such high quality people to play with. I’m
able to take my thing to a very high level with such great guys backing me up. It’s a team. It’s a sound, a whole band sound that enables your playing to sound more valid, to tell your message in the most optimum way when you have guys like that backing you up. Then you can just take off. You can do things you never did before.
Product Spotlight: Hoodoo Hand Wireless Mike System Hohner endorsee “Little Ronnie” Owens has been playing blues for 30 years, fronting bands, releasing well received recordings with The Grand Dukes, playing internationally, and at such prestigious venues as a festival at Lincoln Center in New York City. More recently, Owens has been performing as a duo with delta blues guitarist Terry Garland, and they recently recorded a live album. Owens used a Hoodoo Hand Wireless Mike System for the recording, plugged straight into the P.A. system. In a recent phone interview, Owens stated why he chose to use the Hoodoo Hand. “Typically,
You mentioned how it starts with the sound. Can you tell me about what harmonica you play? To me, the wood comb is everything. It’s really all about creating that mellow sound. The new harmonica (the Crossover) is better than the ones from the old days because it enables you to play correctly. You don’t have to blow your face off. You can lay off it, and play correctly. You can lay off it, and still get the volume you need. On the Crossovers, you can tell a lot of work has been done on the comb itself. The bamboo is a good thing – it has a vintage sound. You can tell a lot of TLC has gone into it. And that’s translated into other models, too – you can tell. And I’m really glad about that. The harmonica is an important instrument. You hear it everywhere. You hear it on commercials. You hear all kinds of people playing it. I hear you when I’m watching the NFL. Last weekend, on a replay of a vicious tackle by a linebacker, they played your hit song “Wrap It Up.” Do you get paid every time that gets played? I hope so! You’re a fan of the Crossover, then? That’s the first time in a long time that I’ve strapped a harmonica to my waist. With that nice case! It went with me everywhere the first couple of months I had it. My game in the last year has really been elevated by it. It’s around me all the time, and it’s there when I have new ideas. I pick it up and play it constantly. And if there are others like me, playing them all the time, I think there’s going to be people coming out of the woodwork, playing some amazing stuff on those things. I’ve used an Astatic JT-30 bullet style mike through an old tube amp – the classic sound, you know. But I was fascinated with the Hoodoo Hand from the start. I liked the feel of it. You could do a lot more handwork with it. I liked the portability, and the tone of it. I was amazed by the power. Lately, I’ve been in a duo format, which is suited for this. I can still cup it and choke it, and still get a nice bit of overdrive to it. I never liked too much distortion, like some do. I even use this on select band tunes, or if you’re going for a Sonny Boy Williamson sound, or a country blues sound. I can even do some Little Walter stuff. A lot of times he played through a vocal mike, right into the board. He played direct, a lot of the time. I still love the amp, too. But I found that a lot of times I can go right into the P.A. to get what I want. I’m very happy with it. I don’t have to depend on an amp, or a special mike, for my sound. I like the sound of the harmonica and I can hear it really nicely with this mike. Does Owens find it limiting to not use a bullet mike, or other handheld mike? “Feel limited? Not at all. Just the opposite. This thing really works. It was the perfect vehicle for doing that record. It’s acoustic, but we get pretty rowdy – and it was perfect.”
Left: Paul Oscher, a triple threat on guitar, harmonica, melodica -- and even bass harmonica, was a highlight of Amanda’s Rollercoaster. Above: Kim Wilson in the Hohner booth at NAMM 2010 with (from left) Larry Taylor, Rick Estrin, Andrea Taylor, bluesman Johnny Dyer, and Hohner’s Andy Garrigue. Below: Left, Mississippi bluesman Grady Champion was named winner of the 2010 International Blues Challenge. The longtime endorsee plays the Blues Harp. Below right, look up “Hohner “in the i-phone App Store. Hohner’s “How to Blow the Blues” App has a virtual harp, guide to blues licks, a gallery of greats, custom jam tracks, and more.
The album “Live at the Canal Club” has just been released on EllerSoul Records, and song samples can be heard at www.ellersoulrecords. com. Harp players may want to check out the various sounds and tones that are possible with this innovative mike system.
Top left, America’s Got Talent favorite Pierre Herbineaux, with his trusty CX12-Gold. Center top, Darrell Mansfield is still rocking the blues and gospel. Upper right, Gary Allegretto, a Special 20 player, recently won a Keeping the Blues Alive award for Education. This follows recent artistic success; his most recent releases both earned Grammy consideration, and he was joined on stage in 2010 by Queen Latifah. Below Gary, bluesman Steve Guyger loves the Marine Band Deluxe, is touring and recording, and has a new DVD out, teaching blues harp fundamentals. Center, Chris Michalek, a masterful player, customizer, and inspiration to many, passed recently. Rest in Peace Chris. Lower right, new endorsee college student Kaleena Hutchins plays impressive country, folk and gospel on the Marine Band. Bottom, David Berntson with friend Omar in the Middle East earlier this year. Next to David, Ketch Secor of Old Crow Medicine Show regularly tears it up on 1st position and cross harp. Lower left, new endorsee Todd Parrott plays the Golden Melody, and is a talent to watch. Above Todd, another new endorsee blues rocker Johnny Bledsaw of Washington also plays the Golden Melody. Lower center, Jamey Garner performs at a benefit for the Texas Wounded Warriors. Garner favors the Golden Melody.
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