Hunter Harp http://www.hunterharp.com Wed, 16 May 2012 21:27:46 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 Video of the Day 16 May 2012: In Memoriam, Donald “Duck” Dunn http://www.hunterharp.com/video-of-the-day-16-may-2012-in-memoriam-donald-duck-dunn/ http://www.hunterharp.com/video-of-the-day-16-may-2012-in-memoriam-donald-duck-dunn/#comments Wed, 16 May 2012 21:25:52 +0000 Richard Hunter http://www.hunterharp.com/?p=960

RIP Donald Dunn.

I grew up on Duck Dunn’s records with Booker T and lots of other great R&B acts. So did a lot of other people. So will more people in future.

I didn’t remember until Rob Paparozzi pointed it out on Harp-L that Duck Dunn played on the fabulous blues album “Fathers and Sons”, along with Muddy Waters and harp players Paul Butterfield and Jeff Karp. That is certainly a great milestone in a career that had a lot of great milestones in it. And it makes Dunn part of one of the greatest blues harp records ever made.

This video shows a 1967 Booker T and the MGs performance, by which time Dunn had been in the band for five years. Thanks, Donald Dunn, for playing great music with all your heart.

]]> http://www.hunterharp.com/video-of-the-day-16-may-2012-in-memoriam-donald-duck-dunn/feed/ 0 Scott Albert Johnson’s new record is funded! http://www.hunterharp.com/scott-albert-johnsons-new-record-is-funded/ http://www.hunterharp.com/scott-albert-johnsons-new-record-is-funded/#comments Wed, 16 May 2012 15:54:38 +0000 Richard Hunter http://www.hunterharp.com/?p=958 Got this bulletin this morning from SAJ regarding his Kickstarter project to fund his second CD:

Hey everyone! It’s a beautiful day here in central Mississippi USA… could have something to do with the fact that

WE DID IT!

We raised $17,065 towards the cost of completing and promoting my next album, Going Somewhere. Thanks so much to the 261 backers who stepped up to donate. I will never forget you… in fact, I plan to carry around a list of all your names for the rest of my life. It’s really difficult to express adequately the feeling that your support gives me, but it’s really great.

In the next few days, I will be sending all pledgers a survey that will ask for your mailing address, email address, and (depending on the size of your pledge/reward) some other information. I will also be posting updates on the album’s progress over the next few months. I’ve got some cool surprises in store.

Anyway… thanks so much again. And for those of you who weren’t able to pledge, I still appreciate your support and interest in my music. I hope to see all of you at a show soon.

Best, SAJ

]]> http://www.hunterharp.com/scott-albert-johnsons-new-record-is-funded/feed/ 0 Help Scott Albert Johnson Make His Second Record Bigger and Better! http://www.hunterharp.com/help-scott-albert-johnson-make-his-second-record-bigger-and-better/ http://www.hunterharp.com/help-scott-albert-johnson-make-his-second-record-bigger-and-better/#comments Mon, 14 May 2012 21:24:55 +0000 Richard Hunter http://www.hunterharp.com/?p=956 We did a post on Scott Albert Johnson’s second CD project, which he’s funding via KickStarter, a few weeks ago. His first attempt to raise the necessary funding failed, but he came back with a revised (and lower-priced) project plan, and this time he succeeded!

Scott can still use additional funding if you care to contribute. Here’s what his latest bulletin says:


Hi all… this note is for those who pledged to my first Kickstarter campaign (which didn’t make the goal) but have not yet re-pledged in my 2nd chance campaign. As you may have seen, I reached the goal in my new campaign on Saturday morning. That means I will get the funding to complete the album and do some promotional activities.

However, I can definitely still use your pledge if you can make it. My new goal was $16,175… almost $12,000 less than my original budget. I had to cut out some important things like European promotion, an equipment budget, and other promotional activities that would be very beneficial to the ultimate success of this record. Every additional pledge will help me to re-implement these parts of the original budget.

The deadline for pledging as part of this 2nd Chance Kickstarter campaign is 11:59 PM CDT on Tuesday May 15 (tomorrow night). Here’s the link:

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1690977570/2nd-chance-scott-albert-johnsons-album-going-somew

As always, and regardless of whether you re-pledge, I really appreciate your support over the years. Thank you so much!

Best,

SAJ

]]> http://www.hunterharp.com/help-scott-albert-johnson-make-his-second-record-bigger-and-better/feed/ 0 Video of the day 14 May 2012: Steve “West” Weston http://www.hunterharp.com/video-of-the-day-14-may-2012-steve-west-weston/ http://www.hunterharp.com/video-of-the-day-14-may-2012-steve-west-weston/#comments Mon, 14 May 2012 21:15:21 +0000 Richard Hunter http://www.hunterharp.com/?p=955

Steve Weston is London-based, and as this video shows, he knows his Chicago blues. The nine-plus minutes in this video include a lengthy Little Walter-styled uptempo boogie, plus parts of two other pieces. It appears at first glance that Weston is accompanied by guitar and drums, no bass, which is VERY Walter-esque. Nice sound, innit?

]]> http://www.hunterharp.com/video-of-the-day-14-may-2012-steve-west-weston/feed/ 0 LAST MINUTE CHANGE! in Pittsburgh on Wednesday May 9 http://www.hunterharp.com/sitting-in-with-the-cobra-kings-in-pittsburgh-on-wednesday-may-9/ http://www.hunterharp.com/sitting-in-with-the-cobra-kings-in-pittsburgh-on-wednesday-may-9/#comments Wed, 09 May 2012 01:42:16 +0000 Richard Hunter http://www.hunterharp.com/?p=950 Tonight (Wednesday May 9) I’ll be sitting in (along with my friend, keyboardist Jeff Rosenthal) with blues guitarist Randall Troy and Friends at Moondog’s Pub, 378 Freeport Road Blawnox, PA 15238. Drop in if you’re in the neighborhood.

]]> http://www.hunterharp.com/sitting-in-with-the-cobra-kings-in-pittsburgh-on-wednesday-may-9/feed/ 0 Video of the Day 2 May 2012: Son of Dave http://www.hunterharp.com/video-of-the-day-2-may-2012-son-of-dave/ http://www.hunterharp.com/video-of-the-day-2-may-2012-son-of-dave/#comments Wed, 02 May 2012 22:23:48 +0000 Richard Hunter http://www.hunterharp.com/?p=948

Mike Fugazzi wrote recently on Harp-L that people should listen to Son of Dave, and provided the link to the video featured today.

It’s a very interesting clip. Pay close attention to his mic technique in particular. He’s using a Shure 545SD or SM57 in his left hand, with the harp on top. He keeps the mic very close to his mouth at all times, tilting the handle down when he sings so he can address the mic from the side, tilting it to horizontal when he plays to address it straight in with harp in front of it. Very efficient and effective.

Mechanics matter a lot when you’re looping. One of the biggest potential problems is taking lots of time to switch from one thing (like singing, or using certain FX) to another (like playing, or using certain other FX)–it makes the performance seem slipshod, and it gets boring. This technique is designed to make switches from one thing to another quick and seamless. It begins with the mic selection (which is chosen to flatter vocals as well as harp) and includes the physical positioning of instruments and hands. It’s all visible in the video, and well worth studying.

Pretty smart guy, that Son. Of Dave.

]]> http://www.hunterharp.com/video-of-the-day-2-may-2012-son-of-dave/feed/ 4 Performance Alert: Hazmat Modine with Jim Campilongo at Terra Blues, NYC, April 28 2012 http://www.hunterharp.com/performance-alert-hazmat-modine-with-jim-campilongo-at-terra-blues-nyc-april-28-2012/ http://www.hunterharp.com/performance-alert-hazmat-modine-with-jim-campilongo-at-terra-blues-nyc-april-28-2012/#comments Sun, 22 Apr 2012 16:23:28 +0000 Richard Hunter http://www.hunterharp.com/?p=944 Hazmat Modine is one of our favorite modern bands, and they’re joining up with one of our favorite modern guitarists, Jim Campilongo, who we first saw blowing out the lights in a San Francisco club with his band the Ten Gallon Hats back in 1999. This is bound to be a show to remember. If you’re 1) into great harmonica, 2) into great guitar, and 3) within traveling distance of NYC, go to this show, which begins at 7 PM on April 28 at Terra Blues, 149 Bleecker Street, NYC, 212-777-7776.

Hazmat Modine with Jim Campilongo

]]> http://www.hunterharp.com/performance-alert-hazmat-modine-with-jim-campilongo-at-terra-blues-nyc-april-28-2012/feed/ 0 Video of the Day 17 April 2012: Barcelona Bluegrass Band http://www.hunterharp.com/video-of-the-day-17-april-2012-barcelona-bluegrass-band/ http://www.hunterharp.com/video-of-the-day-17-april-2012-barcelona-bluegrass-band/#comments Tue, 17 Apr 2012 17:18:07 +0000 Richard Hunter http://www.hunterharp.com/?p=942

This video contains almost a full hour of music by a terrific band with harmonica right up front and center. Joan Pau Cumellas is the harmonica player. His playing on the diatonic moves easily from traditional styles to full-on chromatic lines. Like, wow.

]]> http://www.hunterharp.com/video-of-the-day-17-april-2012-barcelona-bluegrass-band/feed/ 0 Video of the Day 11 April 2012: Marcos Coll with Los Mighty Calacas http://www.hunterharp.com/video-of-the-day-11-april-2012-marcos-coll-with-los-mighty-calacas/ http://www.hunterharp.com/video-of-the-day-11-april-2012-marcos-coll-with-los-mighty-calacas/#comments Wed, 11 Apr 2012 22:36:47 +0000 Richard Hunter http://www.hunterharp.com/?p=940

Marcos Coll is a Spanish harp player with great chops and ideas. He’s been running his harp through a Digitech RP200A equipped with our patch set for years, and we LOVE his sound with this rig. Check out some other videos of Marcos with this crew while you’re at it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRygCK3oh0E

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FxLOWvP5BO8

]]> http://www.hunterharp.com/video-of-the-day-11-april-2012-marcos-coll-with-los-mighty-calacas/feed/ 2 Help Scott Albert Johnson make his second record! http://www.hunterharp.com/help-scott-albert-johnson-make-his-second-record/ http://www.hunterharp.com/help-scott-albert-johnson-make-his-second-record/#comments Mon, 09 Apr 2012 22:48:29 +0000 Richard Hunter http://www.hunterharp.com/?p=938 Scott Albert Johnson is a fine singer, songwriter, and harmonica player from Jackson, Mississippi. His harmonica work is unique and original, often dazzling, and always evolving to new places. His first CD, “Umbrella Man,” got plenty of rave reviews, including one from me–in fact, I bought the very first copy of that CD that was ever sold.

Scott’s getting ready to make his second CD, and he needs money to do it. He’s put the project up on Kickstarter, which is a cool site that’s all about funding independent projects. Here’s what Scott’s latest bulletin says:

I have 11 days to go… so far I have raised $5,587, with a target of $27,990. So I am about 20% of the way there, with a long way to go and a short time to get there (apologies to Jerry Reed).

If you have time to share the project link with others, either by Facebook, Twitter, or some other way, I will be very grateful. Here’s the link:

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1690977570/scott-albert-johnsons-new-album-going-somewhere

Folks, this is a musician worth hearing and supporting. If you’ve got a little bit of pocket change that you’d like to contribute to Scott’s project, go for it.

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