Scott Albert Johnson’s “Going Somewhere” is a Brand New Rock n’ Roll Trip
Scott Albert Johnson’s new record “Going Somewhere” literally starts with a bang–a big drum groove–that is soon capped with feverish amped harmonica whose lines pay homage to the blues tradition without ever directly invoking it. Throughout this record, on every track of which Johnson sings…
Grant Dermody’s “Sun Might Shine on Me” Sets the New Standard for Acoustic Roots Harmonica Records
I’ve been listening to Grant Dermody’s latest release, Sun Might Shine On Me, for the last couple of days. It’s a brilliantly produced work that presents the listener with lovingly rendered performances of traditional American music and original pieces in traditional styles. For harmonica players,…
Vidoe of the Day 25 August 2015: Jason Ricci: Fox Chase
A Multi-Colored Piece for Harmonica as Organ
I recorded this improvised piece in my home studio last month. I wanted to try something where the structure of the piece is defined as much by changes in tone as by changes in harmony, and it worked nicely in this case.
Chris Cacavas/Ed Abbiatti “Me and the Devil” is Released in the USA!
Just picked this up off Ed Abbiati’s Facebook page. The record Ed did last year with Chris Cacavas of Green on Red, “Me and the Devil,” which features yours truly playing harmonica on two tracks, has been released in the USA by Burnside Distribution. Let…
“Blue Monk” on the Country-Tuned Harp: It’s All About the Chords
I last recorded Thelonius Monk‘s “Blue Monk” (which Monk originally released in recorded form in 1954) for my solo acoustic CD “The Act of Being Free in One Act” in 1994 as part of a medley that included Jimmy Reed’s “Let it Roll” and “Bright…
Looping Setups Old and New and a Couple of New Loop Jams
I decided in the last couple of days to buy some new gear for looping. The main idea with this gear is to sync everything to everything: loopers to each other, loopers to drum machines, drum machines to sequencers–you name it, I want it synced…
So many records, so little time
In the last couple of months, I have been privileged to acquire a huge stack of harmonica records from some of the best players in the world. Mike Stevens, the mind-boggling Canadian virtuoso, dropped a stack of 5 CDs on me that include styles ranging…
Video of the Day 20 May 2015: Hermine Deurloo, Zanzibar
Big Shimmering Textures: Comin’ Home Baby Looped Live
I recorded this performance of “Comin’ Home Baby” live, using Lee Oskar natural minor harps in G and F, an Audix Fireball mic, a Digitech RP500 running my patch set, a Digitech JamMan Stereo looper, a Peavey KB2 keyboard amp, and a Zoom H4 to…
