Tuesday, September 27, 2011

What Did You Miss This Week? (Week 238 #281)

Orange Blossom Special!!!

Joe first took some time last night to review acoustic mic hand technique. Get your Sonny Boy down with these pointers:
  • Create a very small cup or chamber with your hands, behind the harmonica. When doing this you'll have a lot of harp sticking out to the right side, which is just what you want. Position this protruding harp part near the microphone for killer tone!
  • If you are tempted to actually cup the entire vocal mic within your hands, BEWARE! Yes, Jim Liban does it, but he has extremely good internal volume control. If you can't play verysoftly, you are in danger of hurting eardrums and possibly causing feedback. Leave the mic on the stand.
In honor of our guest next week, Kirk "Jelly Roll" Johnson, Joe shared his transcription of the country classic, Orange Blossom Special. The original recording is Johnny Cash with Charlie McCoy on harp, romping through crossharp train whistles, chordal playing and a fast fiddle melody. As our own Highway RickEy would say, "Let's see you do it!"
            Kirk "Jelly Roll" Johnson to Visit B1!!!

            Another amazing, Nashville-based harmonica player will grace B1's big red carpet. Kirk "Jelly Roll" Johnson will visit B1 on Monday, October 3. Jelly Roll Johnson has recorded with a long list of popular country artists such as Trisha Yearwood, Kenny Rogers, Guy Clark, Lee Ann Womack, and many others. His unique sound has been heard on over 50 gold and platinum albums, including three Grammy winning albums by Randy Travis. Learn more about Jelly Roll Johnson and mark your calendars now!
            Jerry Portnoy Launches Harp Instructional Website!!!

            Our good friend and 2010 Chicago Blues Harp Bash headliner, Jerry Portnoy is launching his own instructional website for harp players called Harp Junction. Jerry is a smooth, skilled storyteller and has chosen wisely to use video blog posts as his teaching medium. He is fantastic on camera and has years of stage experience with Muddy Waters to inform his comments. What more could you ask for?!

            His site also features play-along tracks, a forum for harp players to ask questions and the opportunity to email your questions directly to Jerry. Check it out and learn from the best!
            Class Notes
            • The Bash was terrific...but we ended up with fewer good photos of the six performers (and the band) than we'd like. If you have photos from that night that you're willing to contribute to the B1 promotional machine (Bash website, primarily), please email us:info@youmissedmonday.com.
            • Our winter recital is on the calendar, December 17. You should start planning and practicing your songs now!
            - Grant Kessler, B1 Blues Crew