Wednesday, December 18, 2013

What Did You Miss This Week? (Week 339 #383)

 Brainstorming!!!

The end of the year calls for introspection - what's going on right in the Level 4 class, what could be better and should we even consider a name change to something like "Blues Harmonica Repertoire and Performance"? Joe is open to feedback from you all, so if you have thoughts, shoot him or YMM an email.

And on an individual level, remember that Joe is always eager to hear from you about your personal goals. What do you need from class? What are you working on? He can only help you improve if he knows what you want to be doing better, so let him know!

Class Notes
  • The CD contest is over! Joe collected a lot of submissions and will be listening to them over break. Congrats to all who made the effort and grew through making a record of your songs this year.

  • The new Old Town session starts January 6 - register now if you haven't already.

  • The editorial staff will take a holiday break - no newsletter between Dec 19 and Jan 6. Focus on your playing and practicing but keep an eye on the gig calendar and support the local musicians during our time off!
Happy Holidays from the Primich Family!!!

The Primich family continues to reach out and take good care of B1. This year they sent along copies of the Gary Primich recent release, Just A Little Bit More as well as copies of the disc they produced for Hank Mowery, Account To Me. We're honored and will enjoy listening to our holiday gifts from the Primich family - THANK YOU!

- Grant Kessler, B1 Blues Crew

Tuesday, December 10, 2013

What Did You Miss This Week? (Week 338 #382)

Boogie!!!

The groove we call a boogie these days clearly comes from the boogie woogie piano players of the 1920s. Thank Clarence PineTop Smith for his tune Pine Top's Boogie Woogie the next time you call out a boogie groove for the band.

What defines a boogie exactly? Joe outlined it like this:
  • Upbeat
  • Shuffle based
  • Built on a melodic riff and the most typical notes in that riff are the root, third, fifth and the sixth scale degrees
You can play that riff based on Joe's transcription, but you also know it well from Walter Horton's many versions of Walter's Boogie or Little Walter's Boogie.

What classic boogies should you be listening to? Try these:
  • Hillbilly Boogie tunes from the Delmore Brothers 40s and 50s recordings
  • Little Walter - Boogie, Fast Boogie, Last Boogie
  • Louis Myers - Just Whalin', Bluesy
Joe also demonstrated that it can work to think about the boogie notes (root, 3rd, 5th and 6th) as a scale. This works IF you alter it correctly over the chord changes.

Now get to boogie'n!

Grammy Nominees!!!

Our man Shoji pointed out that four of the five Grammy nominees for Best Blues Album are harmonica-centric:

Remembering Little Walter - with Billy Boy Arnold, Charlie Musselwhite, Mark Hummel, Sugar Ray Norcia & James Harman

Cotton Mouth Man -  James Cotton

Get Up!
- Ben Harper With Charlie Musselwhite

Seesaw
- Bobby Rush

Class Notes

  • The CD contest ends next week, December 16 (or, if you're running late, Joe will accept entries the next night at his Harlem Avenue Lounge gig)!
  • December 16 is the last class this session. Be sure to register now for the next session, starting January 6.
  • The editorial staff will take a holiday break - no newsletter between Dec 18 and Jan 6. Focus on your playing and practicing but keep an eye on the gig calendar and support the local musicians during our time off!
- Grant Kessler, B1 Blues Crew

Tuesday, December 3, 2013

What Did You Miss This Week? (Week 337 #381)

The Box Shuffle!!!

Shuffling through shuffle grooves brings us to the box shuffle, a classic Chicago sound. In fact, remember that grooves often have different names in different parts of the country and folks often refer to this as a Chicago shuffle.

Melodically it is composed typically of three scale degrees, the first, fifth and flat seventh plus the octave and they're played in either an ascending or descending manner. Shoji votes for descending as being the most common in the blues canon.

But why the term "box" shuffle? Well those four notes, when played on a guitar, form a box shape. Joe's early recorded example was a Junior Parker tune from 1954, Can You Tell Me Baby, which features horn players working the box riff and in fact, it is interestingly a two-bar phrase, rather than the typical one bar phrase.

Other interesting things to keep in mind about the box shuffle? It does NOT include the third scale degree, which means it leans toward being a minor sound - as Joe likes to say, it is ambiguous that way. Also, it is very common that a box shuffle does not have a turnaround. If you're in Texas, the descending box is commonly known as the Linda Lou, based on that popular song and for extra fun, check out Koko Taylor's version of Let the Good Times Roll. Most people play that Louis Jordan song with a swing bassline, but Koko's version is Chicago-ized and based on the box shuffle!

Make It Happen For Grant Dermody!!!

Grant is cooking up a new disc and we'd like to share this note from him. Help with his Indigogo fundraising if you can!

"Hi Everyone,

I hope all is well with each and all of you!

I wanted to let you know that I have just launched a new fundraising campaign, through Indiegogo, for my newest recording project; The Louisiana Sessions.

I start recording this January at Dirk Powell's studio in Breaux Bridge, Louisiana. Dirk will be wearing the engineer hat for the project as well as playing on all the songs and tunes.

Orville Johnson will also join us on every track. Cedric Watson will play fiddle on the Old Time and Cajun tunes and Rich Del Grosso will play mandolin on the Country Blues songs. Dirk and Orville and I will produce the record.

My last two CD's each took over two years to complete. Doing them that way, a song at a time, for a few hundred bucks, with some down time in between, was doable financially.

Since I am playing with four musicians this time, instead of twenty-five plus, I have to record the whole CD in two, three or four day sessions.

I am playing with the best musicians available to make the best record I can. To pay them what they are worth is expensive. They all need to be paid all at once, as does the engineer. Then there is travel and lodging, and all this adds up in a hurry. This is why I need your help.

I am ready to create new music that is strong and joyful and deep, but is not about illness. I have written a bunch of new songs and tunes. It is time for me to make an excellent record with great players in the musical mecca of Louisiana.

Please contribute what you can at one of the links below. I also need you, please, to pass this information on to anyone and everyone you know who might be interested in helping. It takes a village, and not just the people in the village that I know!"

Learn more (and donate!) here: Fundraising for the Louisiana Sessions

Only 5 days left!

Dennis Gruenling Interview!!!


Our friend Dennis made the cover and is the featured interview in Blues Blast Magazine - Mark Thompson tells the story and gets at Dennis' influences. Check it out!

Radiolab!!!

Fascinating stuff about music on Radiolab this week:

"Sure, music can move us, but it can also save our lives, transform people into a legends, and even knock down walls (maybe). This hour, we explore some of the outer edges of the power of music by gathering up a band of biblical horn-blowers, paying a midnight visit to a corner of Mississippi where the devil is rumored to grant wishes, and by helping an angsty 18th century composer push some classical musicians to their physical and psychological limits."

The hour hits on Robert Johnson and then comes to an interesting piece on Beethoven and tempo - have a listen to see what the indifference tempo is and how it might tie in with our man RickEy's thoughts on ideal practice tempo: Listen.

Class Notes
  • The CD contest ends December 16 (or, if you're running late, Joe will accept entries the next night at his Harlem Avenue Lounge gig)!
  • December 16 is the last class this session. Be sure to register now for the next session, starting in January.
- Grant Kessler, B1 Blues Crew

Tuesday, November 26, 2013

What Did You Miss This Week? (Week 336 #380)

The Jimmy Reed Shuffle!!!

You can't talk about song grooves in a blues harmonica class without hitting the Jimmy Reed shuffle! So what is that exactly? Well, it is built on triplets, only the middle note in the triplet is not played. The bass drum plays quarter notes; the snare hits on 2 and 4; and most importantly, the guitar plays a two note rhythm that is root/fifth then root/sixth with the occasional move to the root/flat seventh. As Shoji and Joe both pointed out, the Jimmy Reed shuffle relies largely on this guitar figure and although we call it the Jimmy Reed shuffle, it was Eddie Taylor playing it behind Reed.

Joe also points out that whereas some grooves are defined by riffs and others by rhythm, this is defined by rhythm but has some loose reliance on the riff, as evidenced by the use of the two note phrases described above. Joe's handout outlines how you might imitate that riff on harp to get a band off on the right foot.

Listening notes - check out the Jimmy Reed catalog of course, but for solid examples, try Baby What You Want Me To Do, Honest I Do from Reed, Mellow Chick Swing from Sonny Boy Williamson and Sweet Home Chicago from Robert Johnson.

Al Taylor!!!

We were pretty excited to see our long-lost friend Al Taylor stop by for a visit last night. His collar bone is still in a sling, but he's looking good otherwise and we know he'll be back blowing harp and thumping that bass as soon as he can!

And this from the man himself:

"Big thanks to all my B1 Buddies for the nice card and care package.  I really appreciate it."

Class Notes
  • Joe announced the prizes for his end of year contest. Get your CD in by end of December (only 4 more Mondays!) that shows what you are capable of and you could win! Third Prize, one high performance Marine Band Deluxe; Second Prize, two high performance Crossover harps; First Prize, three high performance Crossover harps!
  • Happy Thanksgivukkuh!

For Sale!!!

We've gotten word of a good deal on a Shure Green Bullet microphone from Richard Neuhaus:

"...brand new, never been used, still in the box, Shure "Green Bullet" harmonica mic"

Listed most places at $119, Richard will take $100 for it and you can connect with him to save the shipping if you're in the Chicago area. Shoot him an email if you're interested.

email Richard Neuhaus

- Grant Kessler, B1 Blues Crew

Tuesday, November 19, 2013

What Did You Miss This Week? (Week 335 #379)

The Flat Tire!!!

Joe's back from a terrific European tour and he has another unique groove on his mind - the flat tire. This is a shuffle that gets its feel from a strong emphasis on the off beats. Listen to songs like Further On Up the Road, You Upset Me Baby, and Kidney Stew from Eddie Cleanhead Vinson to hear this groove. One thing that makes this different from, say, the anticipated feel of the John Lee Hooker sound which is riff-driven is that the flat tire relies on a combination of instruments in the band's rhythm section doing different things. The off beat accents you'll likely hear come from a piano, rhythm guitar or a drummer, while the bass player and kick drum keep the down beats solid. In some cases two instruments (often snare and rhythm instrument) work together, but it is certainly not every rhythm section instrument accenting.

To launch this unrehearsed with a band, they'll need to know the term flat tire, Texas swing or perhaps backwards shuffle. If you get blank stares with these terms and mentioning tunes like those above don't work either, you're going to have to solidly count or clap this rhythm to communicate it to them...and even then, you should be wary of their ability to hold it together!

Joe also observed that it is often a jazzy sounding groove, thanks in part to the swing feel the backbeat imparts, as well as the very likely walking bass line and the ninth chords the musicians tend to play. These all lead to there being a "jazzy" feel in the air when the flat tire kicks off!

For more info on the flat tire, check out this video Highway RickEy shared with us.

Class Notes

  • Joe announced the prizes for his end of year contest. Get your CD in by end of December (only 4 more Mondays!) that shows what you are capable of and you could win! Third Prize, one high performance Marine Band Deluxe; Second Prize, two high performance Crossover harps; First Prize, three high performance Crossover harps!
  • Welcome back, Joe!
- Grant Kessler, B1 Blues Crew

Tuesday, November 12, 2013

What Did You Miss This Week? (Week 334 #378)

Improv!!!

Highway RickEy stepped up this week to carry on the discussion about how to approach improv. Turns out he, like Shoji, recommends you step up and be more than the typical harp player - learn your scales! Being an improvisational musician means, well, being a musician and the foundation of that is knowing the scales and staying within them when you play.

But it needn't be dry and boring to learn scales as RickEy pointed out. He shared scales with us that we should know and encouraged learning them in first, second and third position so that what you're really doing is ear training, not harmonica hole number training. Learning to hear the scale degrees when you play them is powerful and necessary, and this learning technique gets you there.

Play a one chord play-along that suits the scale you're working on and get three harps out that put you in the same key - we used C, G and F to be playing in the key of G. (Go easy on people around you and consider the Low F if you have one!) Now move up and down the scale. Then vary the rhythm you play those scale notes in. Suddenly you'll find yourself learning the sounds of that scale and also making music! Over time, this graduates to shaping and phrasing and you'll have moved ahead as an intelligent improvisational player!

Filisko and Noden in Sisak, Croatia!!!

Looks like Joe and Eric are having a great time touring Europe! Here they are playing the Siscia Jazz Club:


Congratulations!!!

Morry Sochat and Shoji Naito were the winners Sunday in the Chicago Blues Challenge duo competition, hosted by the Windy City Blues Society! They now advance to the Finals in Memphis this January. Congratulations you two - we're pulling for you and will also be watching for your new duo CD soon! (hint, hint)

Class Notes
  • Joe announced the prizes for his end of year contest. Get your CD in by end of December that shows what you are capable of and you could win! Third Prize, one high performance Marine Band Deluxe; Second Prize, two high performance Crossover harps; First Prize, three high performance Crossover harps!
  • Joe's back next week! Group and private lessons are all back on schedule as normal.
  • Jam - thanks to all who came out to learn from the loose playing opportunity the last few weeks. Unfortunately, that will not continue now with Joe back and using B1 all day.
- Grant Kessler, B1 Blues Harp

Tuesday, November 5, 2013

What Did You Miss This Week? (Week 333 #377)

Understanding Song Forms!!!

RickEy had an improv discussion planned for this week, but it got sidetracked by a fruitful conversation about song forms. In response to a couple unusual songs played during class, it was clear to Shoji we needed to spend some time understanding forms and grooves better, so conversation turned to mapping and counting out a few songs. The big takeaway is that we all need to apply ourselves more to the matter of understanding the songs we're trying to play - learn your song's form and groove before you play it with the band...and if you're having trouble figuring out out, ask!

Class Notes
  • Joe announced the prizes for his end of year contest. Get your CD in by end of December that shows what you are capable of and you could win! Third Prize, one high performance Marine Band Deluxe; Second Prize, two high performance Crossover harps; First Prize, three high performance Crossover harps!
  • Reminder that Joe will be away touring with Eric for one more week. Private lessons with him are cancelled but group classes will continue as usual. Level Three classes will be taught by Zoe and Grant (be sure to bring a copy of your transcription for them to watch as you play); Level IV classes will be covered by Shoji and RickEy. Joe's gone October 21-November 11, but you shouldn't be! Get a fresh perspective on your playing from these other great teachers.
  • Jam! Grant will be hanging out in B1 and hosting a casual open jam from 3:30pm to 5:30pm next Monday. This is a great chance for you to practice, ask questions and just have a good time. It is also a great opportunity for you to rehearse and work out arrangement questions for tunes you want to record for Joe's contest.
- Grant Kessler, B1 Blues Crew

Tuesday, October 29, 2013

What Did You Miss This Week? (Week 332 #376)

Improvisation!!!

Following up on the power of knowing your scales, Grant jumped in this week to share some of the thinking and techniques he's used to expand his improvisational ability. At the core of it, the ability to improvise can be practiced. Read David Barrett's book; set practice challenges for yourself; and above all, realize that repetition and call and response techniques will put you on the right track.

Where to start? Practice a melody you know well and make small changes in it. Put a play-along track on and force yourself to start your phrasing each chorus with a different note in the scale. Start a one-chord track and sing or scat a phrase then try to play it on your harp. These are all techniques that will expand your improv thinking...and remember, they are practice ideas, not performance ideas. Work on these at home and let the lessons learned inform your improv playing when you hit the stage.

Class Notes
  • Joe announced the prizes for his end of year contest. Get your CD in by end of December that shows what you are capable of and you could win! Third Prize, one high performance Marine Band Deluxe; Second Prize, two high performance Crossover harps; First Prize, three high performance Crossover harps!
  • Reminder that Joe will be away touring with Eric for the next two classes. Private lessons with him are cancelled but group classes will continue as usual. Level Three classes will be taught by Zoe and Grant (be sure to bring a copy of your transcription for them to watch as you play); Level IV classes will be covered by Shoji and RickEy. Joe's gone October 21-November 11, but you shouldn't be! Get a fresh perspective on your playing from these other great teachers.
  • Special note for the 6:30 class next week - don't count on there being a guitar player to back you up. Please bring a play-along CD for the song you're working on.
  • Jam! Grant will be hanging out in B1 and hosting a casual open jam from 3:30pm to 5:30pm next Monday. This is a great chance for you to practice, ask questions and just have a good time. It is also a great opportunity for you to rehearse and work out arrangement questions for tunes you want to record for Joe's contest.
- Grant Kessler, B1 Blues Crew

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

What Did You Miss This Week? (Week 331 #375)

Guitar Lessons!!!

Joe's away so Shoji turned harp class into guitar class! Well, just for one night of music education.

With guitars in everyone's hands, Shoji was able to demonstrate visually what is going on when one thinks about the major and minor pentatonic scales. There are lots of ways to learn and different people pick things up in different ways, so for visual learners, this was a brilliant move.

Shoji was able to demonstrate what constitutes an octave in a fresh way, and then moved to having people see and hear the two hugely important notes of most scales, the root and the fifth. It was a great hands-on night of scales, then plugging the scale knowledge into "acting the bass player" and outlining the chords of a few blues forms - 12 bar, 8 bar and 16 bar.

Nice work, Shoji!

Class Notes
  • Joe announced the prizes for his end of year contest. Get your CD in by end of December that shows what you are capable of and you could win! Third Prize, one high performance Marine Band Deluxe; Second Prize, two high performance Crossover harps; First Prize, three high performance Crossover harps!
  • Reminder that Joe will be away touring with Eric for the next three classes. Private classes with him are cancelled but group classes will continue as usual. Level Three classes will be taught by Zoe and Grant (be sure to bring a copy of your transcription for them to watch as you play); Level IV classes will be covered by Shoji and RickEy. Joe's gone October 21-November 11, but you shouldn't be! Get a fresh perspective on your playing from these other great teachers.
  • Jam! Grant and Al will be hanging out in B1 and hosting a casual open jam from 3:30pm to 5:30pm next Monday. This is a great chance for you to practice, ask questions and just have a good time. It is also a great opportunity for you to rehearse and work out arrangement questions for tunes you want to record for Joe's contest.
  • Grant will be teaching in Level IV next week, offering his thoughts on breaking into improvisation - you can leave your guitars at home!
- Grant Kessler, B1 Blues Crew

Tuesday, October 15, 2013

What Did You Miss This Week? (Week 330 #374)

Junior Parker!!!

If you wondered whether that John Lee Hooker Boogie Chillun' groove made it to Memphis, you can be sure it did thanks to folks on the Sun label like Junior Parker. Very likely he recorded multiple versions of that groove precisely because it was a money maker and sold records - the sound was popular at the time and it would have been a must for people like Parker to cover.

Joe played a bunch of Parker's recorded samples and he turned the phrase from "I feel so good" to "I feel so bad" to "I'm gonna ramble".

Here's Joe's transcription of some of the various guitar and bass lines you'll hear on versions of the Boogie Chillun' groove. And with that, we leave this infectious groove.

Guitars!!!

Hey, Shoji has teaching plans for the Level IV class next week that involve song form study and anyone who has one should bring along their guitar or bass. Acoustic, electric - either is fine. No amps required.

Class Notes
  • Joe announced the prizes for his end of year contest. Get your CD in by end of December that shows what you are capable of and you could win! Third Prize, one high performance Marine Band Deluxe; Second Prize, two high performance Crossover harps; First Prize, three high performance Crossover harps!
  • Reminder that Joe will be away touring with Eric for the next four classes. Private classes with him are cancelled but group classes will continue as usual. Level Three classes will be taught by Zoe and Grant (be sure to bring a copy of your transcription for them to watch as you play); Level IV classes will be covered by Shoji and RickEy. Joe's gone October 21-November 11, but you shouldn't be! Get a fresh perspective on your playing from these other great teachers.
  • Jam! Grant and Al will be hanging out in B1 and hosting a casual open jam from 3:30pm to 5:30pm next Monday. This is a great chance for you to practice, ask questions and just have a good time. It is also a great opportunity for you to rehearse and work out arrangement questions for tunes you want to record for Joe's contest.
  • Register Now! The next session starts October 28.
- Grant Kessler, B1 Blues Crew

Tuesday, October 8, 2013

What Did You Miss This Week? (Week 329 #373)

Shake Your Hips!!!

Well, at least one person in B1 was on her feet shakin' it to Kirk's version of Shake Your Hips last night. Who knew we had a dance floor?!

The Slim Harpo classic, Shake Your Hips (transcription), is irresistible that way, which may be reason enough for you to strongly consider adding this driving one-chord tune to your repertoire. Joe chose this song from Harpo as a way to transition from the straight eighth conversation into shuffles and he started with a review of some related tunes in the John Lee Hooker boogie groove - Boogie Chillun, Spirit In the Sky by Norman Greenbaum, and La Grange by ZZ Top (which does have a bridge). These songs all feature a one-chord form and are shuffles with a strong accent on the up beat. And in the case of Shake Your Hips, it is FAST!

See you on the dance floor!

Class Notes
  • Joe announced the prizes for his end of year contest. Get your CD in by end of December that shows what you are capable of and you could win! Third Prize, one high performance Marine Band Deluxe; Second Prize, two high performance Crossover harps; First Prize, three high performance Crossover harps!
  • Reminder that Joe will be away touring with Eric for a few weeks this fall. Private classes with him are cancelled but group classes will continue as usual. Level Three classes will be taught by Zoe and Grant; Level IV classes will be covered by Shoji and RickEy. Joe's gone October 21-November 11, but you shouldn't be! Get a fresh perspective on your playing from these other great teachers.
  • Register Now! The next session starts October 28.

Health Corner!!!

Hey, for those of you suffering dry mouth when playing harp, especially if it is a result of medications you're on, Joe has heard from other players that this stuff really works - check out Biotene over the counter at your local pharmacist and get back on the bandstand!

- Grant Kessler, B1 Blues Crew

Wednesday, October 2, 2013

What Did You Miss This Week? (Week 328 #372)

Rainin' In My Heart!!!

First up was an interesting ad hoc dissection of Grant's instrumental improv in class. After he played there were questions about how that's done on the fly and we played back his recording to talk it over. It was educational for those starting to think about improvisation and Joe reminded everyone that the best reading on the subject is David Barrett's book, Improvising Blues Harmonica.

Next was a quick review from Joe on the wonderful night we had in B1 last week with Johnny Sansone! All agreed he was witty, humble and reverent of his fellow musicians. Clearly he's all about the music and not about ego - evidenced by how comfortable he was calling up Jim Liban and insisting he stay up!

Responding to our New Orleans visitor and the fact that he gave such a terrific nod to Slim Harpo when we referred to Rainin' In My Heart as the anthem of Louisiana, Joe shared his transcription of the tune. It is a melodic song with both a vocal and a harp melody, played over a shuffle. Note too that in addition to being eight bar, it has the unusual characteristic of starting on the IV chord. Kinda puts a little pressure on your first position playing, even though it's a second position tune.

Jimi Lee Groovetrax!!!

There was talk last night too of the second line groove. The sample Joe played was a play-along track from Jimi Lee and you can buy and download his full Groovetrax recording here. It has 31 grooves represented on it, so get a copy and practice!

Class Notes
  • Joe announced the prizes for his end of year contest. Get your CD in by end of December that shows what you are capable of and you could win! Third Prize, one high performance Marine Band Deluxe; Second Prize, two high performance Crossover harps; First Prize, three high performance Crossover harps!
  • Reminder that Joe will be away touring with Eric for a few weeks this fall. Private classes with him are cancelled but group classes will continue as usual. Level Three classes will be taught by Zoe and Grant; Level IV classes will be covered by Shoji and RickEy. Joe's gone October 21-November 11, but you shouldn't be! Get a fresh perspective on your playing from these other great teachers.Register Now! 
  • The next session starts October 28.

Hot Videos!!!

Here's a cool video of our new friend Johnny Sansone singing his award-winning tune, The Lord Is Waiting and the Devil Is Too.

And speaking of Louisiana, here's Wynton Marsalis blowing that horn over the second line groove: Second Line.

- Grant Kessler, B1 Blues Crew

Wednesday, September 25, 2013

What Did You Miss This Week? (Week 327 #371)

Johnny Sansone!!!

We were reeling from an incredible show from Johnny on Sunday night and then he came into B1 Monday and told blues stories and sketched out his musical trajectory for us. It was truly a magical couple of days!

Johnny's dad was a big band and jump sax player, so Johnny had a sax in his hands at age 8. As he tells it, his dad was intensely focused on tone and phrasing and instilled that in his son, even though he eventually found himself more drawn to the sound of the harmonica than the sax.

The other thing his parents exposed him to was a tired old juke box full of blues 45s in the basement. This is where Sansone first heard the likes of Jimmy Reed, Sonny Boy, Little Walter and John Lee Hooker. He told the funny story of figuring out he needed a harp amp, so he rigged a little microphone into the jukebox and blew on that. It was cool, but not very portable. Friends he was playing with always had to come to his house!

At 13, his dad took him to see a Two Generations of Brubeck show and Johnny was surprised to see that his dad knew the Brubecks well enough that they ended up backstage afterwards. Peter Madcat Ruth was on that gig with the younger Brubeck and Johnny grilled him and got a lot of harp information from him.

It's clear Johnny has a long list of musical friends and influences - he told Junior Wells stories and talked about how Howlin' Wolf influenced him as a singer. He also spoke passionately about the city of New Orleans as an influence on his music. He was drawn to the city for its melting pot of musical types - Cajun, Dixieland, Zydeco, jazz. And he appreciates that the city has always nurtured its own. It is, as he says, the cradle of American music.

We had a fabulous night enjoying Johnny's sense of humor and storytelling and are glad to count him as a B1 Friend! Thanks for coming, Johnny!

Chicago Blues Harp Bash #6!!!

The Sixth Annual Chicago Blues Harp Bash was amazing!!!

Zoe Savage, Tall Paul Sabel, Scott Dirks and Grant Kessler warmed up the sold-out crowd and our headliner, Johnny Sansone from New Orleans put on a rocking, ripping, powerful show. Something tells us the staid Szold Hall at the Old Town School has never seen anything like it!

Johnny was a genuine guy and crowd pleaser, weaving witty lines and self-deprecating humor into his set and totally winning over the audience. He sang with power and honesty and blew some terrific harp. He wove blues standards among his originals, playing some killer first position, lots of chromatic, and he probably knew he would be an enormous hit by calling his hero Jim Liban up near the end. The two of them totally blew the roof off the place - multiple standing ovations, a roaring crowd and a deafening call for an encore.

This is a show people will not soon forget!
photos: Highway RickEy

BASH Thanks!!!


A terrific event of this size takes tons of effort from lots of people. We're extremely grateful the B1 community steps up in every way imaginable to ensure the success of the Bash year after year.

Huge thanks go out to:

Alisa and Nick at the Old Town School

Building and maintaining the Chicago Blues Harp Bash website:
Jaime Viehweg

Beautiful poster design:
Marianna Delinck Manley

VIP Shuttle Service:
Kirk Manley
Paul Nelson

Photography:
Highway RickEy

Cool artist sketches:
Andy Willis

Green Room Food and Drink:
Shoji Naito
Ginny Morin and Paul Nelson
Bob and Sherri Kunze
Jim and Barb Lucas

Stepping up with strong Facebook support to spread the word:
Buzz Krantz
Barb Selvaggio

The incredible band, The Chicago Blue Aces:
Shoji Naito, guitar and bandleader
Mike Scharf, bass
Mark Fornek, drums

Helping the band prepare for Johnny's songs by learning to sing and blow harp on them for rehearsal were:
Al Nemcek
Corporate Kirk Manley
Highway RickEy

Additional support:
Tim Spahn
Tom Gilmore
Jeff Reynolds

Mr. G's Thoughts For Free!!!

B1 buddy and harp player Mr. G was in the house Sunday night and was moved enough by the Bash to write up a review. Read how Mr. G sizes up the show.

Legends Sharing the Stage!!!

Our resident sketch artist Andy Willis had a front row seat for the great Sansone/Liban performance Sunday night and brings us this cool sketch:


Class Notes
  • Joe announced the prizes for his end of year contest. Get your CD in by end of December that shows what you are capable of and you could win! Third Prize, one high performance Marine Band Deluxe; Second Prize, two high performance Crossover harps; First Prize, three high performance Crossover harps!
- Grant Kessler, B1 Blues Crew

Tuesday, September 17, 2013

What Did You Miss This Week? (Week 326 #370)

Louisiana, or Lose-E-Ana!!!

Pronounce it any way you like, this state has it going on. Consider the incredible influence Louisiana has had on so many of our music traditions - blues, swamp blues, jazz, zydeco, cajun, second line brass bands - the list goes on and is deep. With Johnny Sansone coming next week, Joe took last night to survey his discography a little, playing samples from some of his early work that definitely roots him blues with strong influences from zydeco, soul, and rock. He's definitely soaked up his place!

Remember that if you're in Chicagoland next Monday, September 23, you gotta come to B1 and soak up some Johnny Sansone! He'll be playing and talking and answering questions on the big red carpet, so get yourself there!

Tickets On Sale Now - Chicago Blues Harp Bash #6!!!


BASH!!! It's time! Get off the fence! Get your tickets NOW! Almost sold out...



We now have the Facebook Event page live, so if you have a Facebook account, please go here immediately and click "Join" so all your friends will catch wind of this cool show: Facebook Event. For extra credit, you can also click the "Invite Friends" button at the Event Page and do just that, invite all your blues loving friends to join you for the show!

September 22, 2013, 6pm, in Szold Hall at the Old Town School of Folk Music

Featuring:

Johnny Sansone, Zoe Savage, Tall Paul Sabel, Scott Dirks and Grant Kessler.

The bandleader this year is Shoji Naito and he's lined up Mike Scharf on bass and Mark Fornek on drums.

Class Notes


  • Joe announced the prizes for his end of year contest. Get your CD in by end of December that shows what you are capable of and you could win! Third Prize, one high performance Marine Band Deluxe; Second Prize, two high performance Crossover harps; First Prize, three high performance Crossover harps!

Screamin' Hot Harp Week In Chicago!!!

Get off the couch, caffeinate yourself and go see some shows this week! Jim Liban's in town and playing with the incomparable Joel Paterson Trio, our last Bash headliner Sugar Ray Norcia's at Legends, Johnny Sansone's headlining our Bash and lots of other great players on the calendar.

- Grant Kessler, B1 Blues Crew

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

What Did You Miss This Week? (Week 325 #369)

Mystery Grooves!!!

Welcome back! Old Town School's break is over and the newsletter and B1 are back in business!

This week Joe played some samples of grooves that defy description. They don't lend themselves to a tight category although you can hear a sense of certain grooves in them. And naturally he turns to Slim Harpo and the Excello label for these choice straight eighth tunes:
  • Scratch My Back - though it has touches of a tramp groove and Cleo's Mood in it, this song is all its own. The good news is that it is so well-known that you won't have much trouble getting a band to produce this for you.
  • Tip On In - flavors of tramp and boogaloo on this one with a heavy tremelo on the guitar, the first word on Shoji's and RickEy's lips was "swamp" - much of the Harpo/Excello catalog is often thought of as swamp blues and this epitomizes it.
  • Hey Little Lee - interestingly the groove on this song comes from the interplay of multiple guitar parts.
  • Stick Your Chest Out Baby - this has a boogaloo drum part and a busy bass line holding the sound together.
For a couple more swamp blues men to check out, reach for the other Excello greats Lazy Lester and Lightening Slim.

Tickets On Sale Now - Chicago Blues Harp Bash #6!!!

BASH!!! Get your tickets NOW!


We now have the Facebook Event page live, so if you have a Facebook account, please go here immediately and click "Join" so all your friends will catch wind of this cool show: Facebook Event. For extra credit, you can also click the "Invite Friends" button at the Event Page and do just that, invite all your blues loving friends to join you for the show!

September 22, 2013, 6pm, in Szold Hall at the Old Town School of Folk Music

Featuring:

Johnny Sansone, Zoe Savage, Tall Paul Sabel, Scott Dirks and Grant Kessler.

The bandleader this year is Shoji Naito and he's lined up Mike Scharf on bass and Mark Fornek on drums.

Also, Joe has copies of three of Sansone's discs available in class - $15 for one, $25 for two and $30 for all three.

Class Notes
  • Joe announced the prizes for his end of year contest. Get your CD in by end of December that shows what you are capable of and you could win! Third Prize, one high performance Marine Band Deluxe; Second Prize, two high performance Crossover harps; First Prize, three high performance Crossover harps!

Hot New Releases!!!

Hank Mowery, Account To Me - Michigan native Hank Mowery has put together an awesome tribute to Gary Primich. This CD even has a couple rarities that Gary never recorded...tunes you may only have heard him do in B1! Thanks to Hank for the Primich love and a big shout out to Jack and Darsha Primich for producing this disc with Hank!

Michel Herblin, Harmonica Golden Melodies - Joe calls this one of the most exciting jazz diatonic CDs he's heard!

Joe Filisko Interview!!!

Boris Hartl talks with Joe!

- Grant Kessler, B1 Blues Crew

Tuesday, August 13, 2013

What Did You Miss This Week? (Week 324 #368)

Practice Tempo!!!

Highway RickEy, ever the student of the power of proper practice techniques, has a hot new idea about practicing at your ideal "internal tempo" and he introduced the topic last night. He'll be modifying his super-amazing tempo calculator and we'll announce it here in a couple weeks.


Tickets On Sale Now - Chicago Blues Harp Bash #6!!!

Almost as much fun as the Bash itself is unveiling the exciting new poster design from our amazing designer friend, Marianna, "Mrs. Corporate" Delinck Manley every year!



We now have the Facebook Event page live, so if you have a Facebook account, please go here immediately and click "Join" so all your friends will catch wind of this cool show: Facebook Event. For extra credit, you can also click the "Invite Friends" button at the Event Page and do just that, invite all your blues loving friends to join you for the show!

If you don't have your own Bash tickets yet, hurry here to get yours!

September 22, 2013, 6pm, in Szold Hall at the Old Town School of Folk Music

Featuring:

Johnny Sansone, Zoe Savage, Tall Paul Sabel, Scott Dirks and Grant Kessler.

The bandleader this year is Shoji Naito and he's lined up Mike Scharf on bass and Mark Fornek on drums.

Mark your calendars - it's going to be a hot show!

Also, Joe has copies of three of Sansone's discs available in class - $15 for one, $25 for two and $30 for all three.

Class Notes
  • Old Town is on break and the session resumes September 9. Register now!
  • Reminder from Joe that he's working up prizes for the recording contest, so don't forget to be working on getting your best material down on disc before the end of the year!
  • Bash poster distribution - We're having the Bash poster printed now and we need volunteers to help get them hanging in all the right places ASAP. If you're willing to get some to places like Reckless Records, Jazz Record Mart, Old Town School and any place else that is relevant, please connect with Grant.

Zoom H4n For Sale!!!


Highway RickEy has a digital recorder for sale:

"I ordered the new Zoom H6 audio recorder.  Looking to sell my H4N for $100.  It is used and the case is worn but it records perfectly.

Includes manual, Cubase LE4, power cord, and windscreen."

It looks like this.

Contact RickEy directly if you're interested.

- Grant Kessler, B1 Blues Crew

Tuesday, August 6, 2013

What Did You Miss This Week? (Week 323 #367)

Scales Discussion!!!

Shoji was away this week, but his teaching continues. People tried pentatonic scale playing in class and that led to a lengthy discussion where people were asking follow up questions and trying to understand and apply Shoji's recent classes.

Remember folks that playing consciously like this is a process, so keep working at it and practicing!

Tickets On Sale Now - Chicago Blues Harp Bash #6!!!

Chicago Blues Harp Bash website is updated, the poster is in the works and tickets are on sale now!

September 22, 2013, 6pm, in Szold Hall at the Old Town School of Folk Music

Johnny Sansone from New Orleans will headline! Sansone is a powerful singer, low-down blues harp player and a well-respected songwriter. As a matter of fact, his song The Lord Is Waiting and the Devil Is Too was a Blues Music Award Song of the Year winner. He isn't often in Chicago and we're proud to be bringing him here for you!

Our terrific local harp players are Zoe Savage, Tall Paul Sabel, Scott Dirks and Grant Kessler.

The bandleader this year is Shoji Naito and he's lined up Mike Scharf on bass and Mark Fornek on drums.

Mark your calendars - it's going to be a hot show!

Also, Joe has copies of three of Sansone's discs available in class - $15 for one, $25 for two and $30 for all three.

Harp Article!!!

Fun article in Collector's Weekly with the world's longest title:

How A Gang of Harmonica Geeks Saved The Soul of The Blues Harp

Class Notes
  • Next week is the last class of the session. There is a break and the session resumes September 9. Register now!

  • Reminder from Joe that he's working up prizes for the recording contest, so don't forget to be working on getting your best material down on disc before the end of the year!
- Grant Kessler, B1 Blues Crew

Wednesday, July 31, 2013

What Did You Miss This Week? (Week 322 #366

More Pentatonic Scales!!!

The YMM newsletter hitting on Wednesday means the editor is out of town again! Thanks to B1 Blues Crew reporter Corporate Kirk for this summary of Shoji's lesson Monday - more on how to make music with five notes!

With Joe out another week, Shoji Naito dug even deeper into pentatonic scales. This week's discussion focused on the minor pentatonic scale. Shoji's handout outlines how to play this scale in 3rd position on harmonica in the key of D. He reminded us that the root and fifth are the most important notes when improvising using the minor pentatonic scale.

To illustrate this point, Shoji had the B1 Band play three different instrumentals:

1) A slow, one-chord tune in D minor
2) A mid-tempo, one-chord song with a triplet feel in D7
3) Another slower tune with several, random chord changes from Shoji's guitar in D

The exercise? Have each harmonica player go around the room and try improvising using the minor pentatonic scale in 3rd position with these three different scenarios as your backing tracks. By the end of class, each player felt pretty comfortable with their minor pentatonic chops! Proof once again that when you stay true to the scale when you improvise - especially sticking with the root and the fifth notes - you can play along with many different songs.

Tickets On Sale Now - Chicago Blues Harp Bash #6!!!

Chicago Blues Harp Bash website is updated, the poster is in the works and tickets are on sale now!

September 22, 2013, 6pm, in Szold Hall at the Old Town School of Folk Music
 
Johnny Sansone
from New Orleans will headline! Sansone is a powerful singer, low-down blues harp player and a well-respected songwriter. As a matter of fact, his song The Lord Is Waiting and the Devil Is Too was a Blues Music Award Song of the Year winner. He isn't often in Chicago and we're proud to be bringing him here for you!

Our terrific local harp players are Zoe Savage, Tall Paul Sabel, Scott Dirks and Grant Kessler.

The bandleader this year is Shoji Naito and he's lined up Mike Scharf on bass and Mark Fornek on drums.

Mark your calendars - it's going to be a hot show!

Class Notes
  • Joe will be back next week but Shoji will be away. Grant's on guitar and will do his best - not the best week for complicated, chart-reading kinds of songs!
New Joe Filisko Release!!!

Check out Joe on this new CD and DVD release with Glenn Kaiser:

Glenn Kaiser and Joe Filisko Live

Take Two!!!

Last week's Quote of the Week was mis-attributed. Thanks to Patrick Knight for his insight and apologies to Patrick Phillips:

“There are elements of the song I'm comfortable with today I didn't even know existed a month ago.”

- B1 student Patrick Knight on his recent growth

- Grant Kessler, B1 Blues Crew

Tuesday, July 23, 2013

What Did You Miss This Week? (Week 321 #365)

Pentatonic Scales!!!

Though back in town, Joe was keen to have the pentatonic scale conversation continue, so he turned class over to Shoji once again to spend a little more time going over the scales and their use. He played examples of tunes like Freddie King's Same Old Blues and demonstrated which scales fit where. The Freddie King tune, for example, was a great example of consciously playing the major pentatonic over a given chord and the minor pentatonic on another.

But you can't play any scale consciously over a tune if you don't know the scale to begin with! So, get with the program and learn the major and minor pentatonic scales. Joe suggested you know these on your C harp:
  • Major Pentatonic in F, C and G (that's 12th, first and second position)
  • Minor Pentatonic in G, A, E and D (second, fourth, fifth and third position)
If this is too daunting for you, start with learning the root and fifth (dominant) of each. These are powerful anchor points and as Shoji demonstrated, he "always knows he wants to get to the fifth."

If you need them again, Shoji's handouts are here.

Tickets On Sale Now - Chicago Blues Harp Bash #6!!!

Chicago Blues Harp Bash website is updated, the poster is in the works and tickets are on sale now!

September 22, 2013, 6pm, in Szold Hall at the Old Town School of Folk Music

Johnny Sansone from New Orleans will headline! Sansone is a powerful singer, low-down blues harp player and a well-respected songwriter. As a matter of fact, his song The Lord Is Waiting and the Devil Is Too was a Blues Music Award Song of the Year winner. He isn't often in Chicago and we're proud to be bringing him here for you!

Our terrific local harp players are Zoe Savage, Tall Paul Sabel, Scott Dirks and Grant Kessler.

The bandleader this year is Shoji Naito and he's lined up Mike Scharf on bass and Mark Fornek on drums.

Mark your calendars - it's going to be a hot show!

Class Notes
  • Joe will be out again next week - no private lessons, but Shoji and Zoe will handle the group classes!

- Grant Kessler, B1 Blues Crew

Wednesday, July 17, 2013

What Did You Miss This Week? (Week 320 #364)

Pentatonic Scales!!!

While Joe is on the road, the multi-talented Shoji Naito took the reins to teach B1 about pentatonic scales. Loosely defined, pentatonic scales use five notes to get from one end of an octave to another. In nearly all scales, there is a root note (the tonic) and a fifth (the dominant). Shoji referred to these two notes as the most important in any scale. So it's always a good idea to know the root and the fifth regardless of the scale.
 
For this discussion, Shoji shared examples that use the major or minor pentatonic scales and demonstrated how to play the tunes on harmonica in various positions including 1st, 2nd, 4th, and 5th. Two killer examples include:
  • Cold Duck Time: a minor pentatonic scale tune by the late tenor saxophonist, Eddie Harris
  • Chitlins Con Carne: a minor pentatonic scale tune by guitarist, Kenny Burrell
Even though both of these versions don't feature harmonica, Shoji uses the pentatonic scales to show how great they can sound on harp, as long as you keep a keen ear on the root and the fifth. Shoji may revisit pentatonic scales again when Joe is out on July 29. So think about other tunes you know or play that use the major or minor pentatonic scale and bring them to B1.

Tickets On Sale Now - Chicago Blues Harp Bash #6!!!

Chicago Blues Harp Bash website is updated, the poster is in the works and tickets are on sale now!

September 22, 2013, 6pm, in Szold Hall at the Old Town School of Folk Music

Johnny Sansone from New Orleans will headline! Sansone is a powerful singer, low-down blues harp player and a well-respected songwriter. As a matter of fact, his song The Lord Is Waiting and the Devil Is Too was a Blues Music Award Song of the Year winner. He isn't often in Chicago and we're proud to be bringing him here for you!

Our terrific local harp players are Zoe Savage, Tall Paul Sabel, Scott Dirks and Grant Kessler.

The bandleader this year is Shoji Naito and he's lined up Mike Scharf on bass and Mark Fornek on drums.

Mark your calendars - it's going to be a hot show!

2nd Annual Grand Rapids Harmonica Summit!!!

The first annual summit escaped our notice, but this year we're on top of it and the lineup is worth the drive from Chicago!

August 22 is your chance to catch Jim Liban, Dennis Gruenling and Joe Filisko...all in one place and doing a tribute to Little Walter! The show is organized by harp player Hank Mowery, also on the bill, and it benefits Blue Star Connection which provides musical instruments for children and young adults with cancer and other serious challenges.

And as if that were not enough talent, B1's favorites Nick Moss and the Doug Deming band are in the lineup too (ask bassist Andrew Gohman how he feels about Little Walter)! Do not miss this show!

Road trip to Grand Rapids!!!

Tickets go on sale July 18 and more info is available here.


Class Notes
  • Joe will be back next week - business as usual!
Shoji Naito & the Chicago Blue Aces!!!

 
Carlos Orellana Thesis Defense!!!

At the party recently, people were asking Carlos about his thesis defense, so here's the info:

Date: Tuesday July 30th, 2013
Time: 2:30 P.M.
Place: 929 E 57th Street, Chicago IL 60637 (The University of Chicago Campus)
Building: Gordon Center for Integrative Science, room E 223 (second floor).

- Grant Kessler, B1 Blues Crew

Tuesday, July 9, 2013

What Did You Miss This Week? (Week 319 #363)

Cristian Inostroza!!!
  
It was a hot night in B1 last night! Our Chilean friend Cristian Inostroza chucked the engineering job this spring and moved short-term to Chicago to hang with us, learn from Joe and hit all the Chicago stages. He's been gigging, busking, and sitting in with everyone on the Chicago music scene, and last night he brought his fabulous show and CD release party to B1!
  
Cristian is an amazingly accomplished player, comfortable with a wide range of music styles and forms and even passionate about singing. He wowed us with tons of great playing and showmanship last night - It was one swinging tune with great phrasing, tone and dynamics after another. How does he get that great sound?!
  
Cristian's first instrument was guitar but he soon moved to drums and gigged eight years as a drummer. He carried a harp and worked at it, but his band didn't want him to play it - stick to the drums for us, they said. One day the drums were stolen from his car and that was the turning point - no new drums for him and he started in on the harp in earnest! After just four months of lessons, he joined a band as a harp player.
  
One thing he clearly demonstrated last night, both in his playing and his discussion, was that he has a strong sense of music theory, is comfortable with a variety of scales and arpeggios and he knows when and why to use them. Good lesson learned by all if we want to grow and improve as players!
  
Keep an eye on Cristian - he's going places! He's captured the attention of Seydel already who made him an official endorser. He left a real job behind to spend six months in the states, leaves at the end of August for gigs in Prague and Italy and who knows what next! His takeaway from his leap of faith:
  
"I had a job and gigged on weekends. It's easy to say you're a musician when you play an instrument. It's different to be doing it for a living. Music buys my groceries - now I'm a musician!"
  
Yes you are, Cristian, and also a dear friend of ours in B1! Thanks!
 
Born In Chicago!!!
  
Hey, our own Barb Selvaggio reviewed this film for us recently and we now have word that Buttercup Park in Uptown is showing it outdoors, and free, this Thursday:
  
Thursday, July 11
Join the Buttercup Park Advisory Council and Chicago Filmmakers
for a free night at the movies
Starting at dusk (approx. at 8pm)
come over after the Thursday market on Argyle!
"Born in Chicago"
Bring your chairs / blankets!
4901 N. Sheridan
  
This is very close to Grant's home, so he and Carolyn will be there - come join them!
  
 - again, here's Barb's review:
  
"I saw the documentary “Born in Chicago” at the Gene Siskel Film Center last Monday night. I was blown away. The story of how Mike Bloomfield and Paul Butterfield, young white teenage boys from the north suburbs of Chicago in the mid 1960’s found their way to Muddy Waters changed the blues culture forever. The respect and reverence Bloomfield and Butterfield showed for the great Chicago blues artists impressed the musicians as well as the clientele in the almost completely black blues clubs on the Chicago’s South Side. The blues greats were the teachers of these young artists who were already great musicians in their own right. The black and white footage of those days gone by were brought to life on the big screen with the likes of Junior Wells, Howlin’ Wolf, Mick Jagger with Muddy, Corky Siegel, Willie Dixon, Sam Lay, Harvey Mandel, Barry Goldberg, Steve Miller, Elvin Bishop, Nick Gravenites, Charlie Musselwhite, Eric Burden … like a checkerboard of down and dirty blues.
  
The movie came and went just like its era and some of the greats that are playing the blues in the sky. I don’t know where it is now or when it will be shown again, but I treasure the experience. If you find out when and where you can see it, go! I’ll probably be there again too! There is a Facebook page for it so maybe there will be more info on that."
  
(a production of Out The Box Records)
 
Class Notes
  • Joe will be out of town July 15 and 29. Private lessons those days are cancelled, but group classes proceed as usual. Shoji will lead Level IV and Zoe will take care of Level III classes. Those in Level III should be sure to bring both their transcriptions as well as a play along track to class.
  • Shoji plans to run the Level IV class next week as a song workshop - bring in a song or songs that you need to work on and the band will help you with beginnings, endings and arrangement questions. This is your chance for quality rehearsal and feedback, so come prepared!
- Grant Kessler, B1 Blues Crew
 

Tuesday, July 2, 2013

What Did You Miss This Week (Week 318 #362)

Hambone!!!

Next up in the straight eighth grooves - the infectious hambone groove! This also gets called the Bo Diddley groove because he popularized it with the tune Bo Diddley. Joe's transcription of the rhythm is here: Hambone Groove.

Note that this is a two-bar groove and it is often played as a one chord song. Here are some examples to listen to:
  • Bo Diddley, by Bo Diddley
  • Pretty Thing, by Willie Dixon
  • Mona, by Bo Diddley
  • Mean Old Woman, by Sonny Terry
  • Hold Me Tight, by JC Burris (Sonny Terry's nephew)
  • Willie and the Handjive, by Johnny Otis (check out the video)
  • Willie and the Handjive, by Mark Hummel
  • Girl 'O Mine, by Filisko and Noden
  • My Old Man, by Jim Lucas (sorry, you have to come to B1 to hear this one!)

Jim Lucas, Reporting From Rome!!!

- Our buddy Jim Lucas has this terrific report from his recent trip to Italy for us:

On a recent Monday that I missed, I was in Rome, Italy, on an exciting harmonica excursion. My wife, Martha, and I were on a two week vacation trip in Italy. In preparation for the trip, I had sent an email to the harp-l email list asking if anyone in Rome, Florence, or Lucca, Italy would be interested in getting together to share harmonica, blues or other related stuff. (The harp-l email list is a terrific resource for harmonica players. You can find information about it here.)

Through the email list, I made two excellent contacts. The first was a contact with a fellow list subscriber who told me of good places to go in Rome for blues. Second, and most important, was Alvaro Toledo Chavarri, a native Spaniard who lives in Rome, and is a blues harp player. He invited me to a gig that he was playing in Rome on the evening we would arrive there, and offered to take me on a field trip to 'blue-x-lab'.

Because of a flight delay, we arrived late and were unable to hear Alvaro and his band play at the club.  But we were able to meet him on a Monday and be whisked away to the suburbs of Rome, where we met Max and got a tour of his lab spaces, tucked away in two blocks of a ‘rent-a-space’ complex.  Max showed us his state-of-the-art cases, mics, harps, and accessories.  Alvaro and I tried out a couple of his mics, and Max demonstrated the audio spectrum of one of them.  Max and Alvaro are warm and passionate harmonica aficionados, and it was great to meet them.  Alvaro then brought Martha and me back to Rome and gave us a tour of the United Nations building, including a breathtaking view of Rome from the top of the building.

I guess if you gotta miss Monday, a blues harmonica field trip in Rome is a close second!


Alvaro, Jim and Max

Class Notes
  • Joe will be out of town July 15 and 29. Private lessons those days are cancelled, but group classes proceed as usual. Shoji will lead Level IV and Zoe will take care of Level III classes. Those in Level III should be sure to bring both their transcriptions as well as a play along track to class as there will not be an accompaniment guitar these two weeks - Grant's also away.

CD Release Party for Cristian!!!

Don't miss the 8pm class next week! Our Chilean friend Cristian Inostroza has a new disc out and we're going to have him in class next week playing a lot and talking about his influences, his background and the South American blues scene. All are welcome to sit in for this, so plan to stick around and don't forget to pick up a copy of his terrific new CD!

- Grant Kessler, B1 Blues Crew

Tuesday, June 25, 2013

What Did You Miss This Week? (Week 317 #361)

Cha Cha Cha!!!

Next up in the category of cool grooves you should know so you can feel empowered to launch tunes via the groove and key only is the Cha Cha Cha! Also remember that incorporating alternative grooves like this will add spice to your set list.

Here are cha cha cha groove tunes to check out, some from Joe's groove transcription and some that Shoji and others mentioned in class:
  • Cha Cha Cha In Blues, by Junior Wells (if you're feeling ambitious, here's the full song transcription)
  • Buzzin, by Slim Harpo
  • Walking Through the Park, by Muddy Waters with Paul Butterfield on harp; note that this song switches from a cha cha cha opening to a shuffle
  • Slam Hammer, Johnny Young with James Cotton
  • What'd I Say, Ray Charles
Correction: Our newsletter last week contained a broken link to the rumba bassline transcription. Our apologies. You can find the rumba here.

Chicago Blues Harp Bash #6!!!

Announcing the lineup for the sixth annual Chicago Blues Harp Bash!

September 22, 2013 in Szold Hall at the Old Town School of Folk Music

Johnny Sansone from New Orleans will headline! Sansone is a powerful singer, low-down blues harp player and a well-respected songwriter. As a matter of fact, his song The Lord Is Waiting and the Devil Is Too was a Blues Music Award Song of the Year winner. He isn't often in Chicago and we're proud to be bringing him here for you!

Our terrific local harp players are Zoe Savage, Tall Paul Sabel, Scott Dirks and Grant Kessler.

The bandleader this year is Shoji Naito and he's lined up Mike Scharf on bass and Mark Fornek on drums.

Mark your calendars - it's going to be a hot show!

SPAH!!!

You should be getting your act together to travel to St. Louis in August for the 50th Anniversary of the SPAH Convention. Dates are August 13-17; the lineup is terrific and for those of you in Chicago, we have a hot tip there are Big Bus roundtrip tickets going for as little as $28 right now! Plan your transportation, get your hotel room and don't miss this amazing event - learning, camaraderie and insanely late night blues jams - what more could you ask for?!

Class Notes
  • Joe will be out of town July 15 and 29. Private lessons those days are cancelled, but group classes proceed as usual. Shoji will lead Level IV and Zoe will take care of Level III classes. Those in Level III should be sure to bring both their transcriptions as well as a play along track to class as there will not be an accompaniment guitar these two weeks - Grant's also away.

Party for Carlos!!!
 

Hey, our good buddy Carlos Orellana has landed a post-doc job in Atlanta and is leaving us before long. We're sad to see this killer harp player go, but we're happy to have an excuse to throw a party!

Linda and Leo Gordon have graciously agreed to host at their home in Winnetka: pot-luck-blues-jam-going-away-party!

Sunday, June 30
4:00 pm
RSVP to: Linda Gordon




- Grant Kessler, B1 Blues Crew

Tuesday, June 18, 2013

What Did You Miss This Week? (Week 316 #360)

Rumba!!!

Next up in the groove lessons, and once again well-represented by our man Slim Harpo, is the rumba! Joe's transcription of rumba basslines is again a terrific resource for understanding what the bass player is doing in these songs and it gives you a chance to launch a tune like this by playing the bass line for the band to hear.

Rumbas you should check out:
  • Rambler's Blues by Tampa Red with Big Walter (note the unusual quick V)
  • My Baby Don't Love Me No More by Jimmy Rogers with Little Walter
  • My Baby Caught the Train by Howlin' Wolf
  • Come On Home by George Smith (note that the drummer is not playing the rumba)
  • Got Love If You Want It by Slim Harpo
  • Mailbox Blues by Slim Harpo - this is the archetypal blues rumba, complete with the usual rhythmic treatment of bar 12 (this song essentially copies Crosscut Saw)
  • Midnight Blues by Slim Harpo (atypical form)
  • I'm Waiting On You Baby by Slim Harpo

Chicago Blues Harp Bash #6!!!

Announcing the lineup for the sixth annual Chicago Blues Harp Bash!

September 22, 2013 in Szold Hall at the Old Town School of Folk Music

Johnny Sansone from New Orleans will headline! Sansone is a powerful singer, low-down blues harp player and a well-respected songwriter. As a matter of fact, his song The Lord Is Waiting and the Devil Is Too was a Blues Music Award Song of the Year winner. He isn't often in Chicago and we're proud to be bringing him here for you!

Our terrific local harp players are Zoe Savage, Tall Paul Sabel, Scott Dirks and Grant Kessler.

The bandleader this year is Shoji Naito and he's lined up Mike Scharf on bass and Mark Fornek on drums.

Mark your calendars - it's going to be a hot show!

SPAH!!!

You should be getting your act together to travel to St. Louis in August for the 50th Anniversary of the SPAH Convention. Dates are August 13-17; the lineup is terrific and for those of you in Chicago, we have a hot tip there are Big Bus roundtrip tickets going for as little as $28 right now! Plan your transportation, get your hotel room and don't miss this amazing event - learning, camaraderie and insanely late night blues jams - what more could you ask for?!
Rie "Lee" Kanehira!!!

Yes, it's a harp class, but we had a pretty special guest in B1 last night. Lee Kanehira is a pro piano player from Japan who's been in Chicago a month or so sitting in with an amazing array of bands - Morry Sochat, Billy Flynn, Erwin Helfer, Barrelhouse Chuck and now even the B1 Band! She and Shoji did a duo version of After Hours last night that we will not soon forget!

Thanks Lee for coming to see us and playing with us - hurry back to Chicago!

Born In Chicago!!!

- film review from our own Barb Selvaggio

"I saw the documentary “Born in Chicago” at the Gene Siskel Film Center last Monday night. I was blown away. The story of how Mike Bloomfield and Paul Butterfield, young white teenage boys from the north suburbs of Chicago in the mid 1960’s found their way to Muddy Waters changed the blues culture forever. The respect and reverence Bloomfield and Butterfield showed for the great Chicago blues artists impressed the musicians as well as the clientele in the almost completely black blues clubs on the Chicago’s South Side. The blues greats were the teachers of these young artists who were already great musicians in their own right. The black and white footage of those days gone by were brought to life on the big screen with the likes of Junior Wells, Howlin’ Wolf, Mick Jagger with Muddy, Corky Siegel, Willie Dixon, Sam Lay, Harvey Mandel, Barry Goldberg, Steve Miller, Elvin Bishop, Nick Gravenites, Charlie Musselwhite, Eric Burden … like a checkerboard of down and dirty blues.

The movie came and went just like its era and some of the greats that are playing the blues in the sky. I don’t know where it is now or when it will be shown again, but I treasure the experience. If you find out when and where you can see it, go! I’ll probably be there again too! There is a Facebook page for it so maybe there will be more info on that."

(a production of Out The Box Records)

Class Notes

  • Sign up now for the next session at Old Town - new classes start next week!
Party for Carlos!!!

Hey, our good buddy Carlos Orellana has landed a post-doc job in Atlanta and is leaving us before long. We're sad to see this killer harp player go, but we're happy to have an excuse to throw a party!

Linda and Leo Gordon have graciously agreed to host at their home in Winnetka: pot-luck-blues-jam-going-away-party!

Sunday, June 30
4:00 pm
RSVP to: Linda Gordon

New Releases!!!

Joe wants you to know about:

    Jelly Roll Johnson - Come Rain Or Come Shine
    Greg Izor & the Boxkickers - Close To Home


- Grant Kessler, B1 Blues Crew

Tuesday, June 11, 2013

What Did You Miss This Week? (Week 315 #359)

Tramp!!!

We're moving on from boogaloo to the tramp groove this week. The groove name stems from the song with the same name, Tramp by Lowell Fulson, which you can hear here. Other tunes that get the tramp treatment:
  • Top of the Harp, by Louis Myers
  • I'm Your Breadmaker, Baby, by Slim Harpo
  • My Back Scratcher, by Frank Frost with Arthur Williams on harp (read more about Williams)
  • Cleo's Mood, by Jr. Walker & the Allstars
Joe's handout this week is a transcription of three of these songs' grooves so you could play over the one chord to launch these songs with a band.

We were excited to have a few very special visitors in B1 last night too. Joe Hlubek, "the coolest guy in Iowa", drove all the way from Clinton to check out the class. And pro player Robson Fernandes is in town a couple weeks from Brazil and dropped in too along with his drummer friend, Victor Busquets. Thanks to them all for visiting, playing and hanging out at the bar, once again proving that music brings people together and makes friendships easy! Come back anytime guys!

Harmonica Masterclass 20th Anniversary Workshop!!!

David Barrett has announced the lineup for his next Masterclass Workshop in San Jose. Yes, it's not until April of 2014, but to receive your first choice of class selection, you must register for sessions by June 15! David is an incredible instructor and his Masterclasses are awesome! Click here for the full class lineup.

If you need convincing, here are 12 killer reasons:
  • David Barrett
  • Dennis Gruenling
  • Joe Filisko
  • Steve Baker
  • Kinya Pollard
  • Gary Smith
  • Rick Estrin
  • Mark Hummel
  • Greg Heumann
  • Winslow Yerxa
  • Eric Noden
  • Doug Deming (ok, not a harp player, but such a cool blues player and you'll have a chance to perform on stage with him!)
(Psst! If you're one of Joe's students, you're entitled to a hefty discount too!)

SPAH!!!

You should be getting your act together to travel to St. Louis in August for the 50th Anniversary of the SPAH Convention. Dates are August 13-17; the lineup is terrific and for those of you in Chicago, we have a hot tip there are Big Bus roundtrip tickets going for as little as $28 right now! Plan your transportation, get your hotel room and don't miss this amazing event - learning, camaraderie and insanely late night blues jams - what more could you ask for?!

Class Notes
  • Sign up now for the next session at Old Town!
Party for Carlos!!!

Hey, our good buddy Carlos Orellana has landed a post-doc job in Atlanta and is leaving us before long. We're sad to see this killer harp player go, but we're happy to have an excuse to throw a party!

Linda and Leo Gordon have graciously agreed to host at their home in Winnetka: pot-luck-blues-jam-going-away-party! 

Sunday, June 30
4:00 pm
RSVP to: Linda Gordon


- Grant Kessler, B1 Blues Crew

Wednesday, June 5, 2013

What Did You Miss This Week? (Week 314 #358)


Scales and Phrasing!!!

Yes, you missed Monday and we missed Tuesday - sorry for the late newsletter.

Joe was away this week which put Shoji Naito at the helm. Picking up on Highway RickEy's Hookah Harp tune this week, Shoji first spent some time discussing the blues scale, the major blues scale and the minor pentatonic scale, all depicted below.


Know your scales and how they fit the 12 bar blues form you're playing!

As a means to solidify that, Shoji next demonstrated playing just the root notes over the chord changes and we all practiced that. From there, discussion turned to phrasing exercises with those root notes. Shoji brilliantly demonstrated how important rhthmic ideas are to your playing and we all had a chance to try it out.

As always, great session Shoji!

Class Notes
  • Sign up now for the next session at Old Town!
- Grant Kessler, B1 Blues Crew

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

What Did You Miss This Week? (Week 313 #357)

Boogaloo!!!

Joe launched last night by saying he believes "all the great blues grooves are embodied in the recordings of Slim Harpo." Harpo has a beautiful style that's simple and melodic. His are catchy tunes that, as Joe says, "hit the bull's eye."

This is an introduction to a series of sessions coming up that will focus on grooves with lots of examples coming from the Slim Harpo canon.

First up, a continuation of last week's talk about the boogaloo groove. As Joe says, there are lots of boogaloo flavors, even from Slim Harpo, so we listened to some to hear the variety:
  • That's Why I Love You
  • Dynamite
  • My Baby She's Got It
And thanks to Shoji for suggesting these also:
  • Alligator Boogaloo, Lou Donaldson
  • Back Door Man, Willie Dixon w/Walter Horton (note that many of the musicians on this track are still playing a shuffle despite the straight eighth boogaloo groove)
Joe transcribed more of these tunes' basslines and you can get 'em here: Boogaloo Bass Lines.

Drum Beats Plus App!!!

The drum beats app Harmonica Einstein demo'd in class last night is:

http://www.ninebuzz.com/beatsplus/

Hookah Harp!!!

What will he think of next? Our intrepid inventor, Harmonica Einstein, spurred by the questionable need for multiple harp players to be evenly mic'd at once, has come up with this prototype, the Hookah Harp! Four hand-held inputs funnel sound from four players to a single mic element, which then plugs into the amp.

We played it in class last night and are here to report, IT WORKS! Catch us again soon and maybe we'll have an actual song to debut, rather than just a four-harp jam. Hmmm...maybe a boogaloo...


Rhythm & Chording Harp!!!

For those of you in Joe's Rhythm & Chording class, he'd like to mention that the commercially available harp from Hohner that is most friendly to playing chords is the Blue Midnight. It is (very nearly) Just tuned and will give you those sweet chord sounds. Check it out!

Class Notes
  • Memorial Holiday next week - Old Town School is closed. Sun screen, barbecue, cold beer and maybe a canoe or something, should be in your plans.

  • Joe will be away June 3. Group classes proceed as regularly scheduled with teaching provided by Zoe Savage, Grant Kessler, Shoji Naito and Highway RickEy. All Joe's private lessons are cancelled. Particularly in Level III classes it is highly recommended that you bring transcriptions along for the substitute teachers to see what you're working on.
- Grant Kessler, B1 Blues Crew

Tuesday, May 14, 2013

What Did You Miss This Week? (Week 312 #356)

Te Ni Nee Ni Nu!!!

That's right, it's Slim Harpo time! Inspired by RJ Mischo's visit recently, Joe shared his transcription of Te Ni Nee Ni Nu with class last night with two purposes in mind:
  • First off, it's important to think about the construction of your sets to be sure you're playing different grooves to entertain your audience. Pulling out a boogaloo like this will definitely break up your set and possibly get 'em up and dancing! (Thanks to our friend Buzz Krantz for visiting last night, by the way, and showing us his boogaloo dance moves!)
  • The other nice thing about the song is that you could easily learn to play the groove on harp and use that to launch the tune. RJ is a master of kicking off songs this way, especially with a band he doesn't know well. You'll see on the last page of Joe's transcription that he's written out the one chord section of the groove for you. (Note: the song is a first position tune but Joe's groove transcription is written in second position. Be careful to pick up the right harp to launch this and switch to play the Slim Harpo stuff!)
The boogaloo groove is certainly in the "tramp" family, but sometimes called a reverse or backward tramp. Where else can you hear this boogaloo groove in action?
  •     The Avalon Boogaloo, George Smith
  •     Crosscut Saw, the later recorded version by Albert King
  •     Funky Miracle, The Meters
Drum Beats Plus App!!!

Harmonica Einstein Says:

Improve your timing, independence and freedom.  Practicing with a metronome alone can be, well, lonely.  Drum Beats Plus will do a few better things for you that will improve your confidence.

Often we use certain rhythms as a crutch in performance thinking that as long as you hear that shuffle or rhumba rhythm behind you, your sense of timing is solid.  The real test is if you can play your song not only at different tempos but along with totally different grooves. 
 
Drum Beats Plus for iPhone/iPad is a clean interface that makes it so easy to change rhythms and tempos.  For example, start with your basic shuffle rhythm at a comfortable tempo.  Simply select another rhythm or let the randomizer do it for you and continue to play your song. Perhaps not as easy as you may think!  Jump around tempos or let the randomizer do that for you too.  This focused type of practice will strengthen your assuredness with any song you are working out.
 
Drum Beats Plus is available for iPad and iPhone users only.  On sale for $3.99 now.  Download extra Beat Packs too.
 
http://www.ninebuzz.com/beatsplus/

2013 Blues Music Awards!!!

There are some harp players in the 2013 Blues Music awards! Thanks to Bob Corritore for passing these along:

Instrumentalist-Harmonica: Rick Estrin
Soul Blues Male Artist: Curtis Salgado
Soul Blues Album: Soul Shot - Curtis Salgado
B.B King Entertainer: Curtis Salgado

Class Notes
  • Joe will be away June 3. Group classes proceed as regularly scheduled with teaching provided by Zoe Savage, Grant Kessler, Shoji Naito and Highway RickEy.
- Grant Kessler, B1 Blues Crew

Tuesday, May 7, 2013

What Did You Miss This Week? (Week 311 #355)

Sugar Blue!!!

We had an extremely packed house in B1 last night to welcome living blues legend Sugar Blue and his bass-playing wife Ilaria to class! He played, he regaled us with stories - what a terrific night!

In a backwards way, Sugar Blue has his mother to thank for his being a harmonica player - at age 15 she wouldn't let him keep his saxophone and play it in the house, so he turned to the harp! On the radio he was listening to lots of big band and sax players at the time and then eventually caught on to Stevie Wonder. When he heard Little Walter playing, he assumed he must be playing a completely different instrument than the diatonic he was holding!

Sugar Blue spent time talking about a lot of his major influences as he played in New York City first, then Chicago in the mid 70's.
  • Sonny Boy Williamson for his ability to shape tone with his hand, for his fluidity switching between harp and vocals, and his profound philosophy as a songwriter.
  • Miles Davis, Jimi Hendrix, B.B. King for their fluidity and melodic moves.
  • Bill Dicey, who turned him on to tongue blocking for that "fat sound".
  • Victoria Spivey, who was "the sun around which the blues revolved in New York City at the time". She called herself the Black Queen of America, dressed the part, and took Sugar Blue under her wing to introduce him to the likes of Bob Dylan, Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee and Louisiana Red, who eventually brought him to Chicago in the mid 70's.
  • Once in Chicago, Blue met and learned from the greats, JR Wells, Walter Horton and James Cotton. Describing Horton, he said, "he had a tone as big as a baritone sax."
  • Rhythm Willy and Charlie McCoy came to mind for Blue because of their first position playing strengths.
  • Calling him the the "poet laureate of the blues", Sugar Blue spent a great deal of time reverently talking about songwriter and bassist Willie Dixon. Blue says Dixon was incredibly humble - "...you'd figure his head would be as big as his repertoire, but it was not." And for you songwriters out there, Dixon's advice was: Choose a topic that matters to you; rhyme it; and keep it simple - you can fit the world in four or five words.
On more than one occasion during the evening, Sugar Blue made it clear that you have to learn from the greats, learn from the men themselves and then work to form yourself. "Imitation is cool, but do you want imitation milk? I don't. Emulate based on what you learn from the greats."

Another topic that got a lot of thought from Blue last night was how jazz and blues fit together and how he sees his own influences. He stressed the Charlie Parker quote: "Jazz comes from the blues", and added, "...when you start separating into categories you have an unhappy family. Blues and jazz are all one family."

It was fun too to hear him tell the story of his nickname. Born James Whiting, he was out late at night on McDougall Street in New York City playing and disturbing the neighbors. One unhappy Italian woman yelled at him and his friends from upstairs to no avail, so she threw a large box of shellac 78's out the window at them. It missed him by inches and shattered...except for one record on the top that was still intact - Sugar Blues by Sydney Bechet. "Hey, that's me!" was Whiting's response and the name Sugar Blue was born!

Thanks to all who came out to class to support this wonderful performer's appearance. And Sugar Blue, huge thanks for graciously joining us in B1! We had a great time getting to know you!

Nat Riddles!!!

Riddle me this - who is Nat Riddles? The name came up in class last night as we talked about New York harp players and thanks to our friend Adam Gussow, there is a great collection of live recordings of busker Nat Riddles available. Check out Gussow's site for sample videos and a link to buy the collection.

Class Notes
  • Joe wants Rapid Recall feedback. If you've been using the techniques to practice, speak up and let him know how it's going.
- Grant Kessler, B1 Blues Crew

Tuesday, April 30, 2013

What Did You Miss This Week? (Week 310 #354)

Albert King!!!

Guitar player Albert King was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this month and in his honor, much of the B1 crew stepped up to perform tunes from his archive last night. It's true he was not a harp player, but hey, we're blues lovers (!) and it was a great opportunity for the band to stretch and learn new tunes and for harp players to find things that fit in his songs. After performances, Joe urged Shoji to talk about Albert King's playing style. Shoji played examples, explaining King's extreme step and a half bending penchant and his classic ending.

It was a night of inspiring performances and musical education. Thanks to all who participated! This idea of a theme night once in a while could have traction, so be thinking about what to suggest next!

Sugar Blue In B1 Next Week!!!

Heads up! We've got Chicago harp legend Sugar Blue visiting B1 next Monday. And, you can catch him for an unplugged show Sunday evening in the Old Town Concert Hall. Catch him there then bring your questions to B1 on Monday evening. Don't miss it - and be sure to bring cash for some terrific Sugar Blue CD deals!

Class Notes
  • New sessions at Old Town started this week - register now if you haven't already!
  • Joe wants Rapid Recall feedback. If you've been using the techniques to practice, speak up and let him know how it's going.
- Grant Kessler, B1 Blues Crew