Tuesday, February 9, 2010

What Did You Miss This Week? (Week 159 #202)

Juke!
We're working hard to solidify our multi-harmonica Juke arrangement for the Harmonica Convergence show in March. It's valuable time spent getting people accustomed to playing together and in time. If you're participating, be sure to spend time at home playing with the metronome!

Joe also used the train imitation to go over two important techniques. It is a perfect tool to practice hand technique when playing on a vocal microphone. Joe also spent time showing us how to use the train to work on "head tone", the tone you produce using your mouth cavity as resonance chamber. Learn to find that big, deep tone as well as the thin, bright tone so you have a full range of tonal quality at your disposal when playing.

Talking about the train imitation, Joe had this gem to say:
"...you need to own the rhythm of the train so that when you play the whistle, people still feel the rhythm even when it isn't there."

Free Kim Wilson Harmonica Workshop!
Kim Wilson will be giving a free harmonica workshop this Saturday, February 13 at 2:00pm as part of the University of Chicago Folk Festival.

Ida Noyes Hall
1212 E. 59th St
Chicago, IL 60637

Kim will also be performing in evening shows at the festival Friday and Saturday, February 12 and 13th.

Mandel Hall
1131 E. 57th St.
Chicago, IL 60637

For more information about the festival, including details of other free workshops, go to: www.UofCfolk.org

The Next Great Ensemble Performance -- Juke!!!
Shoji Naito, ensemble writer extraordinaire, has produced another fabulous group piece for us to perform at the Harmonica Convergence show March 21, 2010, and this time it's Little Walter's "Juke"! Everyone is welcome and encouraged to participate. This will be a fabulous opportunity for us to perform on the main stage at the Old Town School, sharing the bill with professional harp players Corky Siegel, Peter "Madcat" Ruth, Joe Filisko and Howard Levy.

We're practicing this every week now at about 7:30, so please make an effort to come early for this rehearsal. We were sounding better this week, but it's not a tight arrangement yet!

MEMORIZE YOUR PARTS! Shoji needs everyone to memorize the parts this week so we can focus efforts on our timing instead of on the notes. Learn your parts and be ready next Monday!

Shoji has posted the parts and the song here: Juke.

The Harmonica Convergence show is scheduled from 7:00pm to 9:30pm. Joe and Shoji are expecting that we will likely be a "warm up" act going on prior to 7:00pm, so plan your schedule accordingly.

Postponed, But Coming -- the Highway RickEy Blues Jam!
B1's very own tonecup harmonica master, drummer, and vocalist, Highway RickEy, is launching a new Wednesday night blues jam, but there's been some delay. Expect this jam to get underway February 17.

Jerry's Sandwiches
1938 West Division Street
Chicago, IL 60622
10pm Wednesdays

Class Notes
  • Get your tickets now for the next Harmonica Convergence show featuring Joe Filisko, Howard Levy, Corky Siegel and Peter Madcat Ruth at the Old Town School, March 21, 2010. The show will be a tribute to the great harmonica legend, and longtime Steve Miller Band member, Norton Buffalo. Rumor has it there may be other harp players you know in the lineup, so don't miss it!
Gigs You Can't Go To, Sorry!
Our very own Big Alex Cuevas performed the Star Spangled Banner in front of five thousand people at a Veteran's event at the Auditorium Theater this past Saturday. Alex told YouMissedMonday it all went well, but having Tammy Duckworth at his side onstage made him nervous!

Joe Filisko and Zoe Savage, rising-star Cajun duo, will be visiting our dear friend Jerry Devillier and performing in Louisiana in February, making radio appearances at shows like this one: DL Menard and Guests. It looks like it will be streaming live on the internet on February 27 from 6:00pm-7:30, so tune in!

And One You Can!
We're excited to announce a very special show on Thursday, March 18 at SPACE in Evanston. The Filisko and Noden duo are opening up for the Jim Liban Trio! Don't miss this one! And to help you out, Jeff "Bone" Reynolds has arranged to sell tickets to save you the online shopping or the trip to the box office. See Jeff next week if you need tickets ($10/ea.) Pawn your watch, phone in sick on Friday, do whatever you need to do to be at this show -- it's going to be great!

Newsletter News!
The newsletter and more is always online! Check it out for more details on newsletter items, a calendar of local gigs, jams, birthdays, archives, links, videos and special features.

We welcome your input. If you're inspired to write a review of a live show, CD, DVD or book, please submit it to us for consideration.

- Grant Kessler, B1 Blues Crew