Tuesday, December 16, 2014

What Did You Miss This Week? (Week 383 #428)

Goodbye to Juke!!!

Yes, it's true, you can play Juke with only one note! Shoji played the tune all the way through using only the tonic, E. Well, he allowed himself the octave, so 2 draw as well as 6 blow. And true, he has great tone and there might have been an occasional ghost chord in there and maybe a vamp or two, but the point is, he GROOVED and proved very clearly that the song is built on an incredibly solid rhythmic feel.  It was definitely recognizable as Juke and had amazing power and swing to it. Truly an amazing exercise.

He demonstrated the song two more times, allowing himself one additional note - first the addition of the fifth and then the flat seventh. Why these notes? Why not add the third? Shoji explained that the root, fifth and flat seventh are notes you can sustain in your playing over blues chord progressions. Other scale degrees are just passing notes, color, and as such not the most crucial building blocks. You'd be well advised to spend some time with a practice track working on the same exercise, with any song you know well, to learn for yourself just how crucial the rhythm is to a song.

Shoji also pointed out there are songs in the blues harp canon that utilize mostly one note - Rockin' by George Smith and Shake Your Hips from Slim Harpo.

Joe played a few Sonny Boy songs to remind us of the driving rhythm Little Walter was coming from but also moving away from in songs like Juke. Joe then closed out our song of the session study with the question, "Why was Juke a hit?" Answers include:
  •  It was one of the very first amplified harp songs people heard.
  •  It was the first harmonica song to blend traditional harp sounds with the popular jump blues and R&B feel.
  •  It is rhythmically solid - this rock-solid drive draws listeners in. People are drawn to compelling groove.
  •  The song is packed with engaging dynamics.
  •  Focus notes - compositionally, the song moves from chorus to chorus utilizing varying focus notes for each that build a song that is interesting to listen to.
It's been a fascinating look at an amazing song. Thanks to Joe, Shoji and others who've contributed to the discussion. Thanks Scott Dirks for your research that we leaned upon and, well, thank you Little Walter!

Class Notes
  •  Last night was the last class of the session and of the year. Happy Holidays and we'll see you again January 5 in B1!
- Grant Kessler, B1 Blues Crew

Tuesday, December 9, 2014

What Did You Miss This Week? (Week 383 #427)

A Lot of "E's"!!!

Shoji's been listening to a compilation album of R&B hits from 1948 and '49 and his take is pretty clear - these sax honkers have a lot of bearing on Juke and Little Walter's playing.

We listened to tunes like:
  • Cornbread, Hal Singer (compare this especially to the alternate take opening)
  • Deacon's Hop, Big Jay McNeely
  • The Chicken Shack Boogie, Amos Milburn (check Little Walter's playing on Act Like You Love Me with Jimmy Rogers for this one)
  • Beefstew, Hal Singer
What do you hear in these that Walter's doing on both takes of Juke? Incredibly strong reliance on rhythm over note choice. Listen to how often the horn players play nothing but the tonic. Now check out Walter on the second and seventh verses of Juke. For that matter, throughout the tune he plays a lot of root notes, "E's" and when he strays from that, there is major reliance on the chord tones.

Shoji points out that Beefstew is especially interesting to compare to Juke because in both cases, the lead breaks from the heavy tonic reliance for a few verses, stays within the chord tones, then circles back to rhythmic ideas on the tonic. The compositional structure of the two songs is very similar.

We spend a lot of time considering Juke a masterpiece and finding it unapproachable and assume it's note choice - Shoji's point is that the backbone of this song is in fact not the note choice, it's rhythm. And a lot of E's!

Class Notes
  • Next week is the last class of this session.
- Grant Kessler, B1 Blues Crew

Tuesday, December 2, 2014

What Did You Miss This Week? (Week 382 #426)

Little Walter Roots!!!

Digging deeper into the character of  Juke as a means of understanding Little Walter's transition from one playing style to another, Joe stressed again that Walter came from being a disciple of Sonny Boy I.

John Lee began recording in 1937 and influenced lots of harp players like Walter with his pre-amplification style. He played in a way that was perfect for duo and small combo situations without mic or amp. This meant his playing needed to contribute rhythm as we mentioned last week and that it had to be a "big" sound that carried.

How did Chicago blues, started by, arguably, the founder Sonny Boy, differentiate itself? Joe breaks down harp playing into five "types of sound":
  1. Clean notes
  2. Chords and chordal effects
  3. Splits
  4. Dirty notes and splits
  5. Percussive effects
Joe described each and demonstrated how they fit into Chicago blues playing. With Juke at hand, it was particularly important to study "ghost chords", vamps and dirty notes.

Ghost chords are those faint, rhythmic breathing patterns that stem from John Lee and turn up as tiny fragments in Walter's playing. Chicago players in general played these rhythmic placeholders very faintly whereas the Memphis crowd tended to play them much more deliberately. Understanding that all of Walter's playing hangs on top of this rhythmic drive is crucial - as Shoji has said previously too, the note choice is incidental to the rhythmic structure that holds it all together and makes it jump.

Regarding dirty notes, listen back to the way Sonny Boy played the six blow with a little of the 7 coming through and you understand why Walter plays that way on the head. It's baked into him from his Sonny Boy influence.

Outside of the five types of sound, Joe also stressed that the other thing about Juke is the degree of inhale notes. There are points Walter could have used a blow note as a passing note but opts instead for the bend closest to that melody note. Why? It milks the strength of the instrument and stays in the blues scale. As Joe says, "Inhaling - that's where the magic is."

Class Notes
  • Two more classes before Holiday break.

- Grant Kessler, B1 Blues Crew

Tuesday, November 25, 2014

What Did You Miss This Week? (Week 381 #425)

Juke Influences!!!

Shoji jumped in with some cool audio research this week on Juke. We had previously tracked a big band tune and a Snooky Pryor song that seem to have influenced the head on the released take, but we wondered about the outro verse, phrasing we hear in both the released as well as the alternate take.

Shoji had these songs to listen to that all seem to have "been in the air" prior to the 1952 recording of Juke and may well have lent inspiration to that hornlike, repetitious outro verse:
  • Detroit Jump by Big Maceo, 1945 - here the verse in question serves as the head and outro of the song.
  • Bassology by Sunnyland Slim, 1954 but likely played prior.
  • 627 Stomp by Pete Johnson, 1940 - this seems to be the song that led to Bassology.
  • Rockin' the House by Memphis Slim from 1947 or 48.
Having listened to all of these, Shoji made the point that Little Walter was not thinking about notes so much as rhythm on this verse.

And clearly Walter is heavily influenced by the horns and uptempo R&B hits around him. Which brings us to Joe's next point - where was Little Walter coming from as he starts to play this way?

Up to this point in time, the Little Walter recordings clearly show him a strong disciple of Sonny Boy Williamson I. Recordings are mostly slow blues and show strong Sonny Boy influences of driving, chordal rhythm playing.

So where does Joe start to first see a hint of Walter's burgeoning jazz/swing/R&B sensibility? Check out his 1947 recording with Jimmy Rogers, Little Store Blues. Here Walter is playing freer with the rhythm, laying into syncopated and anticipated sounds.

Remember that to date, players like Little Walter and Sonny Boy were accustomed to playing in small combos without amplifiers and often without drummers. In a duo setting, the harp needed to play "busy" and add rhythmic elements. Now, having a full band surrounding Walter meant he could leave that driving rhythm work to others and explore a swing feel as a lead instrument. And again, the hand-held mic and amplifier also gave him volume and horn sound he hadn't had before.

Everything was coming together to pave the way for our hit, Juke , and all the jump and swing instrumentals that came after.

Class Notes
  • Registration for private lessons is now open!
News from Richard Sleigh!!!

B1 friend and harmonica customizer Richard Sleigh checked in recently and has a couple updates on the work he's doing to share:

Richard Sleigh's website, HotRodHarmonicas.com, isdevoted to the art and science of hot rodding harmonicas. Richard created this website about a year ago and has been posting articles on building light boxes for checking reeds, new tools and techniques for upgrading harmonicas, and resources for tools, etc. He has posted pictures from some of his subscribers (there is a mailing list if you want to go deep into this world) showing their creations, and updates on other projects.

Richard also created a series of videos on customizing, tuning, and repairing harmonicas which are available as downloads and DVDs through the HotRodHarmonicas website. They feature detailed, close-up shots of Richard customizing harps, breaking down the techniques into step by step instructions.

MB30 and MB30S Harmonicas

One of the projects Richard got involved with earlier this year was helping to build a limited edition of a breakthrough harmonica that is made from Marine Band reed plates - thirty reeds, twenty valves, with all chromatic pitches available as bent notes (it is impossible to overblow on this harmonica). Designed and machined by Brendan Power (UK by way of New Zealand) and Zombor Kovacs, (Budapest, Hungary), this harmonica uses the idea of additional reeds to facilitate bending.

Will Scarlett, Brendan Power, Rick Epping and Richard Sleigh all independently discovered or developed the concept of the "enabler reed" which makes this design possible. Rick Epping's brilliant design for the XB-40 was the first harmonica manufactured that used the idea. About 3 years ago, Suzuki came out with the SUB 30 which was based on Brendan's design.

The MB-30 harmonica project is currently on hold as Brendan and Zombor assess how to improve the design with Richard's input. The feedback they have gotten so far from the folks who bought one or two of the 50 harmonicas they put on the market has been very positive. The price tag (around $400) puts this harmonica at the high end of the custom harmonica market. To check out a video of Richard playing the MB30S, click here

- Grant Kessler, B1 Blues Crew

Tuesday, November 18, 2014

What Did You Miss This Week? (Week 380 #424)

Juke!!!

First off, Joe and Shoji are both back!!!

It was a beautiful thing to hear Shoji's guitar in B1 again and we're thrilled to have Joe back from his tour of Europe so he can take up the discussions around our Song of the Session, Juke!

We did a quick review for Joe last night of the Juke topics we've discussed thus far - its swing quality and songs that seemed to influence it plus our discussion of the head.

Joe emphasized that this recording was one of the first amplified harmonica tracks and in Walter's playing you get a strong sense of how the technology of blowing through a handheld microphone helped him play like a horn. As Joe says, this session date, covering both Juke and Can't Hold Out Much Longer represents the collision of John Lee Williamson and Louis Jordan and horn player styles in Little Walter. This is a session that shows both sides of Walter which Joe will cover more in coming discussions.

RickEy and Shoji touched a little last night too on the instrumentation of the song, discussing the drum style as well as the two guitar parts played by Muddy and Jimmy Rogers.

Class Notes
  • Joe and Shoji are back - group and private lessons as usual.
- Grant Kessler, B1 Blues Crew


Tuesday, November 11, 2014

What Did You Miss This Week? (Week 379 #423)

Juke - the Head!!!

What better place to start studying our new Song of the Session, than at the beginning - the head. Juke kicks off with a powerful head that rings of horn lines and horn sections as we discussed last week. (With acknowledgement to Les Brown and Leap Frog.)

Armed with Joe's transcription, we listened to the original for nuances - RickEy is hearing a clear vamp on the 5 blow, for example, that feels like it influences the rhythmic emphasis. Grant pointed out this chorus has a form that is prevalent throughout the tune - one strong form over the first eight bars, followed by a different melody over the last four bars, often played with extremely different dynamics. For extra credit, the "ending" of this first chorus is almost identically repeated on the second chorus which lends solid structure to the song as well.

We also listened to a variety of versions, both released and bootleg, to hear how others interpret the head. Thanks to folks like David Barrett, Dennis Gruenling, Nat Riddles, Charlie McCoy, James Cotton, Junior Wells, Walter Horton and more, we had rich material to check out!

Class Notes
  • Joe returns next Monday! All group classes as well as private lessons proceed as normal.
  • Fun to have Javier visiting us from Spain this week and next too!

Apologies

Staff here at You Missed Monday newsletter central would like to apologize for the double email sends the past two weeks. Our newsletter program changed on the back end and learning the ropes with a new interface seems to be leading to user errors. With any luck it won't happen this week and we'll have this new system figured out.

- Grant Kessler, B1 Blues Crew

Tuesday, November 4, 2014

What Did You Miss This Week? (Week 379 #423)

New Study Song - Juke!!!

Time to kick off the study of a new Song of the Session, Juke!

It's THE harmonica instrumental anthem, no argument, but what else should we know about it? Here are a few details we outlined last night, with huge credit to Scott Dirks and friends for the details in their book.
  • recorded May 12, 1952 in the first studio session intended to feature Little Walter
  • they recorded two takes, one later released as the alternate
  • Juke was released in late July that year and did what no other harmonica instrumental has ever done, even to this day - it hit the top of the Billboard R&B charts and stayed at #1 for 8 weeks!
With conversation focused some on the horn-like nature of the song and Walter's playing, we did a lot of listening last night, covering songs that may have influenced him on the head and songs that came after, clearly influenced by his chart-topper.
  • Leap Frog from Les Brown was out in the '40s and makes a melodic theme out of the piece we know as the Juke head (with a one note variance).
  • Boogie from Snooky Pryor was released in 1948 and also features the Juke head.
  • Johnny's Boogie Blues from Johnny Maddox and the Rhythm Rockers (courtesy of a 78 recording from Joe) appears on the Billboard charts in 1955 and is a full big band cover of Little Walter's song.
It seems clear that Walter was influenced by horns and jazz players, but it's fun to see too that the tables turned and the big bands were emulating and covering him!

We also listened to the other songs that came out of that same recording session in 1952: Can't Hold Out Much Longer (the vocal B side to Juke) and Please Have Mercy, a Muddy tune with Walter blowing harp.

Class Notes

  • Joe is only away one more week! Zoe and Grant are on top of classes though so don't miss group lessons at the usual times.
- Grant Kessler, B1 Blues Harp

Tuesday, October 28, 2014

What Did You Miss This Week? (Week 378 #422)

Playing Over 16 Bars, Take Two!!!

This week we spent a little more time refining the idea of playing over forms by paying close attention to the first and fifth scale degrees of the given chord. We worked with When the Saints again and also My Babe.

An added topic to consider was rhythm - after all, 50% of a given melody is not note choice but rather rhythm, so being restricted to the root and fifth as an exercise cries out for rhythmic additions. RickEy and Jim did a fine job of demonstrating how you can play the rhythm of a melody with just one scale degree. It's not musical genius, but it is a step toward better understanding the tools you have at your disposal - note choice and rhythm.

With RickEy's help too we spent some time looking at the scale degree mapping of Walter's solo on My Babe now that we have scale degrees on the brain!

Next week we move on to a new Song of the Session, Juke!

Class Notes
  • Remember Joe is on tour in Europe the next two Mondays. Group classes proceed as normal though with the able teaching of Zoe, Grant, Shoji and RickEy, so don't miss 'em!
- Grant Kessler, B1 Blues Crew

Tuesday, October 21, 2014

What Did You Miss This Week? (Week 377 #421)

Playing Over 16 Bars!!!

All this talk of 16 bar tunes like My Babe is great, but how do you play over them? How do you solo or improvise over a form like this that is unfamiliar to you?

Grant took some time last night to approach this using the standard 16 bar song, When The Saints Go Marching In. With the form charted on the board we listened to Papa Lightfoot and Dennis Gruenling versions.

So where to begin? First, if it's a tune with a melody as strong as this, be sure you know and can play the melody. Hearing Dennis play gave a clear sense of starting from the melody and moving away from it by making improvisational changes to the melody. The advantage to this is that it sounds good and makes sense to the listener. And as you're learning to navigate a new form, the melody will also serve you well in keeping you on track and nodding correctly to the chord changes.

The next way Grant showed to ingrain a new form in your head is to get a play-along track going and play just the root notes over the changes. You can't be playing over a song form without knowing the root notes - that is harp 101. (Dennis' jam trax are great and cover When the Saints)

Recalling Shoji's past talks on the importance of navigating and phrasing back and forth between the root and the fifth of the scale, our next step was to chart the fifths of each chord change as well and we took turns playing over the song focusing just on those two scale degrees. (Not sure about this root to fifth phrasing? Take a look at the scale degrees in the melody of When the Saints.)

Time spent doing this will teach you the form and also give you the framework within which to work once you venture out into phrasing. It should also call your attention to rhythm - work at trying to make something interesting out of just those two notes. RickEy's suggestion might be to just play the rhythm of the melody with the root notes. Give it a try!

Remember to spend time at this during the week, and spend time just listening to Papa John and Dennis (from his Live Bootleg CD) - we'll return to it and give people a chance to continue working at this next week.

Class Notes
  • Remember Joe is on tour in Europe the next three Mondays. Group classes proceed as normal though with the able teaching of Zoe, Grant, Shoji and RickEy, so don't miss 'em!
- Grant Kessler, B1 Blues Crew

Tuesday, October 14, 2014

What Did You Miss This Week? (Week 376 #420)

Eddy Clearwater!!!

We had a packed house in B1 last night with some friends we hadn't seen in a while coming by to hear living legend Eddy Clearwater sing, play guitar and tell stories. Eddy's infectious enthusiasm that he always shows on stage lit up B1 as well and we were thoroughly entertained.


sketch by Andy Willis

Joined by band member Tom Crivellone on guitar (Shoji unfortunately is under the weather), Eddy launched into a handful of songs to break the ice - classics from his repertoire as well as Jimmy Reed and Little Walter tunes. We were sorry not to have Shoji there blowing harp as planned, but Grant and Kirk filled in and it sure looked like they were having fun doing it!

Then it was into the fun stories of time with Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Jimmy Reed, Little Walter, and more. One story that seemed to lead to a solid theme of the night was this: Eddy was headed to Europe on tour for the first time in 1976 and he approached Muddy for advice about how to conduct himself with a European audience. Muddy's response was "don't try to be fancy; play what you feel". We heard that refrain numerous times last night in other context. Asked what makes a good harp player, for example, Eddy said, "a good harp player plays with his feelings; nothing fancy". It's clear Eddy internalized this lesson and it has served him well.

People asked Eddy, a guitar player after all, how he decides when a song needs harp on it or not. His answer was simply that he can hear that it needs it, that that voice is needed in the tune.

For all musicians and performers, the other big lesson to glean from Eddy Clearwater is about his stage presence. You can't catch a live Clearwater performance and not have fun. What is he doing that makes that happen? In his mind, "I don't play past the people; I try to play with them, like I'm at a party with them."

Eddy, it was a special treat to have you and your friend Tom Crivellone in class with us. It was a joyful night - thank you!

Class Notes
  • Remember Joe is on tour in Europe the next four Mondays. Group classes proceed as normal though with the able teaching of Zoe, Grant, Shoji and RickEy, so don't miss 'em!
- Grant Kessler, B1 Blues Crew

Tuesday, October 7, 2014

What Did You Miss This Week? (Week 375 #419)

Eddy Clearwater Background!!!

Prepping for our visit from living legend Eddy Clearwater next week, Shoji played some of Eddy's songs for us to hear the breadth of his playing, emphasizing tunes with harp players and also sharing some cool 16 bar stuff since that's where our study song, My Babe, has had us focused lately.
  • The Love I Have For You - From the 1998 release, Cool Blues Walk, this features Jerry Portnoy on harp and closely follows the Careless Love form with just the addition of a II chord over bar 6.
  • Very Good Condition - From the same CD and coming in, poignantly, after recovery from his bypass surgery, this is also a version of the Careless Love form. The difference here is two bars each of III and then of II over bars 9-12.
  • Find Yourself - This is a 1999 tune from a disc produced by Duke Robillard and has Eddy's cousin Carey Bell blowing harp on a controlled, nicely structured solo.
  • Find You a Job - Also has Carey Bell on harp.
  • Sugar Baby - In the 80's Eddy recorded some with Sugar Blue on harp and this was a nice example.
  • Last Nite - From a Live at Kingston Mines recording, this song is a take on Hoochie Coochie Man and has Ab Locke blowing sax.
  • Lazy Woman - Also from the live recording and this is a cool take on the Mellow Down Easy form.
  • I Just Want To Make Love To You - Taking us out was one more with Jerry Portnoy from the Cool Blues Walk disc.
Joe also shared this transcription of 16 bar blues that gives you the guitar riff and the vocal melody of My Babe. Good stuff to have under your belt.

On The Move Released!!!

Preview copies of the new disc from Joe and Eric, On The Move, complete with Beau Sample playing that upright bass, are available in B1 and on their upcoming European tour!

Hear samples and watch for ordering info at RootsDuo.com.

Special Guest - Living Legend Eddy Clearwater in B1!!!

Legend Eddy Clearwater is coming to B1! Don't miss this special night and hear Eddy talk and play in our classroom.

Next Monday Oct 13th at 8:00pm

If you're in one of Joe's other classes, do plan to stick around for this.

Everyone's welcome! Eddy will be talking, answering questions and playing some music with our own Shoji Naito blowing harp!

Don't miss this! And be sure to read the terrific Blues Blast Magazine profile of Eddy before you come.

Class Notes
  • Remember Joe is on tour the last Monday of this session and the first three of the next session.  Shoji will be out two Mondays in that same period and RickEy will be out on one of them. Joe assured everyone that classes will be held and Zoe, Grant and the B1 Band will be ready to step in.
- Grant Kessler, B1 Blues Crew

Wednesday, October 1, 2014

What Did You Miss This Week (Week 374 #418)

My Babe!!!

Joe took the My Babe conversation deep into a listening study this week of early versions of Careless Love that share the form:
  • Careless Love instrumental from 1929 or 30 by the obscure harp player, Eddie Mapp. So obscure that Joe has never seen a record by Mapp for sale.
  • Times Ain't Like They Used To Be by Gwen Foster and the Carolina Tarheels from 1927.
  • How Many Biscuits Can You Eat, a bluegrass-tinged tune from the late 30's by Gwen Foster, this song is a version of Mama Don't Allow.
  • I Want You By My Side from Jazz Gillum with the State Street Boys (which included Big Bill Broonzy).
  • Come Along Little Children by Will Shade and the Memphis Jug Band from 1932.
  • The Same Thing Could Happen To You by Lazy Lester.
Joe then shared a tool for thinking about blues over the 16 bar form. What we know about the 12 bar form is that commonly it consists of a vocal phrase that repeats a second time then resolves with a conclusion over the V chord.

A  Hush, hush, baby don't believe a word
A  Hush, hush, honey don't believe a word
B  Well, you don't know nothin' but believe everything you heard

This is musically expressed as an A-A-B form; call, call, response.

What you see looking at the 16 bar form is that it is simply A-A-B-A in nature:

A  My baby, don't stand no cheatin', my babe
A  Oh yeah, she don't stand no cheatin', my babe
B  Oh yeah, she don't stand no cheatin', she don't stand none of that midnight creepin'
A  My babe, true little baby, my babe

The resolution is over the I and IV chords in the 16 bar form rather than over the V and I chords we're used to in 12 bar, and is followed by an identical (or similar, in the case of My Babe) call as in the first A forms.

For another terrific example of this, listen to the new release version of Real Good Deal by Jim Liban. The added twist to the form on this song is that Jim takes the song out soloing over a bridge form.


Special Guest - Living Legend Eddy Clearwater in B1!!!

Legend Eddy Clearwater is coming to B1! Don't miss this special night and hear Eddy talk and play in our classroom.

Monday Oct 13th at 8:00pm

If you're in one of Joe's other classes, do plan to stick around for this.

Please give a heads up here IF you have not been around recently BUT still want to come.  We'll find some room for you.

Class Notes
  • This is the week to re-enroll for your private lessons with teachers at Old Town.
  • Remember Joe is on tour the last Monday of this session and the first three of the next session.  Shoji will be out two Mondays in that same period and RickEy will be out on one of them. Joe assured everyone that classes will be held and Zoe, Grant and the B1 Band will be ready to step in.
- Grant Kessler, B1 Blues Crew

Wednesday, September 24, 2014

What Did You Miss This Week? (Week 373 #417)

My Babe!!!

The continuing discussion of My Babe was led by Shoji Naito as we examined the enormous impact the song had on music of that era, particularly the form and chord progression.

Shoji took us through several notable examples, starting with Diamonds At Your Feet by Muddy Waters. The influence of My Babe is unmistakable as are the masterful stylings of Little Walter on a chromatic harp. The extensive “button” work by Walter was also notably similar to his work on Don’t Go No Further - so much so that Shoji speculated that the two songs may have been recorded in the same session.

The next song up was It's Too Late Brother by Little Walter. In the majority of My Babe renditions, the solo keeps the form, but not in this tune which stays on the one chord for 24 bars.

The third song, This Train, was played and sung by (Old Town School Founder!) Big Bill Broonzy. As great as this version is, Joe pointed out that the biggest hit was probably the one performed by Sister Rosetta Tharpe. Even Elvis recorded this tune…once again unmistakably influenced by My Babe.

Departing from “melody” examples and focusing on the unique 16 bar form/chord progression of My Babe, Shoji pointed out the influence of even more great songs including:
  •  Careless Love covers by Ronnie Johnson and George Lewis
  • One Chance With You by Little Walter (Note the 12 bar solo and “Quick V”)
  • Help The Poor by BB King (This solo is a bridge)
  • I Got A Woman by Ray Charles
  • Amazing Grace - “Amazingly” similar, only in ¾ time
If that wasn’t enough, Joe played Amazing Grace in 4/4 time over Shoji’s guitar work with a My Babe rhythm… and it sounded fantastic!!

Because of Shoji’s remarkable knowledge of both music and the blues, we left the room with a feel for how the My Babe form shows up in so many familiar tunes.  Thank you Shoji for a great learning experience!

Filisko Music Projects!!!

On The Move
Joe and Eric just completed a new CD, entitled ‘On The Move’. After a year of preparation and hard studio time, Joe said he is thrilled with what promises to be the most exciting release yet from the dynamic duo. Sneak preview… for half of the tracks, an upright bassist turns the duo into a trio!

To add to the excitement, our own harp virtuoso, Grant Kessler, contributed the design and photography.

2014 Individual Artists Program
The goal of the DCASE Individual Artists Program is to discover, nurture, and expand Chicago’s individual artists. Through this grant program, DCASE will award grants to Chicago-based artists over 18 years of age, at all career levels and working across numerous disciplines. 

Eric Noden is one of the talented recipients this year and faced with a tight deadline, he quickly pulled together a band including Joe Filisko on harp, Kenny Smith on drums and E.G. McDaniel on bass.

After only one rehearsal, this full-throttle project recorded 6 tunes each, in two back-to-back recording sessions… finishing in “record” time.

Class Notes
  • Joe reminded us that he is on tour the last Monday of this session and the first three of the next session.  Shoji will be out two Mondays in that same period and RickEy will be out on one of them. Joe assured everyone that classes will be held and Zoe, Grant and the B1 Band will be ready to step in.


- Al Taylor, B1 Blues Crew


Tuesday, September 16, 2014

What Did You Miss This Week? (Week 372 #416)

My Babe Versions!!!

Shoji had a few different versions of our study song, My Babe, for us to listen to last night:

  • Martina McBride, a country singer covers the tune with Michael Henderson blowing harp. She sticks to 16 bar solos.
  • Howlin' Wolf does Poor Boy, released two years after Little Walter's tune. This song carries a different bass line and the solo section is 16 bar.
  • Bo Diddley recorded My Babe and because he does not stick to the two-bar second guitar phrases, he plays the V chord over bar 14 as like you hear in the standard 16 bar form.
  • Eddy Clearwater has a Live In France recording of the tune from the 70's.
These are just some of the many versions out there and we'll listen to others in the coming weeks.

Conversation then turned to Little Walter's solo which is rhythmically rock solid and swinging hard. (transcription) Joe noted too that it's interesting he held back and does not lay into the flat fifth until the top of the second chorus. This is a bluesier, not jazzy move and perhaps it was better to withhold it to build this tension and hit hard in the second chorus. Interpret how you will, this solo is one of the best!

Speaking of the solo, there was also some discussion about what happens to the groove and feel when the band rolls into the 12 bar form. Clearly the bass player changes lines and hits that swing line solidly and pretty boldly. It seems the drummer continues hitting 2 and 4 but with more energy and a few more fills and transitions.

For an interesting look into My Babe, be sure also to listen to Mercy Baby by Little Walter. It was an early stab at My Babe, recorded months earlier when Walter was clearly struggling with where the vocals lay on the form so the band did it as a one chord song. Very interesting to listen to as a way of seeing the evolution toward the hit release.

- Grant Kessler, B1 Blues Crew 

Tuesday, September 9, 2014

What Did You Miss This Week? (Week 371 #415)

My Babe!!!

Joe and Shoji announced our new song of the session, My Babe written by Willie Dixon and a hit for Little Walter. This is clearly a secular version of the Sister Rosetta Tharpe song, This Train. Take a popular tune, adapt, make it yours, this is the blues!

And Little Walter certainly made it his - stamping his amazing harp solo on it which breaks with the sixteen bar form and goes to twelve bar, swinging over a jazzy ii/V turnaround thanks to Robert Junior Lockwood on guitar.

Shoji reviewed the standard 16 bar form that people know from songs like When the Saints Come Marching In. Notes from looking at that form:
  • Remember that the second 8 bars of the standard 16 bar form are essentially the same as a standard 8 bar blues.
  • My Babe substitutes the one chord for the five in bar 14 - Shoji surmises that Dixon made this change because the guitar riff throughout the song is a two bar riff and it needed the same chord on both of bars 13 and 14.
Great tune and there's so much more to learn in studying it!

News from Shoji!!!

Shoji Naito put together this must-have list of must-learn blues standards. If you're looking for ways to build your set list or learn some of the essential blues standards, start with this list. Thanks, Shoji!

Shoji also wants to announce there is a new Jimmy Rogers book out: Blues All Day Long.

Class Notes
  • Last night was the first night of a new session. Due to the Labor Day weekend, it runs seven weeks instead of 8. Welcome to our new students!

- Grant Kessler, B1 Blues Crew

Tuesday, July 22, 2014

What Did You Miss This Week? (Week 367 #411)

Honest I Do!!!

Shoji launched an interesting conversation last night about the count off of this tune. If you listen carefully, the eight bar tune has an extra two beats in the first chorus that accomodates the melody. If you count such that the band kicks in at "one" you'll need two bars of the one chord plus two extra beats. Another way to think of it could be to count to two such that the band plays three and four then plays the two bars of one chord you'd expect. All the same sounding result, but worth understanding as you lead a band on this tune.

Of course, there are other solutions - you can compress the melody such that those two beats aren't necessary. You can also start the melody on your own such that the band rolls in after you've played two beats. A third solution would be to dispense with that melody or alter it so that you don't need ten beats of one chord.

As Joe summarizes it, the important thing is that you, the front man, need to have "big ears" and be alert and paying attention to the changes, perhaps cueing the band if they miss them. Of course, it'd be nice if the band had big ears too and was alert for how the melody flows. This should in theory cue the chord change for them, but don't count on it!

Harmonica Einstein's Midnite Harmonica Muffler: "The Huffler"!!!

Last week, B1’s own Harmonica Einstein, Highway RickEy, showed us how to use a soft pillow to help soften those blow bends you practice. Never one for sitting still, RickEy spent last week inventing the Midnite Harmonica Muffler…also known as The Huffler.


Here’s Einstein’s pitch:

Are the dogs howling while you practice?
Is your spouse harping about your harping?
Do you want to practice more after midnight?

Then you need . . .
 

The HUFFLERSM

Yes, a muffler for your harmonica! The Huffler is a handy device that muffles and cuts the volume in half when you practice. 

Stop Jimmy Reed from rolling over in his grave and PRE-ORDER ONE TODAY! Only $19.99

Another super invention by Harmonica Einstein!
"What will he think of next?"
Visit the website to learn more and order: TheHuffler.com!

Class Notes
  • Private lesson sign up is happening now.
- Grant Kessler, B1 Blues Crew

Wednesday, July 16, 2014

What Did You Miss This Week? (Week 366 #410)

Honest I Do!!!

Much of this week’s “Honest I Do” focus was spent listening to more examples of the tune. Joe played a couple of versions from the Alabama-born, Detroit-based harp player and vocalist, Little Sonny (Aaron Willis). A relatively obscure player, Sonny’s career dates back to the ‘50s including recording stints with the Stax, Duke, Excello, P-Vine, and Sequel labels. A great stage presence with a powerful voice, Little Sonny zeroed in on the sweet spots of the harmonica. His nervous vibrato was certainly inspired by one of his earliest heroes, Sonny Boy Williamson II (Rice Miller). You’ll hear that vibrato in his 1958 single, “I Gotta Find My Baby.” As far as we know, the 81-year-old Little Sonny still lives in Detroit, but has never made an appearance in Chicago.

Now for Little Sonny’s versions of “Honest I Do.” We listened to two live recordings:
  • 1972 Ann Arbor Blues & Jazz Festival (Michigan). Get the album.
  • 1994 Park Tower Blues Festival (Tokyo, Japan). Mr. OH YEAH – fellow musician and B1 buddy – was at this show in Tokyo 20 years ago and shared fond memories with the class after seeing Little Sonny perform.
If you’re looking for more Little Sonny samples, Joe recommends his 1970 album, New King of the Blues Harmonica. Get it here. You can also listen to a clip of Little Sonny’s recorded version of “Honest I Do” from the Black & Blue album.

Then, Shoji shared this playlist with us:
  • Lazy Lester’s 2007 version of “Honest I Do” from the album, Texas Harmonica Rumble. Buy the album.
  • Please Accept My Love  – B.B. King (1958): The bridge may differ from Jimmy Reed’s classic, but B.B. brings the same spirit and groove (sans harmonica)
  • I Love The Life I’m Living  – Slim Harpo (1963): same groove and form as “Honest I Do” without the bridge. The feel and talking verse will remind you of “Rainin’ In My Heart”.
  • I’ll Change My Style  – Jimmy Reed (1962). No bridge in this version either, but it has that “Honest I Do” feel. Who said you can’t be inspired by your own songs.

By the way, it was great to see B1’s own Carlos Orellana visiting us from Atlanta. Great to see and hear you, Carlos!

Harmonica Einstein's Midnite Harmonica Muffler: "The Huffler"!!!

Last week, B1’s own Harmonica Einstein, Highway RickEy, showed us how to use a soft pillow to help soften those blow bends you practice. Never one for sitting still, RickEy spent last week inventing the Midnite Harmonica Muffler…also known as The Huffler.



Here’s Einstein’s pitch:

Are the dogs howling while you practice?
Is your spouse harping about your harping?
Do you want to practice more after midnight?


Then you need . . .

The HUFFLER SM

Yes, a muffler for your harmonica! The Huffler is a handy device that muffles and cuts the volume in half when you practice. 

Stop Jimmy Reed from rolling over in his grave and PRE-ORDER ONE TODAY! Only $19.99

Another super invention by Harmonica Einstein!
"What will he think of next?"


Connect with us at info@youmissedmonday.com and we’ll connect you with The Huffler inventor!

Mark Your Calendars!!!

Join Charlie Yost at a backyard house party/blues jam on July 19:

4922 N. Moody
Lots of food and beverage
July 19, 3-6pm
Bring instruments and amps

- Kirk Manley and Grant Kessler, B1 Blues Crew

Tuesday, July 8, 2014

What Did You Miss This Week? (Week 365 #409)

Honest I Do!!!

With Honest I Do in mind, Joe talked some this week about the high end blow bends in first position. He notes the blues scale is available to you there with all exhale notes. Remember that in this era the just-tuned harps meant the fourth scale degree, though available as a draw note, was more often played as a 9 blow bend. This quick chart shows the blues scale as well as the major pentatonic scale in first position. The chart also shows the equivalents for you to practice your blow bends. You should have firm command of the five draw bend on your E harp, for example, before you work on the 7 blow bend on your A harp. Then, keep in mind that you tune your mouth the exact same way for this blow bend as you do for the draw bend. Work on them in tandem.

Speaking of blow bend practice - all agree that it is brutal for others to be around while you're woodshedding. Heck, it's probably not much fun for you either! But the amazing, inventive Highway RickEy shared his practice technique that will help you maintain your friendships while improving your blow bend chops. As he demonstrated, it is possible to greatly muffle your playing by pressing the harp into a small pillow as you practice. Get a soft, malleable and very small throw-sized pillow and give this a try. We heard it and can verify that even RickEy can be held down in volume by playing this way!

Joe also shared one other small "trick" when working on your high end first position. He stressed how important it is to avoid bending the 7 blow at all. That is an extremely sour note and his advice to avoid that tendency is to always play the 7 blow as a small chord, letting in a little of the holes around it. You hear this slight chord from Jimmy Reed so it is an authentic sound, it beefs up your sound too and playing this way will also help you relax and avoid that dreaded bent note on the 7 blow.

We ended the class by listening to a couple other versions of the tune from James Cotton and Raful Neal and Joe will have other versions to share next week.

Mark Your Calendars!!!


Join Charlie Yost at a backyard house party/blues jam on July 19:

4922 N. Moody
Lots of food and beverage
July 19, 3-6pm
Bring instruments and amps

- Grant Kessler, B1 Blues Crew

Wednesday, July 2, 2014

What Did You Miss This Week? (Week 364 #408)

Honest I Do!!!

Our new study song, Honest I Do by Jimmy Reed is a nice harp contrast to the last one, Hoochie Coochie Man, because it focuses on the other end of the harp in first position. As you see on the transcription, Reed is all over the high end blow bends rather than the low end stuff Little Walter gave us on Hoochie Coochie Man.

This leads to conversation about harp tuning. At the time of this recording, Jimmy Reed would have been playing a harp set for "just" tuning which means that holes 5 draw and 9 draw would have been tuned 27 cents flatter than harps we play now. This lower tuning on the draw reed means the blow bend can be bent lower, so you'll find you have trouble nailing the bends in tune here (assuming your blow bending chops are good) because the harp just won't go there. You could definitely consider altering the tuning on an A harp and marking it for blow bend tunes like this one, or maybe purchase a Hohner Blue Midnight harp, which is just tuned.

Now about working on your blow bends to improve them - Joe's first advice is to find some bunker to practice in so you don't irritate everyone around you!

That said, consider this: blow bends require the same tongue shape and movement as draw bends even though that sounds counter-intuitive. How to get there? Start with slow, steady draw bends on your D harp, holes 5 and 6. Once those are solid and smooth, do the same bends on holes 7 and 8 blow on your G harp. They are the same notes and the bend process should be the same in your mouth. This is how you get there!

Jack Primich!!!

Gary Primich's dad Jack passed away Monday. Jack was a sweet man and along with his daughter Darsha has been very supportive of B1 students and the Old Town School. We send our thoughts and support out to the Primich family - he will be missed.

- Grant Kessler, B1 Blues Crew

Tuesday, June 24, 2014

What Did You Miss This Week (Week 363 #407)

New Song of the Session!!!

Shoji and Joe introduced our new study song last night, Honest I Do by Jimmy Reed. A quick listen tells you the form is not standard 12 bar blues, so we discussed and mapped it out - it's an 8 bar tune with a bridge and the two sections look like this:

A: I     I    V   V  V  V  I  I
B: IV  IV  V  V  V  V  I  I (bridge)

Joe noted you do hear someone in the band on the original recording goes to the bridge one bar early so that's something to listen for. Fortunately everyone else ignored it and kept the form.

More next week when we delve into the first position harp part on this.

Naito Recital and Concert!!!

Our own Shoji Naito is hosting an afternoon recital and concert featuring his students and friends opening for the awesome pianist visiting from Japan, Rie "Lee" Kanehira.

Sat June 28th 2pm - 5pm
The Old Town School of Folk Music
in the Gallery (right above B1)
4544 N. Lincoln Avenue

with the B1 blues band

No Cover
Bring your friends and family!
(note that you can pre-order Rie's CD on iTunes and you'll receive it on the official release date, July 12)

Class Notes

  • New session at Old Town started this week - thanks, and welcome back!
  • Thanks to photographer Don Wuethrick for the cool new additions to the wall in B1 - watch for his photos of James Cotton and Bob Corritore.

Slim Harpo Gets State Historical Marker!!!

In some of the biggest blues news of the year, the state of Louisiana has put up an historical marker to honor Slim Harpo:

"The musical talents of West Baton Rouge native James Moore, better known as “Slim Harpo,” were formally recognized in his home parish Saturday with the dedication of a historical marker near his gravesite."

Read more.

- Grant Kessler, B1 Blues Crew

Tuesday, June 17, 2014

What Did You Miss This Week (Week 362 #406)

Bob Corritore!!!

What a treat to have Bob Corritore visit B1 last night! He has a terrific new CD out, Taboo, which is all harp instrumentals. That led to our topic of the evening with him - how do you construct a good harmonica instrumental?

But first, Bob blew on our song-of-the-session, Hoochie Coochie Man with Highway RickEy on vocals. Just as we were fortunate to have Mark Hummel in while we were working on Walking By Myself, it was cool to have Bob play on our current study song. He noted that he usually prefers the original first position when playing it, but finds when he's playing with some more contemporary bands that second position sometimes fits better. He loves the tune and says, "...it's going to church when you're playing that song."

Then it was on to talking about harmonica instrumentals! Bob has played for years in the support position with lots of performers and began to realize he didn't have his own personal, trademark instrumentals and he wanted to get there. His solution? Assign himself the project of a full CD of instrumentals and develop some songs he "owns".

He concedes immediately that it is easy to have too much harmonica on things, so the big question was how to occupy the song without being overbearing. It seemed his overall approach to instrumentals then was to be "conversational" and be himself. Figure out what you want to say and find ways to express that emotion. Be sure it comes from your heart because nobody can take from you what you're feeling. That you own.

Other tips:
  • Look to different grooves as solutions.
  • Look to melodies like the title track.
  • Lean on other musicians around you to give the harp a rest.
Joe asked what Bob's top five instrumentals from others were and he said:
  • Lights Out, Little Walter
  • Easy, Big Walter
  • Blues In My Sleep, James Cotton
  • Off the Wall, James Cotton (interesting because Bob argues Cotton did a rare thing taking someone else's tune and making it his own)
  • Steady, Jerry McCain
Wonderful to have you again, Bob. Great playing!

Special thanks to Harlan Terson for sitting in on bass and Rie Kanehira for playing keys.

Jim Liban and Joel Paterson CD!!!

The harmonica world, heck, the whole blues world, owes a huge debt of gratitude to Joel Paterson for making this CD happen!

It's been a while since we've had a recording from Jim and this new disc, I Say What I Mean, is an old-school blues gem. Paterson's band is the consummate blues musician's band and it's a fascinating dive into the Liban catalog to rework things and pull out some "new" things too. Liban and Paterson - what more could you ask for?!

They just hit at blues fest this weekend and aren't up for sale on Paterson's website yet, so if I were you, I'd be rushing out to Simon's in Andersonville tomorrow night to see them live and pick up a copy for yourself.

Naito Recital and Concert!!!

Our own Shoji Naito is hosting an afternoon recital and concert featuring his students and friends opening for the awesome pianist visiting from Japan, Rie "Lee" Kanehira.

Sat June 28th 2pm - 5pm
The Old Town School of Folk Music
in the Gallery (right above B1)
4544 N. Lincoln Avenue

with the B1 blues band

No Cover
Bring your friends and family!

Class Notes

  • New session at Old Town starts next week - get yourself registered!
- Grant Kessler, B1 Blues Crew

Wednesday, June 11, 2014

What Did You Miss This Week? (Week 361 #405)

Hoochie Coochie Man - James Cotton!!!

Referring back to the straight harp discussions regarding Hoochie Coochie Man, Joe pointed out the great blues sound that is created by the guitar lick (with flat 3rd) and the bass line and harp lick (with flat 7). It’s a uniquely powerful combination that Muddy used to its fullest in creating one of the most memorable and lasting blues hits.

Joe then took a moment to contrast it with the sound of another 1st position song, Honest I Do, by Jimmy Reed, 1957. Unlike Hoochie Coochie Man, Joe demonstrated that this song fits the major pentatonic scale best. To improvise effectively over this song, Joe said “learn the melody until it is second nature and then ‘move in and out of it’ using the major pentatonic scale.”

Next Joe handed out new tabs for Hoochie Coochie Man as performed by James Cotton on the “Live at Newport Jazz Festival” album, July 3, 1960.

To our surprise, while this rendition paid considerable tribute to the 1st position masterpiece of the original, it was played on a “C” harp in 2nd position. Additionally, the harp lick matched the signature guitar lick (with flat 3rd) instead of matching the bass line (flat 7) as the original did. It was clear that it was a well-prepared performance since he stuck to the original theme very consistently and the second chorus was almost identical to the first.

So, the question was… why did Cotton make these changes?  Why a “C” harp?
  • Maybe he didn’t have a playable “G” harp with him - but the performance was too polished for that to have happened.
  • Maybe he didn’t like playing a “G”. In fact, at that time most professional players considered the “A” to be the lowest key they would use if a song required low bends.
  • Shoji asked if the preceding song in the set was also in “G”. The answer was yes. In fact four songs in a row were in “G”. 
  • Joe also pointed out that the “C” harp was a favorite in those days for some very practical reasons:
  • They had an edgy, cutting sound that worked well in live performances.
  • They were more durable, you could buy them anywhere “on the road” and yes, they were cheaper.
  • Could it be that after a long, grueling tour all he had left was a “C” harp?
We had a good laugh imagining what might have caused Cotton to play in 2nd position for that performance, but there is no doubt that the result was impressive.  Give the track a listen and the tabs a try. You might find that you prefer it as well.

Blues Fest Impromptu Survey:

Shoji asked everyone who attends the Blues Fest to take note of how many times they hear Hoochie Coochie Man being played.

Chicago Blues Fest!!!

Its Blues Fest week and there are more harmonica artists in town and more harmonica gigs this week than ever before. There are also more “after parties” than previous years – check out the YMM calendar for full listings. Note that each Blues Fest gig listing on our calendar contains a link to the City of Chicago website for any questions you may have about the event, as well as a link to a Map of the Fest that you can print.

Blues Fest week kicked off with an amazing night of music at SPACE Tuesday night with Joe and Eric tearing it up and opening for the #1 Living Blues Harmonica Legend, James Cotton.
B1 Blues Class Next Monday, June 16!!!

Our friend Bob Corritore will be here to talk about his new CD, “Taboo” next Monday night at 8:00pm. On this CD, Bob explores traditional and exotic grooves, moods, and melodies and gets to show sides of his playing never before recorded. Perhaps Charlie Musselwhite best describes the album:

"Bob Corritore's new CD is all instrumentals and each one is a jewel. He really nails the '50's Chicago Chess sound, but also exhibits modern ideas, which is very refreshing. The band is all top notch and perfectly sympathetic players… a dream team band. Great to hear some 4th and 5th position harp playing. I enjoyed listening to every tune and you can bet I'll be listening to them all again. Not many people can do an all-instrumental harp CD and keep it interesting all the way through. You've got a dandy CD here. A real treat. Thanks, Bob!"  - Charlie Musselwhite

Joe reminds us that Bob promotes the Chicago Blues style more than anyone. “He is totally immersed and tirelessly active.”

Shoji also pointed out that Lee Kanehira will be here to play keys with the B1 Band on Monday.  It'll be a great night and remember, all are welcome!

Class Notes
  • Thanks to all who've registered for this next session!
  • Thanks to Al Taylor for jumping in and writing this newsletter and putting together an amazing calendar of live music for you this week.

Morry Sochat & Shoji Naito At Blues Fest!!!

Don't miss the amazingly talented duo, Morry Sochat & Shoji Naito playing the Windy City Blues Society Stage on Friday from 12:30 to 2:00pm! Congrats guys!

- Al Taylor and Grant Kessler, B1 Blues Crew

Wednesday, June 4, 2014

What Did You Miss This Week? (Week 360 #404)

Hoochie Coochie Man - The Alternate Take!!!

Joe had the alternate take transcription of Hoochie Coochie Man to share with us this week. Walter is blowing killer first position stuff on this too but you will hear him take variation liberties with the hook up front - maybe this is one of the reasons Willie Dixon chose the other take?

Note the use of the half step bend on the 2 draw. Yes, the full step is at your disposal too, but the half step is the blusier choice, especially over the four chord. And speaking of bends, this song is yet another example of the fact that correct and accurate use of the various bends on the three draw are what separates the men from the boys!

There was also a lot of discussion in class about the somewhat unusual first position licks on bars ten, eleven and twelve of page 3.

In any case, between the two takes, you have a mountain of mind-blowingly good first position study in front of you. Want more? Shoji also recommends you take a listen to:
  • Luedella
  • Chance To Love
  • Ice Cream Man
Chicago Women In the Blues Festival!!!

Hey, our own Ellen Miller is featured in this show on June 13 at Reggie's:
 
Chicago Women In the Blues Festival: A bevy of blues-belting bombshells take center stage in this high-energy blues review, featuring a rotating roster of Chicagoland’s top female blues performers. The show is dedicated to the memories of the original great blues women of Chicago.

Katerina's To Close!!!

Sad news on the blues club scene here in Chicago. Katerina's, a longtime favorite for cool harp gigs over the years (think The Shakes, Dennis Gruenling with Doug Deming) is closing the end of June. Doesn't look like there's a harp gig on the calendar this last month, but Katerina has been a strong supporter of all types of live music for many years, so get out one last time if you can to say good bye and thank her. It conflicts with Mondays, but Erwin Helfer has blues shows on Monday evenings, so maybe we all troop over after class June 30 to close the place!

Recital, Jam and Joe's Birthday!!!

Everyone's welcome!

Sunday, June 8, 4pm

At Jim Lucas' Home
3040 W. Bryn Mawr
Chicago, Il 60650

RSVP to Ginny at: ginnymorin@sbcglobal.net

 or 773-334-6846

BYOB and a dish to share

Class Notes

  • Registration for the next session is now open!
Mark Your Calendars!!!

Joe and Eric open for James Cotton at SPACE on June 10!

- Grant Kessler, B1 Blues Crew

Wednesday, May 21, 2014

What Did You Miss This Week? (Week 359 #403)

Hoochie Coochie Man - The Vocals!!!

There's no questioning the power of Muddy's vocals on Hoochie Coochie Man, but how can we think about vocals beyond acknowledging their impact? Our man Highway RickEy has a fascinating idea which is to study the rhythmic "shape" of how he sings phrases. RickEy's chart of the vocals illustrates two things - the circles nail down where beat 2 is and the quirkly lines at the ends of lines are diagrams of where Muddy's vocal intonation goes at the ends of the phrases.

Knowing where beat 2 is and, Shoji would recommend, also beat 3 is important because as we pointed out earlier, the vocalist is in the clear here and needs to stay rhythmically solid so the band knows when to roll back in. You can't take rhythmic liberties and have this tune come off well and studying Muddy's precision here is important.

Now play back the tune and watch the line diagrams and you'll see that Muddy varies his intonation, sometimes holding a straight line at the end of the phrase with no upward or downward inflection, and other times his voice rises or falls. Singing needs to hold more than just the words - the emotion is in the tone and inflection - so study Muddy's mastery here!

Note that RickEy's chart here is for the alternate take.


Jason McInnes In New York Times!!!

Our B1 friend Jason McInnes and his band the Wren & the Whistler were featured in an article in last Sunday's New York Times. Check it out here and congrats Jason!

Shoji Naito Launches New Website!!!

Go check out our friend's awesome new website complete with great photos and some cool music to listen to:

ShojiNaito.com

Class Notes
  • No class next Monday - fire up the grill and enjoy the holiday!
Blues Music Awards!!!

The recent Blues Music Awards in Memphis yielded awards for lots of our harp-playing friends. Congrats to all:

Traditional Blues Album: Remembering Little Walter – Billy Boy Arnold, Charlie Musselwhite, Mark Hummel, Sugar Ray Norcia, James Harman

Instrumentalist-Harmonica: Charlie Musselwhite

Soul Blues Album: Down in Louisiana – Bobby Rush

Soul Blues Male Artist: John Nemeth

Traditional Blues Male Artist: James Cotton

Mark Your Calendars!!!


Joe and Eric open for James Cotton at SPACE on June 10!

- Grant Kessler, B1 Blues Crew

Wednesday, May 14, 2014

What Did You Miss This Week? (Week 358 #402)

Hoochie Coochie Man - The Transcription!!!

What is Little Walter playing on this song anyway? Well, here you have it, Joe's transcription of the released version of Hoochie Coochie Man.

This tune was recorded during an amazing period for Walter - he was on fire and the recordings show it! The released take shows rock solid first position playing, super accurate bends and timing and a long repository of the very best first position blues licks out there! Study and learn from this song, especially if your first position playing is weak.

Unlike what you might expect from Jimmy Reed style first position, Walter never blows above hole six on this tune. He milks the bends on holes 2 and 3 with beautiful control. And don't miss the power of simply hitting that riff rhythmically with the band. If you can't play this lick when it's called out, best to step down gracefully from the bandstand as it is crucial to the blues language on this song.

Historical Note: Joe's research shows that Mad Love was recorded in September of 1953 while Hoochie Coochie Man was recorded in January of 1954.

Hoochie Coochie Defined!!!

According to wikipedia:

The hoochie coochie was a sexually provocative belly dance that originated at the Philadelphia Centennial Exhibition in 1876. It became wildly popular during and after the Chicago World's Fair in 1893. Described by the New York Journal in 1893 as "Neither dancing of the head nor the feet", it was a belly dance performed by women of, or presented as having an, Eastern European gypsy heritage, often as part of travelling sideshows.

Since the dance was performed by women, a "hoochie coochie man" either watched them or ran the show.

- Grant Kessler, B1 Blues Crew

Tuesday, May 6, 2014

What Did You Miss This Week? (Week 357 #401)

Hoochie Coochie Man!!!

Next up in the series of study songs for B1 is the classic Hoochie Coochie Man! We'll be digging deep into this song over the next few weeks and Shoji kicked off the conversation by playing a snippet of the Chess story that aired on NPR recently. (see below) As if on cue, the Sound Opinions guys Greg Kot and Jim DeRogatis did a wonderful introduction to Hoochie Coochie Man, calling it a turning point for the Chess label in 1954 as well as a turning point for Muddy and the blues in general. Here is a song penned by Willie Dixon for Muddy to record that got Muddy jumping and upbeat.

Next Shoji played the tune multiple times prodding the class to listen for different aspects of the song. What is the form? What do you hear between the repeating riff on the break section? And where are the solos?

The answers are that it is a standard 12 bar blues with four extra one chord bars tacked on up front. Though it is 16 bars long, be careful telling the band you want a 16 bar song, because this 12 bar + is NOT the same as standard 16 bar form.

Between the riffs? No instrumentation (well, maybe a foot tapping in the studio!) because that is left wide open for Muddy to sing his call and response in. How does that work? Well, Muddy sings in time! If you waver when you sing this, it will be hard for the band to follow you.

And why aren't there any solos? Well, surely there were when the tune was done live, but this is a studio recording made to fit the 3 minute mark and make money. It was designed to sell records at a time when blues was the popular music, so solos didn't fit here. Besides, it is beautiful, powerful and clean as it is and the song is the thing!

Joe pointed out too that Billy Boy Arnold has said the tune Mad Love is possibly an influence on Hoochie Coochie Man. Listen and see for yourself!

Sound Opinions Covers Chess Records!!!

WBEZ's Sound Opinions recently discussed the legacy of Chess Records, with nods to harp legends, Muddy Waters, Willie Dixon, Chuck Berry and more. This is definitely worth a listen:

Chess Records on Sound Opinions

Class Notes
  • Welcome new students!
Coming Up!!!

Harlem Harp Party - this is a Filisko gig that will have a bunch of his harp-playing friends joining him on May 13 at the Harlem Avenue Lounge.

Midwest Harmonica Workshop - June 27 in St. Paul, MN featuring Filisko & Noden, Jimi Lee, Mike Fugazi, Todd Parrott, Brandon O. Bailey and more.

- Grant Kessler, B1 Blues Crew

Tuesday, April 29, 2014

What Did You Miss This Week? (Week 356 #400)

Peter Madcat Ruth!!!

Grammy award winning musician Peter Madcat Ruth visited B1 last night! He kicked things off with the Dave Brubeck number, Take Five, a tune he knows well from his time touring with the Brubeck brothers.

But what was on Madcat's mind was a discussion about how thinking about good tone and an open chest developed while singing can definitely apply to harp playing. Your deepest, richest harp tone comes from the resonance chamber that is your body, so give it some attention and work to "open up". Once you've found that, you can then modulate from super deep to a thinner, brighter tone, getting what he refers to as a "phase shifter" effect when you modulate back and forth from deep to thin. He also advised that your hand techniques then compliment what's going on in your throat and chest. Add second and third layers of effect by varying your hand tone at the same time you're varying your throat and chest tone (or as Joe would call it, your head tone).

He demonstrated other things too like his tonque trill and moving the harp side to side with his hands, saying that he doesn't like to do a head shake because his "brains are too loose"!

It was a great night of technique discussion interspersed with stories of Horton harmonica lessons and other road stories plus a lot of terrific playing with the band. Thanks Madcat!

Thanks also to Clay Kirkland who was in town visiting from Swallow Hill Music School in Denver and doing a workshop at Old Town over the weekend. He played a killer version of Help Me in class and it was great to have him visiting.

Harmonica Convergence II!!!

The Harmonica Convergence II at Old Town last Friday night was a huge hit and a who's who on the harp as well as in the backing band. Our good friend and amazingly talented Andy Willis was on the spot with his sketchbook and brings us these:



Save Muddy's House!!!

Folks, Muddy Waters' house on the south side is listed on Landmarks Illinois' 10 Most Endangered Historic Places. It's in foreclosure and in jeopardy of being torn down. The Morganfield Foundation has formed to raise money to save this blues treasure and rehab it. Read about the effort and donate here if you can!

Morganfield Foundation

Class Notes
  • New session started this week!
Coming Up!!!

Filisko & Noden House Party - Joe and Eric will be debuting all new material at the Gordon's on May 9. BYOB and plan to bring a dish to share. Suggested music donation - $10-15. RSVP info next week.

Harlem Harp Party - this is a Filisko gig that will have a bunch of his harp-playing friends joining him on May 13 at the Harlem Avenue Lounge.

Midwest Harmonica Workshop - June 27 in St. Paul, MN featuring Filisko & Noden, Jimi Lee, Mike Fugazi, Todd Parrott, Brandon O. Bailey and more.

- Grant Kessler, B1 Blues Crew

Tuesday, April 22, 2014

What Did You Miss This Week? (Week 355 #399)

Mark Hummel!!!

It happens that Mark Hummel was in the area and made an impromptu stop in B1 last night! He'll be back at Old Town Friday this week as part of the Harmonica Convergence II show, so see below and quick, get your tickets to see this monster lineup!

It was great to have Mark back in class. Joe launched things by mentioning we've been studying Walking By Myself lately, so with no prior warning, Hummel fired up the band and did his version of the classic for us. He says he probably hasn't played the tune in over six months, maybe longer, but the original solo is obviously very ingrained - he kept close to it for 24 bars then did another 24 bars of his own. It was great fun to see this song we've been working on be brought to life by a pro in class!

Mark loves the song and says it's certainly one of the earliest he worked on, starting with the Canned Heat version but then working back to the original from Horton. It's a "great melody" and catchy, he says, plus of course it has killer harp on it. He also gave a nod to Jimmy Rogers as a singer, saying he has both an "urbane" and a country blues sound in his voice at the same time.

Joe asked whether it is typical for Mark to play both of the original Horton solos verses on this song when he does it live and Mark said yes, with his own solos appended or mixed in with it. Why, asked Joe. In tribute to Horton, was the simple answer.

Mark talked, answered questions and did a lot of playing, in particular with a nod to certain players' styles. We heard Horton, Junior Wells, James Cotton and George Smith from Mark, all with infectious enthusiasm. Advice? One, record yourself. Audio recordings don't lie. Two, take lessons!

Also, Hummel has just released his new book, Big Road Blues, a memoir of his life on the road.

Thanks for visiting, Mark, and we'll see you Friday!

Clay Kirkland 21st Century Blues Workshop!!!

Hey all, check out this one-time workshop at Old Town this Sunday, April 27 from 2-3:30pm:

Join Denver harmonica artist Clay Kirkland, recipient of the first annual Swallow Hill Music Distinguished Faculty Award, in his residency visit to the Old Town School. Clay has taught thousands of students in a career spanning 25 years. He says, “I’m going to come to Chicago and teach traditional blues at the Old Town School? I don’t think so. They’ve had that covered for decades.”

Areas Clay will teach include: how to use pranayama (yoga breathing techniques) to play ridiculously fast, control the high notes, and gain great breath control; mixing the blues with the classical raga style of India; rocking the blues with fiery licks; playing quietly and sweetly; taking your playing to the next level.

Bring a recording device and you are encouraged to bring harmonicas in all keys.

Prerequisites: Open to all musicians and listeners!

Register here now!


Harmonica Convergence II!!!

The April 25, 7 PM  Harmonica Convergence II at the Old Town School at 4544 Lincoln Avenue calls together a summit meeting and celebration of Chicago Blues legends and harp geniuses who are the real deal.  Link to more concert information.

Special Note: Joe's Rhythm & Chording Class will kick off this show with a couple ensemble tunes and Joe's also got duets planned with Highway RickEy!


A few years back a Harmonica Convergence took place at the Old Town School and since then, countless requests for a reprise have finally brought us to celebrate Harmonica Convergence II. This time we are delighted to announce the participation of Chicago legend Billy Boy Arnold who learned harp from his neighbor, the great John Lee "Sonny Boy" Williamson, one of the greatest Blues harp masters of all time. Billy Boy later joined forces touring and recordings with Bo Diddley. Arnold's original songs have been covered by everyone from The Yardbirds to David Bowie.

From the west coast Mark Hummel joins this band of harp all-stars. Mark is known for his extraordinary Little Walter-like harmonica sound, and has just been nominated for a 2014 Grammy Award for his new CD titled Remembering Little Walter. Mark shares that, "Walter's original sides have become the holy grail all other harpers are still trying to aspire to."

Corky Siegel, Chamber Blues progenitor, co-founder of the Siegel-Schwall Band and Chicago Blues Reunion participant has brought the blues harmonica from classical symphony halls as guest soloist with orchestra to blues festivals and clubs. He attained world-wide recognition through platinum selling symphonic blues recordings as soloist on harmonica with the San Francisco Symphony on Deutsche Grammophon and popular recordings on Vanguard, RCA, and Alligator Records. He is a master of musical mirth, and the Old Town School is always a good-time "family" reunion of old friends.

The Old Town School's own Joe Filisko rounds out this hand of harmonica aces. Joe was named by SPAH (Society for the Preservation and Advancement of Harmonica) as the "Harmonica Player Of The Year."

Electric blues guitarist Billy Flynn provides superb backing, along with the solid bass work of RW Grigsby who has backed a who's who of music icons. Kenny Smith, son of famed Muddy Water's drummer Willie "Big Eyes" Smith will be driving the beat for this rare convergence of legends.

Save Muddy's House!!!

Folks, Muddy Waters' house on the south side is listed on Landmarks Illinois' 10 Most Endangered Historic Places. It's in foreclosure and in jeopardy of being torn down. The Morganfield Foundation has formed to raise money to save this blues treasure and rehab it. Read about the effort and donate here if you can!

Morganfield Foundation

Peter Madcat Ruth!!!

Peter “Madcat” Ruth will be in class next Monday! Madcat will be focusing his discussion on relaxation, tone, breathing and singing, as it relates to the harmonica.

Everyone is encouraged to attend this 8pm session!

Class Notes
  • New session starts next week - register now!
Who Were Geeshie and Elvie???

The New York Times ran an epic tale this week, chasing the mystery of a couple blues women from Mississippi to Grafton, Wisconsin to Houston. Who were they? Are those really their names? What do they sound like? Why did they go their separate ways? What does blues historian Mack McCormick know that he's not telling? Is it true we only have six songs on scratchy 78s of these two?

This is a fascinating read!

The Ballad of Geeshie and Elvie - On the trail of the phantom women who changed American music and then vanished without a trace.

- Grant Kessler, B1 Blues Crew

Tuesday, April 15, 2014

What Did You Miss This Week? (Week 354 #398)

Walking By Myself Wrap-up!!!

It was a smaller class than usual due to the Jewish holiday so several people played multiple times and worked on particular elements of their performance. Zoe practiced “starts” for Off The Wall and RickEy rehearsed a couple extra songs he and Joe might potentially play together at the upcoming Harmonica Convergence at OTS on April 25th. (see below for ticket info)

To wrap up our study of Walking By Myself Shoji asked RickEy to play several of the most notable renditions:
  • Why Not by T-Bone Walker… this was the start of it all. Comments included the unique bass line, the observation that only the piano goes to the V in bar six of the vocal form, and that there was no break.
  • Walking By Myself by Freddie King… this version is probably the one that most guitar players know best. The band does go to the V, there is a walking bass line and it has breaks.
  • Walking By Myself by Johnny Winter… may have been the biggest hit of all the versions. It’s clear he copied Freddie’s version but made it more modern and up-beat.

  • Walking By Myself by Gary Moore… more of a rock feel, including many very popular guitar licks and phrases.
  • Walking By Myself by Paul Butterfield… definitely in a style of its own with an impressive horn section, a busy bass line, and a form that stays on the IV in bar 6.
Joe asked for feedback on which song should be the next “Song of the Session”. Think about it and be prepared to discuss next week.

Harmonica Convergence II!!!

The April 25, 7 PM  Harmonica Convergence II at the Old Town School at 4544 Lincoln Avenue calls together a summit meeting and celebration of Chicago Blues legends and harp geniuses who are the real deal.  Link to more concert information.

Special Note: Joe's Rhythm & Chording Class will kick off this show with a couple ensemble tunes and Joe's also got duets planned with Highway RickEy!


A few years back a Harmonica Convergence took place at the Old Town School and since then, countless requests for a reprise have finally brought us to celebrate Harmonica Convergence II. This time we are delighted to announce the participation of Chicago legend Billy Boy Arnold who learned harp from his neighbor, the great John Lee "Sonny Boy" Williamson, one of the greatest Blues harp masters of all time. Billy Boy later joined forces touring and recordings with Bo Diddley. Arnold's original songs have been covered by everyone from The Yardbirds to David Bowie.

From the west coast Mark Hummel joins this band of harp all-stars. Mark is known for his extraordinary Little Walter-like harmonica sound, and has just been nominated for a 2014 Grammy Award for his new CD titled Remembering Little Walter. Mark shares that, "Walter's original sides have become the holy grail all other harpers are still trying to aspire to."

Corky Siegel, Chamber Blues progenitor, co-founder of the Siegel-Schwall Band and Chicago Blues Reunion participant has brought the blues harmonica from classical symphony halls as guest soloist with orchestra to blues festivals and clubs. He attained world-wide recognition through platinum selling symphonic blues recordings as soloist on harmonica with the San Francisco Symphony on Deutsche Grammophon and popular recordings on Vanguard, RCA, and Alligator Records. He is a master of musical mirth, and the Old Town School is always a good-time "family" reunion of old friends.

The Old Town School's own Joe Filisko rounds out this hand of harmonica aces. Joe was named by SPAH (Society for the Preservation and Advancement of Harmonica) as the "Harmonica Player Of The Year."

Electric blues guitarist Billy Flynn provides superb backing, along with the solid bass work of RW Grigsby who has backed a who's who of music icons. Kenny Smith, son of famed Muddy Water's drummer Willie "Big Eyes" Smith will be driving the beat for this rare convergence of legends.

Report from the David Barrett Harmonica Masterclass Workshop!!!

Joe and Al Nemcek flew back early in the morning on Monday after an exciting trip to David Barrett’s Masterclass Workshop.
  • Joe said it was a big success and, in particular, mentioned the evening performances that were non-stop on two separate stages – acoustic and amplified.
  • Al Nemcek said he particularly enjoyed Dennis Gruenling’s jump swing and chromatic classes. Al described Dennis as easy to understand, thoughtful, attentive and, of course amazingly impressive. One tip from Dennis was to practice a standard like Blues in The Dark on BOTH chromatic and diatonic harps to accelerate your learning.
  • Al also commented on Steve Baker’s workshop regarding playing different positions… including how different positions change the sound of a tune and where the difficult notes are.
  • Lastly Al pointed out how impressive a teacher David Barrett is… including a tip from David that Al plans to implement – spend a part of every practice routine reviewing technique, repertoire and form. Great advice!
Peter Madcat Ruth!!!

Joe reminded everyone that Peter “Madcat” Ruth will be in class in two weeks (April 28 - the first week of next session). Madcat will be focusing his discussion on relaxation, tone, breathing and singing, as it relates to the harmonica.

Everyone is encouraged to attend this 8pm session!

Class Notes
  • New session starts soon - register now!
Chicago Harmonica Meetup!!!

This announcement from Patrick Knight, harmonica meetup organizer:

The April Chicago Harmonica Meetup (CHM) is scheduled for Wednesday April 16, 7-9 PM, at Tapas Restaurant, 7232 Madison Street, Forest Park, IL. 

All B1 family, friends and interested parties are welcome to join us at our relaxed, fun monthly get-together.

Enjoy food and drink from  Tapas’ excellent menu. And bring your harmonicas (and that song you are working on). We have the stage!

More info at: Chicago Harmonica Meetup

- Grant Kessler and Al Taylor, B1 Blues Crew

Tuesday, April 8, 2014

What Did You Miss This Week (Week 353 #397)

Walking By Myself Solos!!!

Walter Horton's solo on Walking By Myself is regarded as one of the finest recorded blues harp solos there is. So what do others do when they play the song? How do other harp players approach that solo section? Thanks to Highway RickEy for preparing a rundown of a bunch of other players covering the tune. We listened to solos from each last night:

  • Paul Butterfield, which featured his driving harp playing mixed with a very cool horn section
  • Pat Ramsey, who chose to solo over the lyric chord changes rather than going to twelve bar for the solo
  • Sugar Ray Norcia playing with Jimmy Rogers - it seems he got a late cue here and didn't know the solo was coming his way, but he responds brilliantly, builds up and makes a powerful statement
  • Madison Slim with Jimmy Rogers on the Conan O'Brien Show
  • James Cotton - we had two versions that are unconfirmed but sure sound like him
  • Bill Lupkin played it very close to the original, adding in his own Howlin' Wolf style wide vibrato
  • Alan Wilson with Canned Heat - this version has a very unique tempo change going into the solo
  • Carey Bell
  • Ron Sorin - all agree this version is smokin'! He quotes the original enough to tell the listener he knows the song, but really makes it his own with his own interpretation. Nice job, Ron!
  • Scott Bradbury
  • Cool Down Baby from Lightening Slim with Lazy Lester blowing harp is NOT a version of Walking By Myself, but RickEy stumbled across it recently and you'll note Lester definitely quotes 12 bars of WBM in his solo.

Harmonica Convergence II!!!

The April 25, 7 PM  Harmonica Convergence II at the Old Town School at 4544 Lincoln Avenue calls together a summit meeting and celebration of Chicago Blues legends and harp geniuses who are the real deal. Link to more concert information.

Special Note: Joe's Rhythm & Chording Class will kick off this show with a couple ensemble tunes!
 


A few years back a Harmonica Convergence took place at the Old Town School and since then, countless requests for a reprise have finally brought us to celebrate Harmonica Convergence II. This time we are delighted to announce the participation of Chicago legend Billy Boy Arnold who learned harp from his neighbor, the great John Lee "Sonny Boy" Williamson, one of the greatest Blues harp masters of all time. Billy Boy later joined forces touring and recordings with Bo Diddley. Arnold's original songs have been covered by everyone from The Yardbirds to David Bowie.

From the west coast Mark Hummel joins this band of harp all-stars. Mark is known for his extraordinary Little Walter-like harmonica sound, and has just been nominated for a 2014 Grammy Award for his new CD titled Remembering Little Walter. Mark shares that, "Walter's original sides have become the holy grail all other harpers are still trying to aspire to."

Corky Siegel, Chamber Blues progenitor, co-founder of the Siegel-Schwall Band and Chicago Blues Reunion participant has brought the blues harmonica from classical symphony halls as guest soloist with orchestra to blues festivals and clubs. He attained world-wide recognition through platinum selling symphonic blues recordings as soloist on harmonica with the San Francisco Symphony on Deutsche Grammophon and popular recordings on Vanguard, RCA, and Alligator Records. He is a master of musical mirth, and the Old Town School is always a good-time "family" reunion of old friends.

The Old Town School's own Joe Filisko rounds out this hand of harmonica aces. Joe was named by SPAH (Society for the Preservation and Advancement of Harmonica) as the "Harmonica Player Of The Year."

Electric blues guitarist Billy Flynn provides superb backing, along with the solid bass work of RW Grigsby who has backed a who's who of music icons. Kenny Smith, son of famed Muddy Water's drummer Willie "Big Eyes" Smith will be driving the beat for this rare convergence of legends.

Class Notes
  • New session starts soon - register now!
Blues Blast Magazine Interviews Charlie Musselwhite!!!

"Eleventh time’s the charm!

Charlie Musselwhite has finally taken home a Grammy after a career that spans the early ‘60s. But Charlie is nothing if not a mild-mannered, courteous, friendly and patient man." [read more]

Mark Your Calendars!!!

Get up to Milwaukee for this one featuring Jim Liban, Westside Andy and more:


Wisconsin Annual Blues Harmonica Festival 2014
November 14, 2014
Details

- Grant Kessler, B1 Blues Crew

Tuesday, April 1, 2014

What Did You Miss This Week? (Week 352 #396)

Walking By Myself!!!

In 1972 Walter Horton and Willie Dixon hit the stage for a club gig and a live recording came of it that includes our study song, Walking By Myself. There is, admittedly, a certain amount of chaos going on with the band and the song - Horton struggles with the lyrics and the form is hard to pin down now. Nonetheless, it is fascinating stuff to listen to and see in transcription since, after all, Horton is a monster player!

Both solos seem to have a four bar intro or added piece at the top. Once you see past those four bars it is fairly clear where the 12 bar form happens...despite what you hear from the confused band. In Solo 1 you get a nod to the original recorded 2 draw opening, a killer use of the ornery 5/2 split that is classic Horton, and hip quarter note triplets over bar 8. Despite all the confusion, Joe points out that throughout the solos Horton seems to be clearly thinking and playing in two bar phrases.

Solo 2 opens again with a nod to the original 2 draw opening, this time with another Horton classic, the rhythmic 2 beat between the one and two draw. This builds great tension and he gets around to another screaming move, the slide up to the 8 draw, a technique you'll hear in a lot of his playing.

Though not the best recording, this is more clear evidence of Horton's convincing tone, attack and attitude and is worth study!

Class Notes
  • Private lesson renewal period is open now - sign up to secure your current slot!

- Grant Kessler, B1 Blues Crew

Tuesday, March 25, 2014

What Did You Miss This Week? (Week 351 #395)

PT Gazell!!!
 
B1 was graced last night by the hip, swinging PT Gazell!

In the 70s, he was sideman to Johnny Paycheck but in 1988 he vanished from the scene. He was frustrated with the missing notes of the diatonic but not enamored by the tone of the chromatic. He returned in 2003 thanks to the valved diatonic harp, which he feels takes some steps toward the tone of a chromatic, but not all the way, and crucially gives him all the missing notes PLUS the emotion of bends on every hole. He also feels he has a better, more connected way of accessing the high end. This new harp opened the door for him to reinvent himself as a swing player, shifting from the Bluegrass he'd played before.

"There are so many good songs out there if we just had all the notes."

Gazell is a sweet melody player with a strong dedication to nailing the melodic bends - his pitch and tone are wonderful to hear, as is his swing phrasing. It was a real treat to have him playing for us and describing how these harps work and play.



 sketch courtesy of Andy Willis

He also had some insightful things to say about soloing:

  • First, know the melody cold so that it colors your solo thinking.
  • When soloing, "I'm trying to write little songs within the progression".

Howard Levy is famously quoted as saying that when he plays harp, he sees the piano. PT jokes that when he closes his eyes and plays, he sees Howard!

Kidding aside though, PT did say that what he really sees with his eyes closed and improvising are shapes.

It was another beautiful night of learning from a master. Thanks, PT!

Elder Roma Wilson!!!


If you've wondered what ever became of Elder Roma Wilson, the answer is he's alive and well at age 103 in Detroit, preaching and playing gospel harmonica!

The Detroit News has the story.

Greekfest Gig!!!


Hey, our friend Charlie Yost has a tip for bands looking for a gig. He's not sure of the pay, but knows that Greekfest is looking for bands!

Greekfest
St. George Greek Orthodox
2701 N. Sheffield
June 6, 7 and 8
call Dino Diamantakos - 773-250-8153

- Grant Kessler, B1 Blues Crew