..or when is a harmonica not a harmonica? Sometimes it is important to take a complete break from the everyday, including the harmonica. A holiday should promote a renewed sense of perspective and a fresh appetite. Which is possibly the true meaning of recreation. And so it is, that not playing the harmonica can actually improve musical creativity. This summer the Good Doctor vacated the Harp [...]
Read more..Farewell Elwood It is with pride and sadness that we announce the graduation of Elwood The Apprentice, our own ’Special Star’, from the ranks of the Harp Surgery crew. Having contributed a vibrant and ground-breaking series of posts to our site, Elwood will be returning to his African homeland where he will focus on issues of economics, conservation and development. As we bid Elwood a fond [...]
Read more..Joe Filisko Gig Joe Filisko is visiting Brighton & Hove (UK) at the end of this month in preparation for the annual Blues Week at Northampton University. He will be playing on the evening of Friday 30.July at The Brunswick in Hove. Tickets can be bought in advance from the venue website. Old school confidential Those who saw Joe play last year [...]
Read more..European Blues and Roots Masterclass Otis the Harp Surgery postman dropped in a letter from our friend Robert Koch in France today. Robert is organising a Blues and Roots Masterclass from Tuesday 3.August to Saturday 7.August 2010 at La Maison du Kleebach in Kleebach, France. The day offers instruction in guitar, cajón and harmonica. The great news for [...]
Read more..So many smiles down through the years Thanks to everyone who took the time to enter our William Clarke CD competition. The competition is now closed and we can announce that the lucky winner is Tim from York in the UK. Tim has just taken up learning the blues harp having received a C diatonic from [...]
Read more..So many smiles down through the years Harps down, heads up! Harp Surgery has been chatting with the lovely Jeanette Lodovici, former wife of the late great William Clarke, about her latest CD release: William Clarke – Live Bootleg Cassette Anthology. Read on to find out how you can win a copy! Jeanette explained how [...]
Read more..Congratulations to our competition winners We know that many of you have been waiting for news of the competition result and now that all the formalities have been completed, we can bring you up to date. Thanks for your patience! Thanks also to Bertram Becher at Seydel Söhne for making this special event possible. As [...]
Read more..Not Now, Arthur! Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without a little bit of Morecambe and Wise, so here’s a tribute to classic comedy.. and a forgotten harmonica hero. Arthur Tolcher was born in Staffordshire in 1922, and his family theatrical history meant he was destined to tread the boards of music hall. He had an encyclopaedic [...]
Read more..Holy Diatonic Batman! Elwood The Apprentice had just finished wrapping his last set of replacement reed plates for Christmas when from somewhere downstairs… Zap! Wh@ck, Whåp, B#ff, Biƒf, P*w, Zôwie, Spl@tt, Tºot.. He ran to the Good Doctor’s study.. Holy Diatonic Batman! What in the world is this? Revolving walls, hidden rooms, disguises? What is the Good Doctor’s [...]
Read more..[Note: competition now closed.] Harps down, heads up! Our lovely friends at Seydel Söhne are offering you the chance to win an e-voucher to the tune of €30.00 (US residents $40.00). If you submit three correct answers to our quiz before midnight (GMT) Jan.10 2010 and are one of three lucky names drawn at random [...]
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