Eireann go Brach.. Happy St Patrick’s Day!

Virtually forgotten in the post-war revival of traditional Irish music, Celtic and folk harmonica has recently enjoyed a massive rise in popularity.

This is largely down to the work of Brendan Power and Mick Kinsella, both of whom joined us at the UK Harmonica Festival in Bristol 2010.

To celebrate St Patrick’s day, let’s investigate the Irish harmonica style a little further and learn a great tune called Garryowen.

Brendan’s 1993 recording New Irish Harmonica ultimately led to his tenure in the Riverdance show, bringing him to the forefront of the Irish harmonica style. Meanwhile, native Irishman Mick Kinsella drew on compatriot Eddie Clarke as the major inspiration for his Celtic harping. Both are active on the Irish folk music scene today, as well as TV, Radio and Film. Did we recently hear Brendan on the soundtrack of the Leap Year movie?

Paddy Richter

As he developed his Celtic harp skills on the 10 hole diatonic, Brendan found the lower register prohibitive when carving out the quickfire sequences in Irish jigs and reels.

His solution was to retune his harps, raising the blow note in 3B a whole tone. This left 2D to cover the 4th and 5th notes of the scale, while 3B covered the 6th note. The new system was christened Paddy Richter tuning.

Paddy Richter is now highly popular, not only amongst players of Irish harmonica, but also with folk harp players in general.

Reference

Folk harmonica expert, Steve Shaw currently writes a regular column on the topic of traditional Irish and British folk tunes for harmonica in Harmonica World magazine. The magazine is available by subscribing to the UK’s National Harmonica League (NHL) and you can find the sound files to Steve’s pieces on the NHL site.

Brendan Power has produced a fine instructional volume entitled Play Irish Music On The Blues Harp which is available on his website. Brendan is also widely available on Youtube and through Suzuki’s harmonica instructional information.

Garryowen

Now let’s get down to learning a new number. Here’s an Irish tune you can try on a regular 10 hole diatonic harp called Garryowen. It comes from Limerick in the Irish Republic and was originally entitled Auld Bessy. Garryowen is often played when cavalry or mounted troops are on parade.

Under General George Custer, Garryowen became the official song and nickname of the 7th Cavalry. Allegedly it was the last tune to be played for the 7th Cavalry before the Little Bighorn.

Like many Irish airs, Garryowen comprises two distinct melodic parts. Rhythmically the tune is a Galop. For performance, military bands play part one once, then part two twice - repeating the penultimate note of part two to trigger its repetition. Together, these parts form the first movement of the piece. The second movement is less well known, though still Celtic in nature, and provides an interval until the first movement (parts one and two below) is resumed to complete the piece.

We’re in first position on a C Major diatonic. Bold notes indicate the down beat.

Intro

5D   6D..5D   7B..6D

6D..6B   5B..4B

6D   7D   7B

Part 1

Here’s the first part in full

Now let’s break that down into easier chunks

7B..7D   6D..6B..5D   5B..4D..4B

5B..5D..5B   5B

7B..7D   6D..6B..5D   5B..4D..4B

4D..5B..4D   4D

7B..7D   6D..6B..5D   5B..4D..4B

5B..5D..5B   5B

6B   6B..6D..7D   7B..6B..5B

4D..5B..4D   4D

Part 2

Here’s the second part in full

Now let’s break that down into easier chunks

5B..5D   6B..5B   6B..5B   6B..5B   6B

7B..7D   6D..5D   6D..5D   6D..6D’   6D..7D

7B..8D   8B..8D   7B..7D..6D   6B

6B   6B..6D..7D   7B..6B..5B

4D..5B..4D   4D*   repeat part 2 (*4B to finish)

Happy St.Patrick’s Day!

Start the patterns slowly. Practice and repeat them until the sequences become fluent and automatic. This is a big step in starting to play Irish and Country harmonica.

Pleidiol wyf i’m gwlad

If you’ve ever witnessed a rugby match involving the Welsh national team, you’ll be familiar with the stirring melody that is the National Anthem of Wales, Land Of My Fathers.

Happy St.David’s Day!

Irrespective of allegiances, it’s a tune to instil pride in the heart (and a lump in the throat) of any mortal. And in 1905 the Welsh were the first to sing their National Anthem at the start of a sporting event. New Zealand were touring the UK at the time and, in response to the All Blacks’ Haka war dance, Land Of My Fathers was sung before the game commenced. A lesser known fact is, it also sounds fab’lous on the blues harp. Let’s take a look.

Mae hen wlad fy nhadau yn annwyl i mi

Grab any 10 hole major diatonic harp to follow the tab, or a C Major harp to follow the tab and work from the sound clips. Here’s our intro to set the mood:

6B   5B   4B   4D..5B   4D   4B…

All well and good. But now let’s try that with double stops. Which means two notes played at the same time. In this case we’re playing the same melody notes, but adding a harmonic note each time. We’re using 3 holes split technique. Tip of your tongue in the central hole and play the notes immediately either side as cleanly as possible. It makes things sound much more interesting. 

4B-6B   3B-5B   2B-4B   2D-4D..3B-5B   2D-4D   2B-4B…

You can slow down the tempo of the intro to suit the occasion. Notice how, when double stopping, you can slide your embouchure between each set of splits, using your tongue tip as your guide. And now on to the main body of the tune. We’ve colour coded the two options for you – single note / double-stop – each time.

4B   5B..4D..4B   6B..5D..5B   7B..7B   6D..7D..7B

2B-4B   3B-5B..2D-4D..2B-4B   4B-6B..3D-5D..3B-5B   5B-7B..5B-7B   4D-6D..5D-7D..6B-7B

Gwlad beirdd a chantorion, enwogion o fri

6D   6B   5B   4B   5B..4B   3D   4B   5B   4D   5B   4D

4D-6D   4B-6B   3B-5B   2B-4B   3B-5B..2B-4B   1D-3D   2B-4B   3B-5B   2D-4D   3B-5B   2D-4D

Ei gwrol ryfelwyr, gwladgarwyr tra mad

6B   6B..6B   5B..5D..6B   7B   7B..7B   6D..7D..7B

4B-6B   4B-6B..4B-6B   3B-5B..3D-5D..4B-6B   5B-7B   5B-7B..5B-7B   4D-6D..5D-7D..5B-7B

Dros ryddid collasant eu gwaed

6D   6B   5B   4B   4D..5B   4D   4B

4D-6D   4B-6B   3B-5B   2B-4B   2D-4D..3B-5B   2D-4D   2B-4B

 Gwlad, gwlad, pleidiol wyf i’m gwlad 

And so to the Chorus (Cytgan) – the magic bit that fills your chest with bales of pride.

6B..   7B..

6B   5B   4B   4B   3D   4B   4D

4B-6B..   5B-7B..

4B-6B   3B-5B   2B-4B   2B-4B   1D-3D   2B-4B   2D-4D

Tra môr yn fur i’r bur hoff bau

6B   6B..6B   5B..5D..6B   7B   7B..7B   6D..7D..7B

4B-6B   4B-6B..4B-6B   3B-5B..3D-5D..4B-6B   5B-7B   5B-7B..5B-7B   4D-6D..5D-7D..5B-7B

O bydded i’r hen iaith barhau

6D   6B   5B   4B   4D..5B   4D   4B

4D-6D   4B-6B   3B-5B   2B-4B   2D-4D..3B-5B   2D-4D   2B-4B

And maybe repeat the intro as your outro. Time for a leg of lamb with mint sauce, or maybe some cheese on toast. Happy St.David’s Day from everyone at the Harp Surgery. Iechyd Da! 

What shall we play now? Well, as the late great James Brown put it, whatever we play, it’s got to be funky! Wise words from a guy who learned harmonica as a kid; as well as the guitar, drums, piano, and of course, some hefty vocals.

Harp players are – or should be - conscious of their scope for providing not only a horn line, but a whole horn section on the humble tin sandwich. By this I mean everything from a melody which might otherwise be delivered by a single brass instrument, to a fanfare or complete horn-style fill. It’s all there waiting to be mined. So let’s dig deeper…

I Feel Good

Many top harp players we’ve spoken to have said that listening to horn players had a massive influence on their own development. Gerry Portnoy said it, Magic Dick said it and Lee Oscar said it. And it’s widely documented that Little Walter himself was heavily influenced by the jump jive and jazz players of the day.

Harp players can borrow so many ideas from their brass cousins. The themes, the fills, the attack, the phrasing and the timing. I’m thinking Water Melon Man, I’m thinking Mozart’s Horn Concerto No.4 in Eb Major, I’m thinking Last Post, I’m thinking The Peter Gun Theme and at the moment, of course, I’m thinking James Brown.

Check out this simple trick. Pick up a 10 hole major diatonic in any key and sound these draw notes in sequence: 2D   3D   4D   5D   6D  Sound vaguely familiar?

Like I knew that I would

The harp is telling us something here. It wants to get funky! You’ve just learned one of the key lines in James Brown’s I Feel Good (I Got You). It’s iconoc and it couldn’t be simpler. Now grab a G Major 10 hole diatonic and let’s carry on the journey.

The songs starts with the lyric Whooah! I feel good… And we instantly make like an air Saxophonist - thumb between our lips, humming the horn part that follows. Instead let’s grab our harmonica and make some noise, hitting the draw two (2D) and the full draw two bend (2D”):

2D..2D”   2D..2D”   2D..2D”   2D

Like I knew that I would garners the same horn response. Great! Now the lyric repeats while the song moves from the I chord (D major), up to the IV chord (G major). We have move with it and we need find the best fit to echo the next horn response:

4B…3D’   4B..3D’   4B..3D’    4B

An uncomfortable switch back and forth, but effective nonethless.

Feel good, feel good, I got you

Now we can bring in the howitzers. We all know the phrasing: Feel good – bomp, bomp, feel good – bomp, bomp, I got you! For bomp, bomp, read full-on octaving with a combined shunt from the diaphragm and epiglottis. 

1D-4D   1D-4D

1B-4B   1B-4B 

I got you… and we’re back to where we started our tab:

2D   3D   4D   5D   6D

When I hold you in my arms

Then we have to emulate that beautifully exposed line; one that could so easily be the start of a separate jazz number. It goes like this, starting with an octave jump:

2D   6B..5D

4D   5D..4D   3D’

2D   6B..5D

4D   5D..4D   3D’

And don’t worry if the bend on draw three sounds slightly out at first. I don’t think the original hits the same note cleanly every time. Work it. Use you ears, your bending technique and your instincts to achieve the best match. Loosen up and work it some more.

My love won’t do you no harm

Now we move into a chordal horn section vamp, with a soul flavour and a crafty little addition. Hit the vamp, then wait to add the fill. You’re head will be telling you all kind of othehr stuff, but this is how it goes. Remember the old rule, less is more:

1B-2B-3B-4B    1B-2B-3B-4B

1B-2B-3B-4B    1B-2B-3B-4B

I know that I can do no wrong   2D..2D”   2D..2D”   1D  

1B-2B-3B-4B    1B-2B-3B-4B

1B-2B-3B-4B    1B-2B-3B-4B   ….and pause

And back to the 2D..2D” response covered above. All you now need to do is work the changes as you move through the song. Until the end. Whereupon you repeat the octave hits a couple of times before looping around the blues scale:

2D   3D   4D   5D   6D   6B    5D   4D   4B   3D’….

And for the big finish, perhaps a 4D~5D trill or a modulating, trumpet-style, blow bend 9B  10B..10B’~  Well done, the Grand Funkmeister would be proud of you! Granted, the original has a second harmonic brass line that adds that edge to the horn part, but blast your delivery through a good valve amp and no-one will know the difference. Enjoy!

HARPIN’ BY THE SEA 2012 – WE’RE BACK!

• Learn To Play Harmonica Day
• Sat 4. Feb 2012
• 11.00am-11.00pm 
• The Brunswick, 1 Holland Road, Hove, BN3 1JF

The Brighton & Hove Harmonica Society, with support from the UK National Harmonica League (NHL), is hosting it’s second annual Learn To Play Harmonica Day to brighten up your mid-winter and celebrate our favourite instrument!

Last year 70 harmonica novices and enthusiasts came along for what proved to be a very special experience.  If you’ve always wanted to know how to get music out of a harmonica,  or improve what you’ve got, this is your chance! The Beginners’ workshops will be led by Harp Surgery’s very own Good Doctor Richard Taylor, while Harp Consultants Darren Causton, Will Greener and James Aldcroft will be leading sessions for Intermediate and Advanced players.

In the evening there will be another live show with three harp-friendly bands – final line up to be announced shortly.

Here’s the programme and entrance prices:

• 11.00 Registration
• 11.30-13.00 Workshops (Beginners/Intermediates)
• 14.15-15.45 Workshops (Beginners/Intermediates)
• 16.00-17.30 Workshops (Beginners/Intermediates)
• 17.30-19.00 Open harp jam on stage

Evening Show

• 20.00-23.00 Live show with featured artists
• Paddy Byrne
• The Uncontrollables
• Will Greener
• The Blackjacks

Booking information

• Day ticket  £20.00 / £17.00 conc.    
• Workshops only £14.00 / £12.00 conc.
• Evening Concert only £6.00 / £5.00  conc.    
• Tickets available from www.brunswickpub.co.uk

For enquiries and additional details contact:

• Mobile contact – Stuart McKay 07773 270336
• E mail contact – James Aldcroft  here
• Richard Taylor can be reached via the Harp Surgery contact page

What to bring / What harmonica?

Paying participants are eligible to take part in as many workshops as they can handle. Beginners will need a Richter tuned diatonic harp in the key of C Major. That’s a regular ‘blues’ harp (as pictured). Intermediates should bring a C Major harp too and any others they have. We will not be instructing on the Chromatic harmonica. Plesae be aware that parking in the area is metered. The Brunswick has a food menu and there are other food outlets within walking distance.

The Venue 

The event will take place at The Brunswick arts pub. Set just back from Hove seafront, this friendly venue will host harmonica workshops upstairs in their teaching rooms, while the evening concert will take place in their excellent Live Music Venue on the ground floor.

Should old acquaintance be forgot..

The Harp Surgery team would like to wish all our fans a very Happy New Year 2012.

From The Good Doctor, Otis The Mailman (left), Our Monica and The Riverboat Captain, we hope the new year brings you hours of musical fun and some totally top tooting.

It’s been a quiet year down at the Harp Surgery, but we thank you all for continuing to drop by. Fittingly, here’s our final offering of 2011.. Auld Lang Syne

On a Low harp, first position on the upper octave:

6B   7B   7B..7B  

8B   8D   7B..8D

8B..8D   7B  7B..8B   9B   10D

10D..9B   8B..8B   7B   8D   7B..8D

8B..8D   7B   6D..6D   6B   7B

10D..9B   8B..8B   7B   8D   7B..8D

10D..9B   8B..8B   9B   10D

10D..9B   8B..8B   7B   8D   7B..8D

8B..8D   7B   6D..6D   6B   7B

And on a regular harp, first position on the lower octave:

2D   4B   4B..4B

5B   4D   4B..4D

5B..4D   4B   4B..5B   6B   6D

6D   6B   5B..5B   4B   4D   4B..4D

5B..4D   4B   3D”..3D”   2D    4B 

6D   6B   5B..5B   4B   4D   4B..4D

6D   6B   5B..5B   6B   6D

6D   6B   5B..5B   4B   4D   4B..4D

5B..4D   4B   3D”..3D”   2D   4B 

And never brought to mind?

We’re off to the Harp Surgery parlour to take a cup of kindness yet, for auld lang syne! And maybe a few fire works. Happy New Year one and all!

Stevie Wonder diatonic harmonica

It was 1974. With a string of hit singles under his belt, Stevie Wonder recorded Boogie On Reggae Woman amidst some more reflective compositions for his new album, Fullfillingness’ First Finale.

The song’s title is slightly misleading. This is no Trench Town rasta vibe. There is a reggae skank for reference, but underneath it’s as fundamentally funk as Superstition and just as ground breaking.

For Harp Surgery fans, what makes the song especially interesting, is its infusion of a bluesy piano line and some highly expressive first-position blues harping. Let’s look more closely..

Can I play?

For harp players, this may come as an exciting revelation. Stevie Wonder is of course synonymous with Chromatic harping. Chi-Lites, Eurythmics, Sting and Elton John (amongst many, many others), have all embraced him on their recordings.

But Little Stevie started on the diatonic - albeit a four hole Little Lady – and listened to the likes of Jimmy Reed and Little Walter. He went on to lead the school harmonica band, before eventually falling in love with a Chromatic given to him by an uncle.

Arguably, Boogie On Reggae Woman has it’s roots in Wonder’s 1972 song Sweet Little Girl. There he uses a bluesy F# diatonic in second position, to explore a boogaloo groove. Also that Moog synth is in the mix, providing another heavy bass line.

I like to see you boogie

In his homage to the the harmonica, Harmonicas, Harps amd Heavy Breathers, Kim Field refers to the harmonica line on Boogie On Reggae Woman as textbook Jimmy Reed diatonic playing. He also points out that Stevie Wonder acknowledged Jimmy Reed in one of his 1974 Grammy acceptance speeches.

Certainly Stevie Wonder uses the same upper register configuration popularised by Jimmy Reed, but he warps it into a new dimension. Simply by injecting some unique phrasing and altered rhythm, it becomes soulful.

For my money, Gary Primich probably spotted this too. On his 2002 Dog House Music album, he recorded the title track Dog House and echoed Stevie Wonders soul fixing delivery on the upper blow bends. He uses a Bb diatonic.

Right across the floor

Time to get down to business. You’ll need an Ab diatonic to play along. This is a lower register diatonic harp, which allows us greater control on the blow bend reeds. If you don’t have one handy, get one ordered and check out the following background information in the meantime.

For instruction on how to blow bend visit our Harp Skills page. You will also find our three part series on exploring 1st Position Blues Harp useful.

I like to do it to you

Using an Ab harp, Stevie Wonder first pitches in on the harp at the 2:18 point and delivers a 30 second solo. He comes in a second time after the Moog solo at 3:45 and continues soloing on the harp for a full minute before the song fades out. Here’s the tab and sound files for the 30 second solo. ~8B denotes a bent, or scooped, note into 8 Blow.

              ~8B   ~8B    ~8B..8B’..7B..7B

8B’..~8B..8B’..7B   8B’..7B   6D..6D’..5D

6D’..6D   7B    Can I Play?!!

7B..7B  ~8B..~8B

~8B..9B..~8B   8B’..7B   ~8B..~8B..7B      Can I Play?!!

~8B   ~9B   ~8B     Ow!

7B..7B   ~8B..9B  ~9B..~9B..8B

8B   ~9B   9B’..9B’   9B’..9B.9B’

~8B..8B’..7B   ~8B..7B    Uhh!

8B   ~9B   9B’..9B’   9B’..9B.9B’

~8B..8B’..7B   ~8B..7B

~10B   ~9B..~9B   ~9B..9B’..8B     Ahh!

~9B..9B’..8B   8B   7B..7B

Till you holla for more

Now you have the feel for it, listen to the final minute-long solo for yourself and mess around on the top end of the harp. You’ll notice even Stevie’s lines get a bit ragged at one point, before he momentarily revises his input and simplifies things.

Boogie on reggae people!

Underneath the lantern, by the barrack gate

Had we been shovelled onto a grimy conveyor belt and pitched alongside millions of innocents into the inferno of the Great War (1914-18), there is a strong chance we would have had a musical companion. An emollient for the mental and physical agonies of front line duty.

Portability, cost and availability predetermined the choice of instrument. And while a variety found their way to the front, it was the humble harmonica that became the proprietary antedote to the sting of industrialised warfare. And it’s probably the reason why so many Europeans still relate stories of a family elder who played the mouth organ.

This Remembrance Day is no different to any other – they are equally important.  As Santayana famously wrote: Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it. It’s just that this year we have the novelty of an extra number 11. At the eleventh hour (GMT), on the eleventh day, of the eleventh month -  of the eleventh year - we remember the fallen.

Darling I remember, the way you used to wait

Following its innovation as a musical instrument, there is plenty of evidence, both documentary and archaelogical, to show that the harmonica has performed significant duty in wartime. From the American Civil War, through two World Wars and into the second millenium, the tin sandwich has withstood the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune.

In prelude to our The Harmonica At War series, while we could pay tribute by tabbing The Last Post, or a popular British First World War song such as Pack Up Your Troubles, we’ve chosen a song written during the First World War, but made famous in World War II; Lili Marlene.

My dad was in the 11th armored division and said when German prisoners were marched by, he would play Lily Marlene [sic] on his harmonica. Some would smile and nod, others would weep. War is hell on the soldiers no matter whose side fate puts you on. [TheDrummer51]

‘Twas there that you whispered tenderly

In 1915, shortly before leavig for the Russian front, Hans Leip – a soldier in the German Imperial Army – put pen to paper and produced a love poem which would eventually come to be known as Das Lied eines jungen Soldaten auf der Wacht, or The Song Of A Young Sentry. It was eventually published in 1937 in a poetry collection which encapsulated the melancholy of a young guardsman pining for his sweetheart.

The words were eventually put to music in 1939, with a husky Lale Andersen recording what was to become a classic wartime chanson. The tune was entitled Lile Marlene. It’s rise to popularity was almost by chance. A soldier working at Radio Belgrade, the German forces network in Europe, had happened upon it during a visit to Vienna. Upon his return, the song was broadcast by the radio station and soon became adopted amongst Axis and Allied troops alike.

Enjoyed throughout Europe and North Africa, the Allied authorities tried to discredit the song by implying that its subject was a lady of easy virtue. A take which may have been perpetuated by Marelene Dietrich’s rendition, but certainly not what Hans Leip had in mind when he first put pen to paper.

That you lov’d me, you’d always be

5B   5B..5B   5D   6B   5B

5D   5B..5D   7B..7D

4D   4D   5B..5D..6B

7D..6D   6B..5D   5B

6D   7D   7B..7D   6D

6D   6B   7B

6D..6B   5D   6D

6B..5D   5B   6B

5B   6B   5D..5D   8D   7B

5B   6B   5D..5D   3D   4B

My Lili of the lamplight

During the Second World War, Bill Mauldin enjoyed popularity with his Willie and Joe cartoon series in the Stars And Stripe magazine.

It featured two hapless GIs and a whole heap of trench humour. One particular edition depicts the two characters in a foxhole with a harmonica and reference to the tune Lili Marlene.

“Th’ krauts ain’t followin’ ya so good on ‘Lili Marlene’ tonight, Joe. Ya think maybe somethin’ happened to their tenor?” Permission for reproduction requested.    

My own Lili Marlene

In 1991, an unemployed German trucker who was lamed and partially blinded during a road accident lay in a coma. He lost his health, he lost his job and he lost his marriage. But Michael Hirte pulled through. He picked up his harmonica, busked the streets of Potsdam and went on to win Germany’s TV talent show Das Supertalent in 2008.. playing the harmonica. Here he is playing, of course, Lili Marlene!

A wireless system always consists of two parts. The transmitter stays with you, connects to your microphone and sends the signal out into the air using radio waves. The receiver is located near and connected to your amp. There are many types of wireless systems available to us. As a rule, you usually get what you pay for. But there are some practical considerations.

Some wireless transformers are small and physically connect to your mic, making a single self-contained unit. Others need a cable that connects to a “belt pack.” The belt pack systems are often of very good quality and fairly economical, but they have a drawback in that you cannot simply put your mic down and move away. Because I double on saxophone in my band, I need to switch instruments quickly and so I have to be able to just lay the mic down. Some belt-pack users will simply shove the mic in their pocket – if this is okay with you don’t rule out belt pack systems. Of the self-contained systems, there are two flavors – the “guitar bug” is a device designed for (guess what) an electric guitar. It has a 1/4″ plug on it – and can be used with a high impedance mic with a 1/4″ jack. An example of this is the AKG WMS40 Guitar Bug system. The other flavor is designed to plug into the end of a vocal mic. It therefore has an XLR connector and expects to be plugged into a low impedance microphone. A good example of this kind of system is the Samson CR77 with AX1 transmitter. There is no tonal difference due to the impedance alone – you simply have to choose the system that works with your gear.

Just about every manufacturer in the market offers a belt pack wireless system. Shure and Sennheiser are popular, high quality brands. Self-contained systems are harder to find but are available from AKG, Samson and others.

Important to users in the United States: Under FCC rules, anyone who uses a wireless microphone that operates in the 700 MHz Band, and that means almost every wireless system sold prior to late 2009, should not be operating it. All users of 700 MHz Band wireless microphones (and similar devices)—including theaters, churches, schools, conference centers, theme parks, and musicians—will need to retune (where possible) or replace their wireless microphone equipment with other microphone devices. For further information, please visit the FCC website.

And so ends our series on harmonica microphones. Our thanks go to Murray Hunter for plugging in the original concept. To Keith Shackleton for sorting out the feedback. And, of course, Greg Heumann without whom none of the content would have been audible in the first place. Now get out there and create your own reverb.

Greg Heumann is the curator of our Harmonica Microphones section. Read his previous articles here. You can find more from him at www.blowsmeaway.com.

Harpin’ By The Sea presents…

Once again, ahead of his tenure at this year’s Blues Week in Northampton, Joe Filisko will be making a one-night-only appearance on the UK’s South Coast.

• JOE FILISKO,  plus The Shoestrung and Marika Hackman
• Friday 29th July 2011
• The Brunswick, 1 Holland Road, Hove, BN3
• Doors 7.30 – music 8.00 til 11.00
• £8 / £7 concessions

Return of the Jedi

From Chicago, Joe Filisko will be returning to Brighton by special invitation. He is without question one of the best blues harmonica players in the world.

His two previous performances at The Brunswick have been to full houses and the audiences were amazed by his magical playing and the sheer range of sounds he can produce from a harmonica.

Seeing Joe perform is an unforgettable and joyful experience. His craftsmanship, musicianship and knowledge of the instrument – and all aspects of its history – are acknowledged and praised by all the best harmonica players in the world today.

Read Joe’s review of 78rpm harmonica recordings in the current issue of Harmonica World, available through the UK National Harmonica League (NHL).

Dedicated followers of fashion

Originally from Brighton and now based in London where their popularity keeps on growing, The Shoestrung are a really exciting upcoming young band. They have just supported The New York Dolls in London and for this gig will be performing a special rhythm and blues set. Carnaby Street and The Brit Invasion live on. Tastefully so.

Plus

Currently based in Brighton, Marika Hackman whose ‘folky(ish) songs with a fresh twist’ have been attracting a lot of interest recently.

Cruisin’ and playin’ the radio

Long, long ago, the Harp Surgery crew grooved to the atmospheric intonations of Radio Luxembourg/Radio My Amigo and Radio Caroline. The Boat That Rocked (Pirate Radio – US) captures the rock’n'roll spirit of this early pop radio broadcasting.

Now that hyper-space has replaced the high-seas, Harp Surgery has made a bunch of new blues DJ mates across the internet. In this series we’d like to introduce you to a few. So, silence in the studio please..we’re on air.

Blues And Son

Our newest internet blues radio buddies are the fabulous Mjka Scott and Kala Shaplin at Blues & Son on Brighton & Hove Community Radio. Convening each Friday from 5-6pm (GMT), they deliver a jolly, and very English commentary.

Of course, being local, the Good Doctor drops in from time to time for a chat and a chuckle. And next week the show’s live studio guest will be Chicago’s very own harmonica wizard, Joe Filisko. Be sure to tune in!

Here’s this week’s show, with some great offerings from Champion Jack Dupree, Memphis Slim, Johnny Copeland, Eddie Vinson and Jimmy Rogers. Plus a few extra surprises.

You can tune in to Blues & Son at Brighton & Hove Community Radio (BHCR) through their main website, or listen to past broadcasts via their Facebook page. Just scroll down to the Blues And Son entries. And, in Mjka’s own immortal words, stay tuned, stay curious.