September 2012 Newsletter Leader in Blues Harmonica Education since 1994 BLUESHARMONICA.COM - WHAT'S NEW! Scott DirKs Interview Scott Dirks is a Blues harmonica player, recording artist, producer, historian and author ("Blues with A Feeling, The Little Walter Story"). Videos include: Introduction & Scott’s Early Years; Scott’s Early Influences; Scott’s Early Bands and The Blues Brothers; Scott as Producer (Delmark and Alligator Records); Recommended Chicago Players; Scott’s Perspective on Modern Approaches to Chicago Blues; Scott’s Approach to Technique (Tongue Blocking); Scott’s Perspective on What Chicago Blues is; Playing Cover Songs, Little Walter Session Tapes and Juke (Part 1); Juke (Part 2); Little Walter’s Equipment; Recording Tips (Part 1); Recording Tips (Part 2); Blues with a Feeling, the Little Walter Story: Walter’s Unmarked Grave; Blues with a Feeling, the Little Walter Story: Tony Glover & Ward Gaines; Blues with a Feeling, the Little Walter Story: Research & Interviews; Blues with a Feeling, the Little Walter Story: What Walter Gave the Blues Harmonica World Jim Liban Interview Harmonica master, singer, songwriter Jim Liban was known throughout the midwest in the 1970's as the leader of Short Stuff, the innovative Milwaukee based ensemble that pioneered the Blues & Rock sound later identified with bands like the Fabulous Thunderbirds and Stevie Ray Vaughn. He continues to perform in a more traditional vein with his trio. He has international cult status as one of the foremost post- war Blues harmonica stylists, and many of his original songs have been recorded by national Blues artists like Johnny Winter and Lonnie Brooks. Videos include: Introduction & Jim’s Early Years, Part 1; Introduction & Jim’s Early Years, Part 2; Jim’s Early Influences; Recommended Players; Improvising: Use of Space; Improvising: Tonal Effects; improvising: Keeping Things Fresh on the Bandstand; Accompaniment Playing; 1st and 3rd Position Playing; Bending; Tongue Blocking; Minor Playing; Jim’s Equipment; What do you like to hear when listening to other players?; Closing Words & Play-out with Joe Filisko 1 David Waldman Interview In his own words… “I grew up in Croton-on-Hudson, N.Y. I started playing harp when I was around 13 or 14. I moved to Chicago in 1976. The first person to hire me for a gig here was Louis Myers. His band didn’t show up at one of his club dates and I happened to be in the audience, so he hired me to help him out on harp. Starting in 1980, I played for long periods in the bands of both Taildragger (replacing Big Leon Brooks) and Big Smokey Smothers. My colleagues in Big Smokey’s band were Steve Cushing and Illinois Slim. We called ourselves the Ice Cream Men. The Taildragger gig was notable, among other reasons, for the fact that I got to play with some really great guitarists: Eddie Taylor (Sr.), Willie James Lyons, Hubert Sumlin, and, not least, James Scott, a superb and under-recognized guitarist who recorded for Sun records in the early 1950’s. It’s a tragedy that Scott wasn’t recorded more: he had some wonderful instrumentals with which he used to open the show. He had grown up on the same plantation as Tony Hollins, and he used to play some of Hollins’ pieces--very well, as I remember. In the summer of 1985, I toured with Jimmy Rogers, playing piano. Other members of the band were Big Smokey Smothers on guitar, Wild Child Butler on harp, Bob Stroger on bass, and Ted Harvey on drums. One highlight of this was appearing at the 10th anniversary celebration of Clifford Antone’s club in Austin. It seemed like virtually every major living Chicago Blues figure was there, and the celebration lasted a week. It took me another week to come back down to reality. I also have fond memories of a month long tour that I did in Canada with the Legendary Blues Band in the late 1980s. At that time the band consisted of Willie Smith on drums, Billy Flynn and Little Smokey Smothers on guitars, and Calvin Jones on bass. From 1988 to 1992, I played guitar in a band that had a weekly gig at Lilly’s on North Lincoln. We specialized in getting old school Chicago Blues figures to come out and front our band; among these were Big Wheeler, Little Willie Anderson, Joe Carter, Jimmy Lee Robinson, and John and Grace Brim. I played in the Chicago Blues festival a number of times with this band; we backed up Jimmy Lee Robinson, John Brim, Big Wheeler, and on one occasion, Yank Rachell. I should also mention that on an earlier occasion, I played in the Chicago Blues Festival with Floyd Jones at what turned out to be his last public appearance. In the 90’s and in the first decade of this century, I played at Smokedaddy on many occasions with Billy Flynn’s band. Steve Cushing and I also had a regular Wednesday night gig there for awhile with Big Wheeler. I’ve recorded with Big Smokey Smothers, Big Wheeler, John Brim, Taildragger, Billy Flynn and Elmore James Jr. I consider myself fortunate to have seen a lot of the more obscure, old school harp players in Chicago: Big Wheeler, Middle Walter, Big Leon Brooks, Lester Davenport, Earring George Mayweather, Birmingham Jones, Louis Myers, Billy Boy Arnold, Harmonica George Robinson, Easy Baby, Little Addison, Dan Smith, etc. These men helped form my conception of what Chicago Blues harp should sound like. My favorites were Willie Anderson and Louis Myers; Big Leon was also great. I’ve been involved in the University of Chicago Folk Festival since the early 1980’s and I’m proud of having played a role in bringing to Chicago a number of Blues figures who might otherwise not have appeared here: George McCoy, Jesse Thomas, Jack Owens, Lavada Durst (i.e. Dr. Hepcat), Grey Ghost, and Mose Vinson. Since 1979 I’ve done a Blues radio show on WHPK-FM (88.5FM). It runs from 9:00PM to midnight on Mondays.” Videos Include: David Waldman’s Early Years, Part 1; David Waldman’s Early Years, Part 2; David Waldman’s Early Years, Part 3; Essential Listening - Little Walter & Little Willie Anderson; Obscure Harp Player in Chicago; How Playing other Instruments has Helped David’s Harp Playing; David’s Thoughts on Tongue Blocking and Bending; David’s Approach to 1st Position Playing; David’s Approach to Improvising; David’s Approach to Accompaniment Playing; Recommended Do’s and Don’ts for Harp Players; What David Likes about the Chromatic Harmonica; What David Likes to Hear when Listening to Another Harp Player; Closing and Playing out with Scott Dirks 2 Tad Robinson Interview AllMusic.com states about Tad, "Tad Robinson would have fit in snugly with the blue-eyed soul singers of the 1960s. His vocals virtually reeking of soul, he's capable of delving into a straight-ahead Little Walter shuffle or delivering a vintage O.V. Wright R&B ballad. Add his songwriting skills and exceptional harp technique and you have quite the total package. Robinson grew up in New York City on a nutritious diet of Stax, Motown, and Top 40, digging everyone from Otis Redding and Arthur Alexander to Eric Burdon and Joe Cocker. He matriculated at Indiana University's school of music in 1980, fronting a solid little combo on the side called the Hesitation Blues Band that made it up to Chicago now and then (where he soon relocated). Long respected locally, his reputation outside the city limits soared when he took over as vocalist with Dave Specter & the Bluebirds. Their 1994 Delmark disc, Blueplicity, was an inspiring marriage of Robinson's soaring vocals and Specter's tasty, jazz-laced guitar and featured the striking Robinson-penned originals "What's Your Angle," "Dose of Reality," and "On the Outside Looking In." Delmark granted Tad Robinson his own album later that year. One to Infinity escorted him even further into soul territory (guests on the set included Mighty Flyers guitarist Alex Schultz, the mystical Robert Ward, and Specter)." Videos Include: Tad's Early Years; Tad's Early Influences; Tad's Early Education and Gigging; Tad's Approach to Tongue Blocking and 3rd Position; Tad's Thoughts on 1st Position - Part 1; 1st Position - Part 2, Positions and Overbends; How to Keep Things Interesting on the Bandstand; How the Understanding of Music Theory Helps; Tad's Approach to Playing in Minor; Tad's Hand Usage; Tad's Equipment; What Tad Likes to Hear in Other Harp Players; Tad's Final Tips; Current Recordings and Closing; Bonus Footage: Tad Robinson, Jim Liban and David Barrett Play! Music Theory for the Blues Harmonica Player - Study 1 Join me for the Basics of Music Theory for the Blues Harmonica Player. In this lesson you'll learn: how pitch is produced on the harmonica; music notation; sharps; flats; naturals; half steps; whole steps; key signatures; the construction of the major scale; how the harmonica received its note layout/tuning; how to move melodies up or down the harmonica's range; and how to take any sheet music, written for any instrument, and figure out how to play it on the harmonica. This lesson is for all skill levels players. No harmonica is needed for this study, though a C Harmonica is used for demonstration purposes if you would like to play along. Videos include: Section 1 - Basics of Pitch: Introduction to Music Theory Study 1; Pitch Defined; Octave and Half Step Defined; Sharps and Flats Defined; Examples 1.2 and 1.3 - Chromatic Scale; Examples 1.4 through 1.5 - Notes on the Staff, Part 1; Examples 1.6 through 1.9 - Notes on the Staff, Part 2; Section 1 Questions; Section 2 - The Major Diatonic Scale (The Harmonica’s Scale): Example 2.1 - The Major Mode; Examples 2.2 and 2.3 - Harmonica TAB on the Staff; Example 2.4 - Harmonica Note Layout; Examples 2.5 and 2.6 - Bends on the Harmonica; Example 2.7 and Section 2 Questions; Section 3 - Scale Degrees & Tuning System: Examples 3.1 through 3.4 - Scale Degrees; Example 3.5 - Major Scales; Why there are multiple Major Scales; Section 3 Questions; Section 4 - Review & Application: When the Saints Go 3 Marching In song Example; Song Transposition Exercise; Section 4 Questions; Music Theory Study 1 Closing Comments Music Theory for the Blues Harmonica Player - Study 2 Join me for our second lesson on Music Theory for the Blues Harmonica Player, where we explore modes and positions.