Hello. My name is Brian and I'm a blues harp player and lover of all things blues. I had a lot of people tell me that I should write a blog about blues music, so here it is. I also love to cook, and like the blues, cooking speaks from your soul. As Emeril Lagasse says, "it's a food of love thang". So every once in a while, I might talk about great restaurants too. But be sure both the food and the music will both be rather tasty!
I went to a craft show with my fiancee a few weeks ago and met a very talented man named Tim Buchanan from Charlotte, NC. He is a masterful hand engraver and was very interesting to talk to. He explained to me the difference between hand engraving and machine engraving was hand engraving removed more metal making a deeper cut into the metal, not just a surface cut. This got my mind wondering how his engraving would look on one of my harps. Sometimes when I’m on stage, it’s difficult to see which key harp I’m grabbing, so I asked him if he could engrave the key of the harp onto the coverplate to make it easier to see. Not only did he engrave the key of the harp, he matched the font so the “A” looks like the A’s in Marine Band engraved from the factory. But since it’s hand engraved, it stands out and is very easy to distinguish on stage in low light situations. Check out his work on my harp and check out his website and give him a call. Tim is a great guy and is definitely a master craftsman and artist.
This is who taught me everything I know about blowing the harp. Johnny used to work at Hohner, and now customizes harmonicas in the Joe Filisko Method. He has fully customized harps in stock ready to go, so contact him for the best harmonica you’ll ever play. Check out his website to order your harps today.
Johnny also has a new cd out called Have Mercy, and it’s a must have for any fan of the blues. The cd has a mix of covers and Johnny B originals, my favorite is a chromatic workout called Mood Tuesday. Johnny does the covers well, ranging from well know songs to lesser known ones along with remakes with the Johnny B touch, and his fat-toned harp playing is always front and center, right where it should be! This album is a must have, so check it out on Johnny’s myspace page, or buy a few copies at cdbaby, or on itunes.
Anyone who has ever seen Kim Wilson with his blues band will be familiar with this song. Kim does this song live and during his solo, the band goes off stage for a little break so it’s just Kim and the drummer. I’ve always heard that a sign of a great harp player is to be able to just play and let the music flow from your soul, and this is what Kim does with this song. He never ceases to amaze me, I wonder how much I have to practice to get to his level? Never gonna happen.
I’ve always loved how the old guys(Cotton, Little Walter, Big Walter, George Smith) would weave common songs into their solos, and Kim carries on this tradition. Can anyone guess the song he throws in?
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