Big Noise: Mississippi Queen
“Mississippi Queen” was recorded by Leslie West and Mountain in the 1960s. I always loved the original, and when amp modelers came along to give me all the grunt I could want, I made sure to develop an arrangement for it. This version is played…
Record Review: PT Gazell, “2 Days Out”
“2 Days Out” is PT Gazell’s latest jazz record, and it’s a lot of fun to listen to. The music is traditional but subversive; the dozen pieces on the CD are mostly mid-tempo jazz standards, and the treatments would be familiar to any small ensemble…
Video of the Day 11 October 2011: Joel Andersson, Irish Reels
Joel Andersson seems pretty young, but he’s certainly a very strong player. His Youtube page says he’s twenty and has been playing for seven years. He’s obviously acquired a lot of skills in that time. This solo performance has plenty of power and color in…
Record Review: Filip Jers, “Spiro”
Spiro is the first commercial release by Swedish composer/arranger/harmonica player Filip Jers. It’s an ambitious project in many ways: in addition to composing, arranging, and performing all 13 pieces on diatonic, chromatic, and bass harmonicas, acoustic guitar, acordian, jaw harp, and a few other instruments,…
Video of the Day 1 October 2011: Little Walter
This live 1967 performance by Little Walter, backed by two guitars and drums, is on Youtube under the name “Walter’s Jump.” It’s in the same vein as Walter’s classic “Boogie,” and it rocks great.
SBS365: an original solo piece
I improvised this piece in my kitchen, recording live into the Zoom H4 from a couple of feet away. The recording quality is surprisingly good, and the piece hangs together well enough, with a couple of themes and a little bit of development. It’s always…
Record of the Day 8 September 2011: Dean Landew with Miguel Weissman
I just heard Dean Landew’s new record “Indestructible Voices,” which features NYC-based Miguel Weissman on harmonica. Weissman is heavily featured, and this record plays like Springsteen with Magic Dick in the lineup. If you like rock harp, you’re going to eat this record up. Attaway…
Video of the Day 31 August 2011: George Schroeter and Marc Breitfelder at Bluesfest Eutin 2011
Schroeter (piano) and Breitfelder (harp) lay down a very cool slow blues on this number. Breitfelder’s tone and lines are equally beautiful. So far as I can tell, he’s playing a low F harp in 3rd position. Don’t know if Breitfelder was influenced by Charlie…
Video of the Day 28 Aug 2011: Magic Dick/Whammer Jammer Live 8 Feb 2008
The classic harmonica boogie blues played to perfection by the originator. Every harmonica player has listened to this piece, and most have attempted to play at least some of it. The only version I know of that competes with this one is a jaw-dropping 18…
In Peace
“In Peace” is a simple song with a beautiful sound: two Melody Maker harmonicas overlaid via loop recording, both played through a Fireball V mic into a Digitech RP355 running my FBAROT patch, which consists of a Bassman amp model with a rotating speaker effect….
