Scott Albert Johnson’s “Going Somewhere” is a Brand New Rock n’ Roll Trip
Scott Albert Johnson’s new record “Going Somewhere” literally starts with a bang–a big drum groove–that is soon capped with feverish amped harmonica whose lines pay homage to the blues tradition without ever directly invoking it. Throughout this record, on every track of which Johnson sings…
Richard Hunter Harmonica Seminar in Connecticut on September 20!
On Sunday, September 20, I’ll be running a harmonica seminar at The Sound Retreat, a new facility in Chester, Connecticut. You can read about the Sound Retreat here. Here’s the skinny on this event: Famed harmonica virtuoso, educator and harp authority Richard Hunter will be…
Live Streaming for the Corporate Battle of the Bands Finals on September 12!
You may recall that Gartner in the Cloud, the band I played with in the Corporate Battle of the Bands semifinals last May in Washington DC, won that round and is going to Cleveland to play in the finals on September 12. I have just…
Recording My First Country Session With the RP360XP
No, this isn’t about recording my first country session, just the first one with the Digitech RP360XP.
Now That I’m Playing Loud Rock & Roll Again, I’m Blowing Out My Seydels
I’ve been playing mostly acoustic music onstage and in the studio for a while now, and my harps have held up very well. But in the rehearsals for the Battle of the Bands in Cleveland, I’ve been playing loud rock and roll, and it’s showing…
Grant Dermody’s “Sun Might Shine on Me” Sets the New Standard for Acoustic Roots Harmonica Records
I’ve been listening to Grant Dermody’s latest release, Sun Might Shine On Me, for the last couple of days. It’s a brilliantly produced work that presents the listener with lovingly rendered performances of traditional American music and original pieces in traditional styles. For harmonica players,…
Vidoe of the Day 25 August 2015: Jason Ricci: Fox Chase
Adventures with JamSync: It Gets Better
In my latest post I mentioned that Digitech’s JamSync works: I can sync my JamMan Solo XT to my JamMan Express XT, no problem. Now I’ve discovered that it does something I hadn’t expected and that I’ve wanted for a long time.
A Multi-Colored Piece for Harmonica as Organ
I recorded this improvised piece in my home studio last month. I wanted to try something where the structure of the piece is defined as much by changes in tone as by changes in harmony, and it worked nicely in this case.
Chris Cacavas/Ed Abbiatti “Me and the Devil” is Released in the USA!
Just picked this up off Ed Abbiati’s Facebook page. The record Ed did last year with Chris Cacavas of Green on Red, “Me and the Devil,” which features yours truly playing harmonica on two tracks, has been released in the USA by Burnside Distribution. Let…
