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HarmonicaUK formerly - The National Harmonica League
Registered Charity (England and Wales) No. 1131484
http://www.harmonica.co.uk
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Chairman Ben Hewlett +447973 284366 [email protected]
Treasurer Phil Leiwy +447979 648007 [email protected]
Membership Secretary David Hambley [email protected]
7 Ingleborough Way, Leyland, Lancs, PR25 4ZS, UK +447757 215047
Editor Dave Taylor +44797 901 1106 [email protected]
Chromatic Davina Brazier Education Dick Powell / Eva Hurt
Publicity Sam Wilkinson Secretary Dave Taylor
Tremolo Simon Joy Health Rollen Flood
Archivist Roger Trobridge +44771 2671940 [email protected]
President Paul Jones Patrons Lee Sankey, Brendan Power, Adam Glasser
US Vice President (vacancy)
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Harmonica World is published every two months, and is the magazine for members of HarmonicaUK ( formerly- National Harmonica League ).Any views expressed might not be the o!cial views of HarmonicaUK. All material in this magazine is copyrighted, and may not be reproduced without the prior consent of the Editor.
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Cover: Apr - May 2020
design by Dave Taylor
Welcome to HARMONICA WORLD Magazine...
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CONTENTS - - - APR / MAY 2020
4 HarmonicaUK News - - - 5 From The Chair -Ben Hewlett
6 Publicity –Sam Wilkinson - - - 7 The Editor -Dave Taylor
8 Dave Taylor -Welcome To The Fun Issue …let’s have some fun!
13 Neil Warren -Chromatic Weekend 20-21 Jun –Preview ...fun!
15 Birmingham Harmonica Festival 9-11 Oct –New Guests ...big fun!
16 Ed Hopwood -A Strategy For Practise ...and fun!
18 Jim Davies -A Harmonica Goes Back To Germany ...a fun trip!
20 Eva Hurt -50 Years Of Trio Con Brio ..and they had a good time!
25 Ian Boyle -My Harmonica Journey, Part 2 -Bending Notes ...fun?!?
28 Tony Eyers -Their First Harmonica Lesson ...enjoyed it
30 Bill Eborn -Review of Antonio Serrano Gig ...that was fun too!
32 News And Events Listings - - - What’s Goin’ On ...?nd the fun!
36 Reviews by Norman Darwen - - - Will Jacobs + Marcos Coll /
Richard Ray Farrell / Liam Ward + Malcolm Thorne /
Sir Oliver Mally + Hubert Hoffherr / Tomislav Goluban / Eva Hurt
40 Eva Hurt -Interviewed by Norman Darwen
42 Phil Leiwy -Review of Gecko Harmonica Holder
44 Notice Board/ Musicians/ For Sale/ Wanted/ Teachers/ Repairers
47 ‘The Last Word’ - - - Gerry Ezard -Join A Band! ...and it’s fun!
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Would you like to write for us? Please contact the Editor- see page 2.
Published 1st Feb, Apr, Jun, Aug, Oct, and Dec. All material due in to
Editor by the 1st of the preceding month, thank you.
HarmonicaUK NEWS PAGE
HarmonicaUK - is our new name
The Charity Commission have now o�cially con�rmed our change of name.
HarmonicaUK Committee News
We are busy planning the Chromatic Weekend June 19-21 - please see page 13;
and Birmingham UK Harmonica Festival Oct 9-11 – please see page 15.
Both of these events will be held at Hillscourt, Rednal, Birmingham B45 8RS.
Democracy and HarmonicaUK
The Annual General Meeting (AGM) of HarmonicaUK is held at the UK Harmonica
Festival (this year in Birmingham, in October). The Committee report back to members,
and answer any questions. Members may contact the Secretary (Dave Taylor) in
advance, to put any proposals on the AGM Agenda for discussion. The Committee are
always glad to hear any other thoughts- please see page 2, for how you can contact us.
R.I.P. Ray Rees
Dave Hambley writes: “ Norman Wootton telephoned me with the sad news, that his friend Ray Rees, passed away in Dec 2019 aged 92. A long-standing NHL member, Ray was also a judo black belt and instructor. The NHL had a 'Seniors' competition in the 90'sand Ray won it several times. He played Chromatic.”
Dave Taylor reports, it was nice to get a telephone call from Janet Tyler….
Janet kindly forwarded us a membership request from Malaysia, which came because of a link to her late husband John Tyler. John passed away 25 years ago, but had been instrumental in keeping the NHL going. Thank you John.
Congratulations to Reading Harmonica Group
A keen group got together for the �rst meeting, and they plan to meet every month, at ‘Great Expectations’. Page 28 has Neil’s telephone number, for dates and all details.
page 4
FROM THE CHAIR
...Ben Hewlett writes
Star Guests announced…
The �rst three, of our six exciting Star Guests, are con�rmed
for Birmingham UK Harmonica Festival, 9-11 Oct 2020
~ The Murphys - a few years ago in Galway, I was thrilled to see an astonishing performance of Traditional Irish Music by Pip and John Murphy. You will be blown away by what the brothers can do with their harmonicas! There are many videos of them playing great music on Youtube.
~ Giles Robson - is extremely highly regarded worldwide - "Blues Giant, absolute master of the form, passion, originality, amazing energy and sweat; above all he plays with feeling from the toes up.” [Alligator Records, Chicago]
Read more at http://www.gilesrobson.com/
~ Beata Kossowska - is a well known Suzuki artist. She is a Harmonica player, singer and composer with many musical projects underway. She also passes on her extensive musical ability to her numerous students in adult education and workshop.
Read more at http://www.beata-kossowska.de/
A great opportunity for all of us to meet and hang out with, the �nest international harmonica stars at the top of their game. They will be doing workshops and joining sessions, as well as performing in the Saturday night Concert.
So I think we are really lucky to capture these guys for a whole weekend – don’t miss it! More news soon- It’s lining up to be the best festival yet!
Go well, blow well, Ben.
PS- Have you Renewed your Membership yet? Please renew as soon as possible- it means less work for our hard-working Membership Secretary, and above all it helps keep our costs down, so that we can spend more money on lovely activities for you ;-)
page 5
Sam Wilkinson is the �rst Committee member to have the speci�c role
of Co-ordinating all Publicity for HarmonicaUK...
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FROM PUBLICITY
...Sam Wilkinson writes
What have Judas Priest, Ke$ha and classical concertos got in common?
Well… I’ll reveal all later…
Firstly, I’d like to introduce myself as HarmonicaUK’s new Committee Member for
Publicity. I have overall responsibility for how HarmonicaUK communicates with
members and the outside world. We need consistency across all our communications
including the website and social media.
Many of you have noticed the new website, which I developed over the last six months
(mainly thanks to time o* work due to a planned operation). Starting from scratch
I concentrated on stripping the content right back to give a simple and uncluttered vibe.
This will always be a work in progress and further developments will be happening in the
future. Membership, ticketing and the giglist will still be hosted on the old website for the
foreseeable future.
HarmonicaUK has been active on Facebook and Twitter for a good while but hasn’t done
much with Instagram. An account was set up by Sam Spranger, who did a great job
getting out of the starting blocks but was unable to continue. I picked up the reins, and
I’m pleased with how things have gone. From mid-January, I posted at least daily. The
main subject, is wishing famous harmonica players Happy Birthday. Usually I provide
little snippets of information that aren’t so well known. I post about songs that feature
harmonica, and something about the artist or harmonica player. Our IG Followers have
trebled, to over 500, with many positive comments. Our username is @HarmonicaUK_
And therein lies the answer to my opening question… you guessed it… all of these have
been included in my Instagram posts! The Instagram account is linked to the Twitter
account, so the same posts will be posted there too. In addition, the six latest Instagram
posts are shown on the new website homepage. Nifty, eh?
Feedback and ideas always welcome – please email me at [email protected]
page 6
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Call 01484 661460
FROM THE EDITOR
...Dave Taylor writes
PLEASE- I NEED ANOTHER EDITOR ...
yes, I need another / extra / Associate / Assistant Editor …
-We could be an equal Editorial Collective -a team of two, or more.
-Or I can take the responsibility as main Editor, with you helping.
-Or I can be YOUR assistant, and YOU take the lead as Editor yourself.
There is too much work for one person to do. And I do not have enough time, to get all
that work done- let alone, to be able to develop all the great new extra ideas that could
improve your magazine even more.
So, what does the Editorial Team do? Generate 40+ pages of fresh new
material each issue, with articles that try to cover every type of harmonica
music, balanced to make varied and interesting reading. Each article needs
to be discussed with authors, and very often rewritten until it is ready.
Design it all to look good, and get photos and illustrations. Compile, update
and properly check the events diary listings. Decide which ads and articles
will go where, and with headings, photos, page numbers etc. Take all enquiries, liaise
with everybody. Proofread the -nal text. Keep everything on schedule so that the
Printers publish on time. And every 2 months… hard work which never stops. We might
even need to discuss whether the magazine should change to being published every 3
months, giving 4 issues a year, instead of 6.
See page 2 to contact me, even just for a chat. Thank you.
Thanks to our great contributors-
Neil, Bill, Eva, Sam, Ben, Ed, Jim, Gerry, Ian, Phil, Norman, Tony E. Eva and Jurand produced her article, and I did the design & layout forthe rest of it. Proo-ng was by Sam W, and Ads by Tony C.
page 8
LET’S HAVE SOME SERIOUS FUN !
Welcome to our ‘Fun’ issue - says Dave Taylor
And if you are reading this on 1st April- no, not an April Fool Joke LOL. This and the following articles , have a theme of fun- fun festivals, making your practising fun, fun trips, etc.
‘Let’s have some serious fun’ with our music.
You know how we talk about PLAYING music? Being like children- having fun. So if we do start to become more serious, to try harder, to reach standards of excellence, to compete with others, to do it as a paid job maybe, aiming to perform at the highest level of professionalism…. well- we should always remember our first musical impulse was simply, to enjoy ourselves.
Could we rediscover our own musical memories? The excitement ofgetting some kind of sound out of an instrument...? The thrill offinding part of a tune…? The satisfaction of communicating tolisteners…? That special buzz from playing with other musicians...?
By re-focussing on having fun, we relax, and learn more easily- and we become better musicians ourselves because we are motivated to keep going.
But even better, this also helps us to share our knowledge- maybe teach other people- or at the very least, support and encourage them in their learning.
Because some people do need a helping hand to get started. As childrenexplore the world, they try to copy music they hear, or write new musicof their own. Too many had their confidence knocked- Oh, I’m tonedeaf- but most of us reading this, we do believe that everybody has some potential musical ability.
It can make us feel good, to realise that WE can help everybody else todiscover, enjoy, and play Music. And the Harmonica is excellent to learnon- small, portable, doesn’t need electricity or any extras- and entry-levelharmonicas are affordable. It is versatile for all kinds of music, and the web offers many free resources. We can get people enthusiastic about learning.
>>>>
So it is great to help people, for its’ own sake.
But, even better- we can also be helping HarmonicaUK itself.
Because the challenge for HarmonicaUK now, is to do more than simply run our usual main activities (-Chromatic Weekend, the Annual Festival, the website, andthis magazine). This totally occupies the time and energy of the Committee for twelve months- and will get harder year on year, as we get older.
Yes- we also desperately need to plan for the future- find a way to recruit the new and younger members, who we will need to take over later, and run HarmonicaUK into the future. Personally I think we need to add somebody extra to the Committee, who will work on new strategies and activities. And if we cannot persuade any existing members to step up and help- then we need some of the ‘new’ recruits to volunteer to build up our organisation.
How to recruit new members? Let’s show everybody how much fun we can all have! The deep emotional power of music, the personal expression, the releaseof Endorphins, the shared communal experiences, the inspiration, the relaxationand the fun… this is just some of what music can give us.
Now all this sounds a little serious. Let’s have a laugh. And though I do love clowning around generally- haha- actually, part of my inspiration for this fun issue, had been to feature some cartoons by the brilliant Nathan W Pyle. His book ‘Strange Planet’ came out before Christmas 2019, and I bought 2 copies. I couldn’t manage to get in touch with him directly, so I eventually had to ask his UK Publishers- but they wouldn’t let us include a few of his hilarious cartoons, which happened to be on musical themes.
Ah well, never mind- I found those things on page 11, in my wastepaper basket: they seem to have filled up that blank space neatly ;-)
>>>>
=The Glueth Grotherth !
~ Eh ? The film ‘The Glues Grothers’ ?
=Thath wha’ I thaid- I wath in the Glueth Grotherth... !
page 10
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Piano / Guitar / Harmonica
‘ Visual’ Chords
by ‘Fun Dave’
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I wonder how the Good job I brought my harmonica
Double-Bass Team are or we’d have nothing to do...
getting on…. ?
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You cannot buy more harmonicas -the label clearly says
and give them yourself for Xmas ! ‘from SANTA...’
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page 11
Our Chromatic Weekend has earned an excellent reputation with a focus on guided study and small group sessions: if you
like your learning to be structured, with theory carefully
explained, this should be FUN for you
CHROMATIC WEEKEND -PREVIEW
by Neil Warren
Fri 19- Sun 21 June 2020
The venue is Hillscourt, Rednall, Birmingham B45 8RS
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SORRY- CANCELLED DUE TO COVID19
We are sorry to announce that on 18 March the Committee felt
we had no choice but to cancel this event.
Pages 13 and 14 here, would have had a preview...
>>>>
page 13
...and the Chromatic Weekend preview would have continued onto
this page...
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COVID-19 PANDEMIC -UPDATE
Chromatic Weekend 9-11 Jun 2020- CANCELLED.
Birmingham UK Harmonica Festival Oct 2020 -to be conf.
We would love it to go ahead, but we cannot guarantee yet, if
this will be possible...
Various Gigs and Festivals, including those listed in our
Events pages 32 and 34- many have been cancelled already
Obviously public safety has to come first. We do hope you are
all well.
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page 14
FESTIVAL---PREVIEW--------------------------------
Birmingham UK Harmonica Festival 9-11 Oct 2020
The �rst three, of our six exciting Star Guests, are con�rmed!
~ The Murphys - Galway legends, brothers
Pip and John Murphy carry on the wonderful traditions
of Irish Music. See their videos on Youtube. com
~ Giles Robson - winning awards in Memphis, and
playing the Blues around the world, Giles is from
Jersey, Channel Islands.
Read more at - http://www.gilesrobson.com/
~ Beata Kossowska - Polish-born, but living in
Germany, Beata plays the Blues and more...
Read more at - http://www.beata-kossowska.de/
The other three Star Guest acts will be con�rmed soon. We choose an immensely talented International line-up, to re,ect the full range of all di-erent styles of music that can be made with the harmonica. There will be something for everyone!
The Festival is famous for being a wonderful weekend, of good fun and serious learning, of entertainment and study: always masses of music and lots of friendly welcoming people. At the Workshops and Demonstrations you can learn from the experts: you may like to enter, or just watch, the Contests: you will love the bargains at the Trade Stands and Auction: you are welcome to join in at open jam sessions: and the Saturday Star Concert is the highlight for many- prepare to be amazed!
This year, we want an extra new approach for any Beginners. To make sure they feel involved, and can learn easily, we hope to o-er to help and mentor in a group..
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
UK Harmonica Festival …. in 2021 …. ?
Where will we be NEXT year, in 2021? Well, where would you LIKE us to be...? Remember that checklist of our Venue requirements, in the Oct/Nov 2019 issue?
The Committee would be grateful for any suggestions, or any help you can give…
page 15
Ed Hopwood, Music Graduate, Full-Time Musician, and Educator,
says you learn better...
-by making your Practising FUN… !
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A STRATEGY FOR PRACTICE by Ed Hopwood
_______________________________________
Are you lost in a sea of Exotic Scales, or ready to destroy your
metronome…!? Here’s an overall approach to practice that may help.
As musicians, teachers and students, we are always asking the question- ‘what to practise?’ This is a complex topic as we all have
individual goals, so practice content must be tailored to achieve thesmaller objectives that will assist in reaching our goals. You may be
taking an on-line course with heavily prescribed content, or self-
learning from YouTube… essentially choosing your own content.
Once we’ve established what to practicse we may then consider how to
practicse. Here’s a strategy for viewing practice in 3 approximate levels.
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LEVEL 1: Highly focused, methodical practice with predictable outcomes and limited creativity. You could view this as ‘nasty but
necessary’- some find this boring and monotonous but as with learning
any new skill, it’s often the only way to make significant progress,
especially in the execution of new techniques. There’s a useful
saying in music “ Go twice as slow to get there Twice as fast” or another way to put it- * Control + Repetition = Speed *
Examples- Practising a particular scale to a metronome, working
solely on perfecting a bend (e.g- the 3 hole full step bend with a
chromatic tuner in a series of exercises). New techniques e.g- throattremolo. Transcribing repertoire ‘note for note’ and reproducing it.
LEVEL 2: Slightly less focused and more varied, with room for
improvisation and creativity with some variety in outcomes. ( This is
the ‘half-disciplined’ ground between levels 1 and 2 ).
Examples- Playing set licks or repertoire pieces/songs and employing
different techniques for variety, and incorporating some improvisation. Using licks in a structured way (e.g- taking a
‘chordwise’ approach to a chord progression by playing certain licks
over particular chords - with use of theory or by ear as you wish.
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LEVEL 3: Much less focused and structured, with a strong emphasis
on creativity, improvisation, freedom and fun. Remember that level 1
practice is great for Facility but not neccessarily Creativity- if
you’re a very technical, analytical musician, try some level 3 practice to create ideas.
Examples- Playing along to favourite tracks, experimenting with new
ideas and mixing of techniques in a non-structured way. Maybe puttingcombinations of notes together, jumping between octaves with unusual
note combinations/ sound effects such as singing falsetto notes into
the harp or beatboxing/ trying new effect pedals and loops etc. (Use
your imagination here- I know it’s tough to think about innovation
and it’s all already been done, but remember at some point all the ideas and techniques we take for granted on our instruments , were
once created by a person- and probably by accident!)
Practice is a long-term skill to cultivate and a good teacher will
aim to find the balance based on your goals, personality and learning
preferences. You may wish to assign different levels of practice to certain times of the day or week. Or have a reward system where you
have to do a certain amount of Level 1 before you can move on- which is something I do recommend!
As you progress and become an experienced learner, you’ll be able to
choose from all 3 levels- and even use all 3 in the same session.
I hope you enjoy your journey!
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To find out more visit:
theharmonicabarge.com / edhopwood.com
Instagram-�⇥⇤⌅⇤⇧⌃⌥� ⌦↵⇧�⇧⌃�⌅ Facebook- �⇤⌅✏⇣⇧⌃⌥� ⌦↵⇧✏⌘⇧⌃�⌅������⇥������Watch my Youtube Channel
PS- One of Ed’s fine YouTube vids, has more on the 3 levels -Editor
page 17
A member of HarmonicaUK for many years, Jim Davies leads the group
‘Ashford Folk’ -who have just been on a fun trip…
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A HARMONICA GOES BACK TO
GERMANY
- by Jim Davies
Ashford, in Kent, has been twinned with Bad Muenstereifel in Germany, for over a century.
‘Ashford Folk’ spent six fun days in Bad Muenstereifel, playing during their annual Karneval.
Beer tent! Alles Gut!
Me on harmonicas, fiddlers Clare and Alison, Jack on bass, Richard whistle, June recorder and
Roland banjo, toured pubs and cafés. Arrived 16:00, first gig 18:00, merrily playing our usual
British and Irish music with (very good) local musicians.
Irish music is alive and well, in the Eifel Mountains, South of Koeln!
And l never imagined I’d be singing to a cheerful crowd of several hundred Germans, doing their
Karneval songs we’d specially learnt -in their own Rhineland dialect! It’s funny where music can
take you isn’t it?
-
-any group loves a brick wall -in Cafe T -play that music
German songs based on British and Irish, have become popular over the last 70 years-
“Lily the Pink” becomes “Winke Winke Winke”- “I’m a Rover” becomes “Ich bin eine Rauber”.
We sang “Loch Lomond” gently, before walloping up the tempo to the same tune for
“FC Kolle” - YouTube it…. Koeln Football Club’s song.
We happily sang and played in the town, at village Karnevals, for a primary school, and
an elderly people’s complex. But also in the Volksbank- the best bank in the world – free beer,
laughter, Schnapps, food, and strangely-dressed people up for a party- in mid-morning!
German brass bands have the strange habit of going to the pub after performing, and then having a
blow, so we had to do the same- would have been rude not to. It was long days (and short nights
recovering!) but we were bowled over by the warmth of the Eifelers- and yes, we can confirm –
Germans DO have a sense of humour!
After playing in the Town Hall for the cheery staff party, the Mayor invited us to join in the
colourful costume procession to launch the town’s celebration- and gave us a special medal to thank
us for the visit. Jim is on the right, in this pic->
By the way if any of you readers can find us the
notes of the theme tune “Juh Jah Kribbl in der
Botz”, we’d love to learn it! See YouTube again.
Thanks!
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
For details of Ashford Folk - contact Jim 07788 577580
Or visit the website - www.ashfordfolk.org - to find dots for all the tunes and songs, and a
MIDI file. If you download “EasyABC” –free– you can save the tunes, then play them through
slowly to learn, and/or transcribe them into an easier key for you.
This is more than just a band website- it's a music community library resource, for all to share.
Or find our Facebook page.
page 19
TRIO CON BRIO celebrates 50th anniversary. –interview by Eva Hurt; translated by Jurand Jakub Zygadlo
Con Brio appeared many times before Polish television cameras. They have also performed live on German and Swedish television.
The trio toured extensively in countries such as: Austria, Czech Republic, Slovakia, France, Netherlands, Mongolia,
Germany, Switzerland, Sweden, the USA and Hungary. When was Trio Con Brio founded? Zygmunt Zgraja: “ The official date is 1970. That year the trio started regular recordings at Radio Opole recording studio. In the late 1970s and 1980s, the trio recorded for radio in Leipzig and Berlin. Taking into account all recordings, the trio has about 9 hours of archived recorded music. Music of different genres, recorded by the trio itself and with various music bands. During the 50 years of its history, the trio line up has changed two times. However, the type of music and the Polish school of playing harmonica has not changed its character. Current band names are: Zygmunt Zgraja– chromatic harmonica, Janusz Zajac– bass harmonica, Robert Kier– chord harmonica, accordion. At the beginning Antoni Krzyk played the bass harmonica and Zdzisław Kuniniec played the chord harmonica. What is the repertoire of Trio Con Brio? Zygmunt Zgraja "The trio's repertoire consists of: transcripts of themes from great masters of classical music, my own original compositions, popular themes; light and dance music; folk melodies taken from many countries of the World; shanties, instrumental versions of Christmas carols and traditional Polish tunes .”
20 HARMONICA WORLD Apr / May 2020
During its 50 year career the ensemble won many significant awards. What were these awards? Zygmunt Zgraja “ 2nd place in 1977 International Harmonica Festival in Rotterdam, Netherlands; 1st place in 1986 International Music Competition of Accordion Ensembles and Harmonicas in Innsbruck, Austria; 2nd place in 1988 International Harmonica Festival in Helmond, Netherlands; 1st place in 1989 International Music Competition of Accordion Bands and Harmonicas in Innsbruck, Austria; 1st place in 1991 International Harmonica Competition in Detroit, USA .” Does the harmonica affect the player's health in a positive way? Zygmunt Zraja “I have not yet met a harmonica player complaining about asthma or other respiratory conditions but I exclude cigarette smokers here. If you like this instrument keep playing it, playing harmonica improves the emotional and physical well-being in an extraordinary way. It can really help soothe the nerves. I experienced this when I had surgery. The trio did not play for almost a year because of this. I needed to practice a lot on my own to catch up and it was the best medicine for me !!! Do you remember any interesting event from Trio’s concert life? Zygmunt Zgraja “I forget about my own concert. Colleagues phoned to find out. They say ”We're here in Karakow, where are you?” Fortunately, it was only 72 km away. I got in the car and made it to the last minute. Another funny experience happened on the former border of German Democratic Republic. The border guards could not believe that the harmonetta was an instrument. They thought it was some sort of encryption machine. We had to perform for them prove otherwise!
HARMONICA WORLD Apr / May 2020 21
Do you remember any interesting event from Trio’s concert life? Robert Kier “During one of my first concerts it was time for encores. Of course, we had determined which songs would be presented as additional ones as part of the audience's ovation. Trio Con Brio has 2 songs in which Zygmunt plays the Little Lady the smallest harmonica that is produced. That day I was prepared to play only one of the songs hoping it is going to be the one I knew. What was my surprise when it turned out that the guys are playing the other song! I waited the whole song and then bowed with my friends without playing a single note.” Janusz Zajac “The most memorable and often funny experience is the transformation of the audience’s attitude toward harmonica. Initially from sceptics (many of the people associate harmonica with a low grade instrument which anyone can play) into authentic fans of our music. It’s a joy to see them finally got convinced and start to appreciate the artistry of our workshop and care for the highest level of performance.” Trio Con Brio has recorded many albums. Please remind them to our readers. Zygmunt Zgraja “The label "Polskie Nagrania" released, two vinyl records with my solo recordings and trio Con Brio, accompanied by a big band; the publishing house "Tomy" released "In the moonlight" in 1991; in 1996 two albums has been released: "Das Konzert Trio" pub-lished along with scores by Radio Opole and album "Trio Con Brio"; in 1998 album titled "Con Brio i Orkiestra"; in 2000 we celebrated 30th anniversary and released a remix of the album recorded in 1996; in 2006 an album "No Limit" has been published by "Jan-zaj". In 2016 two albums were released : "Simile" and "Trio Con Brio our best ones" both published by "Jan-zaj". “
22 HARMONICA WORLD Apr / May 2020
How did you get to the band Trio Con Brio? Robert Kier “ It was a lucky coincidence. In 2008, when I started post-graduate studies in the instrumental department in the accordion class, my then professor Marek Andrysek came to me and asked if I had ever heard of the harmonica world champion band called Con Brio. I replied that I had never heard of them but I was very interested in. Then I got Zygmunt’s phone number because the Trio was just auditioning for a new chord harmonica player. Janusz Zajac “ In 1974, Zygmunt worked as a tutor in Municipal Centre in Myslowice town (Silesia district) . He created a youth harmonica trio in which I played the solo harmonica. Later, the trio fell naturally because each of us continued their education in different schools and it was impossible to carry on with the rehearsals. In May 1987, I joined the Trio Con Brio when they lost the bass player, Zdzisław Kuniniec. On one Sunday Zygmunt met with me in our local church and he asked if I would like to play the bass harmonica. It was like winning the lottery for me. I was a big fan of the Trio Con Brio, and I knew their repertoire very well. I remember that I played my first concert with Trio Con Brio in July 1987, so less than a few months after receiving the offer. 33 years passed, the chord harmonica player changed, but the band's brand has survived to this day.
HARMONICA WORLD Apr / May 2020 23
BLUES MATTERS!
My Harmonica Journey - Part 2
- Bending Notes
by Ian Boyle
Learning diatonic harmonica is just a series of simple, small steps, and not always in any particular order. But it can be frustrating.
I had learned to get single notes. But the �rst time I attempted to bend a note, my eyes lifted to the sky: “How is this even a thing? Surely it would be easier just to have all the notes within the harmonica?” (Actually they already do, but it’s called a Chromatic). It’s enough to reduce grown men and women to tears!
Initially, bending is is the action of lowering the pitch on draw reeds one through to six, but excluding hole �ve.
Ian
I was happy when only playing tunes that require no bending- easier, if limiting. But- as Adam Gussow says “Bending is the key to the kingdom...” OK- but how to do that? Simple!
1. Go on YouTube try and �nd an explanation or technique from a plethora of harmonica players happy to give away tips for free.
2. Have lots of patience- learning to bend takes time
3. Try not to lose temper
4. Try not to turn to drink
5. If you fail at bullet point 4, go back to point 1
6. Go see a harmonica teacher- there's a list at the back of this very magazine!
7. Practice practice practice
Eventually with time and e>ort, the beginning of a half-decent bend will happen. You can then spend the rest of your life trying to make it perfect… though few people I have met can truly say they’ve mastered it. >>>>
page 25
Artist: Keb’ Mo’
Explore a world of musical possibilities
For All For Life/
leeoskar.com
2018 Lee Oskar Enterprises Inc. Photo (c) Michael Weintrob
Exclusive distribution in the UK and Ireland by Barnes & Mullins Ltd, SY10 8GA
So, like most, I was struggling with bending. About a year into my playing, I drove 35 miles to Manchester to spend an hour with Mat Walklate- a great Diatonic and Chromatic player, and easy to get along with.
After dazzling him with my breathtaking playing… it was clearimprovements could be made. Although I could bend notesto a degree, he felt my tone was weak. This seemed to bebecause I couldn't do throat vibrato.
Mat
He demonstrated throat vibrato and explained how to achieve it, and away I went to practice.
After many hours and many days a very strange thing began to happen-
from trying to achieve throat vibrato, the way I drew in changed- which made my breathing change- and in turn my tone changed, I was able to make a wobbly note with my throat, and *nally- bending a note became far easier ....BOOM!
This was the moment I *nally became one with the harmonica.
So, although it may seem like odd advice- if you want to bend notes, learn throat vibrato.
“...and THIS is how much I can bend a note now...”
page 27
Their First Harmonica Lesson
by Tony Eyers
In 2008 I launched ‘Harmonica Academy’, an online teaching platform, which included
Chinese and Spanish versions. This combined project has chugged along since then- I'm
known as an online teacher. However tertiary engineering teaching has been my "real job",
and despite the various teaching sites I'd rarely had face-to-face harmonica students.
But now my time is mostly devoted to music, so I do give private harmonica lessons
to make ends meet. As music teachers know, the market is skewed to beginners, hence my
students are mostly novice players. Introducing harmonica to these individuals is a distinctly
rewarding professional challenge, beginning with their first lesson.
In my home town of Sydney Australia, I'm just about the only harmonica teacher- at least
according to Google. Hence my phone brings a steady stream (or trickle) of new student
enquiries. I keep these calls short, leaving detailed questions for the initial lesson.
I teach from home, in my office/music instrument storeroom. This faces the street, so I see
the new student arrive. Their first impression is a nose through the door- our dog Bella,
who welcomes all visitors alike. I start by asking newcomers why they have chosen
harmonica, and if they have played music before. "Piano Man" by Billy Joel, and Bob Dylan
are common motivations, or maybe there was beloved family member who played harmonica.
Other instruments have often been tried, generally with limited success and long ago. Some
students are retired, and want a musical instrument in their life. Or an upcoming event, a
wedding, a reunion, with an imagined harmonica performance might spur initial lessons.
I ask what music they listen to, which can indicate where lessons should head, maybe Blues
only, or perhaps first position melodies. Folk are often shy to reveal the music they like,
gently drawing them out begins the musical discovery which future lessons bring.
>>>>
page 28
Next I introduce myself by playing two items, a Blues (I sing as well), and a traditional
fiddle tune, my speciality. I play guitar and harmonica in a rack for this, and explain to
students that this is my audition. They are generally thrilled to hear this music, it is usually
their first encounter with an experienced harmonica player. I believe it important for a music
teacher to establish credentials in this way, albeit briefly, so that students see first hand a
desired outcome for their efforts, led by someone who can deliver it.
Preliminaries aside, I then introduce breathing exercises, to instill correct posture and use of
the diaphragm rather than the chest. Then I show how the harmonica is held. It took several
students before I hit on a good method for explaining the cupped hand position. I get
students to place the heels of their hands together, as if catching water, then close their
hands. Usually this works straight away, those with smaller hands may take longer to get it
right. My initial focus is to get new students to look like harmonica players, through correct
posture and hand position. Correct sound comes later.
Now for the harmonica. Usually students have bought one, often a new Hohner. A good
start, unless it is the fifteen (Australian) Dollar "Silver Star", which, although a worthy
instrument for the price, will impede progress. Sometimes an ancient instrument will appear,
a family heirloom, which is barely playable! I may try an on the spot repair, but generally
advise an immediate upgrade. Once my students become established, and are looking at
different keys, I steer them to better models- the more expensive Hohners, or the Seydel
1847 Classic. Students are always thrilled with the sound of these premium models.
Finally, some music. We start with a long exhale through holes one and two. Then an
exhale and inhale. A good sound on the low draw holes usually eludes new students.
Pushing the harmonica further into the lips however reduces the hissing air which
accompanies these first notes. We then do four exhales, four inhales, and a final exhale to
finish. Having achieved this rough sound, we clean it up by adding tongue articulation, via a
"taa" sound. I get students to describe what their tongue is doing when "taa" is vocalised,
then whisper it, then apply it to the harmonica. It usually works.
I then pick up the guitar and play along with this four out, four in repeated rhythm
exercise. Students are pleased to have been in a guitar jam so early on.
By now the first lesson is done. I finish by welcoming the new student to the community of
harmonica musicians. While some fall by the wayside, those who remain provide me with as
many rewards as a teacher, as they gain as developing musicians.
page 29
Gig Review by Bill Eborn
ANTONIO SERRANO Pizza Express, Soho, London 07 Feb 2020
Accompanied by local jazz musicians Frank Harrison (piano),
Mark Hodgeson (bass) and Stephen Keogh (drums), Antonio Serrano
demonstrated his status as one of the world's leading virtuoso chromatic
harmonica players.
Kicking o, with an unaccompanied introduction to ‘Au Privave’, the night
proceeded with a choice selection of jazz standards, as well as a beautiful
rendition of the ballad ‘Love Theme From Spartacus’.
Further highlights included a version of ‘Sweet Georgia Brown’, opening
with a funky bass solo, and with a solo where Serrano used blues harp
vamping style to great e,ect.
There was a brief diatonic interlude where he introduced a friend from
Spain and they played a blues together. Then he acknowledged the early
support he received from Larry Adler, by playing a selection of three
Gershwin tunes much loved by Larry- opening with an unaccompanied
version of ‘I've Got Rhythm’.
The stand-out for me however, was his terrifyingly up-tempo version of
‘Donna Lee’: harmonicas aren't supposed to go that fast are they…!?
( That de:nitely sounds like ‘fun’ to me! -Ed. )
page 30
NEWS AND EVENTS
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For UK gigs that feature harmonica, please see the website gig list-
www.harmonica.co.uk/html.GigList
And please tell Neil Warren about any other gigs you would like him to add
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~ Harmonica Repair Classes with John Cook Apr /May 2020. Hornchurch, Essex. Speci*c workshop sessions. See advert on page 35 for dates and details, or- www.johncookharmonica.com
~ Reading / Berks Harmonica Group Apr / May / monthly. Great Expectations, 33 London St. Reading RG1 4PS Neil Warren- 07912 971897
~ Harmonica tuition with Aidan Sheehan Spring 2020 Sessions in- Herefordshire / Powys / Cardi7 [email protected]
~ Nantwich Jazz / Blues Festival 9-13 Apr. Nantwich, Cheshire including- 12th-Liam Ward Band / 12th-Ed Hopwood / 13th-Jake Leg Jug Band with Liam Ward
~ Hermine Deurloo – Dutch Chromatic Jazz, 1 May. Clitheroe, Lancs (Ribble Valley JazzFestival) playing with top UK pianist Gwilym Simcock and guitarist Mike Walker
~ Will Pound - “ A Day Will Come” Tour
The eclectic Folk/Fusion harmonicist, has a new CD out- after spending many months collecting traditional songs from each of the (former) 27 EU Member States- discovering both their diversity and common ground.
Will is on the road in the UK in May, with Polish poet Bohdan Piasecki, guitarist Jenn Butterworth, multi-instrumentalist Jude Rees, bass player and beatboxer John Parker,and *ddle player Patsy Reid. For May dates, see- www.harmonica.co.uk/Giglist.htm
~ Blues Harp Wirral for Apr / May meeting dates, please see - www.horvience.com
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- Chromatic Weekend UK 20 - 21 Jun. Hillscourt, Birmingham
Will Pound, Tony Jukes, John Cook etc
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
~ Make Music Day UK 21 Jun. www.makemusicday.co.uk
Help us to run harmonica taster events...? Anybody…? Please call Dave Taylor
page 32 >>>>
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HarmonicaUK is on Instagram - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - (and Twitter, Facebook, and MeWe.com) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
~ Blues Harp Wirral will run a Beginners Harmonica Workshop 2-4 July 2020.
Hoylake ‘Summer Strum’ Ukulele Festival, Wirral, Merseyside
~ Asia Paci�c Harmonica Festival (APHF) 6 - 9 Aug. Wuxi, China
~ SPAH 2020 11 - 15 Aug. St. Louis, MO, USA
~ Great British R’n’B Festival 28 - 30 Aug. Colne, Lancs
~ Mundharmonika-Live Festival - 15-20 Sept 2020 Klingenthal, Germany
20th Anniversary of the Seydel annual Festival, with a great lineup of stars, and
a 4rst-class workshop-programme. More info: www.mundharmonika-live.de
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Birmingham UK
HARMONICA FESTIVAL
9 - 11 Oct 2020
Hillscourt, Birmingham, UK.
Giles Robson- Beata Kossowska- Murphy Brothers- & more tbc. Star Concert, Workshops, Jams, Contests, Trade Stands, networking, socialising- a wonderful weekend- the BIG ONE in the UK
~ Hohner Harmonica Masters Workshops - 28 Oct –1 Nov 2020 Trossingen, Germany Now in their 14th year www.harmonica-masters.de
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# Product news-
Neat idea, made in tough ABS plastic. Fits a range of bullet mics.
See- www.pinegroveleather.com
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PS- Are we having fun-!? Go to these events- we know you’ll enjoy them!
page 34
NewS O N N Y T E R R Y H E R I TA G E E D I T I O N
• Stainless steel cover plates
embossed with a Sonny Terry Design
• The sealed comb of the instrument
is lacquered ochre/black like the
historic Marine Bands
• Instrument comes in a vintage card-
board box with special graphics
• Box inclused a replica of the stamp
blind Sonny Terry used to sign
autographs
hohner.de
What’s New? Check Our REVIEWS …
CD Review by Norman Darwen
WILL JACOBS & MARCOS COLL –
- “Takin’ Our Time”
(Gaztelupeko Hotsak)
Will Jacobs is a young singer/ guitarist from Chicago now living in Berlin. He teams up with Madrid-born harmonica ace Marcos Coll (who now also lives in Berlin) for this excellent collection of traditional and modern band blues, with Will’s birthplace obviously a strong in+uence on the overall sound. Marcos has a big tone and his own style, though a little analysis seems to indicate in+uences from the likes of both Sonny Boys, Little Walter, Billy Boy Arnold and Sugar Blue. He gets a showcase on the aptly titled ‘Blues Cazorla Boogie’, but on such an accomplished release, you can press play anywhere and prepare to be impressed – a lot!
www.marcoscoll.com
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CD Review by Norman Darwen
RICHARD RAY FARRELL -
“Three Pints Of Gin”
( Blue Beet 10008 )
Singer, guitarist and rack harmonica player Richard Ray Farrell is from New York State but has spent plenty of time in Europe – he was based in Germany for many years. He worked with Sugar Blue in the Paris Metro and has also played with the likes of Jerry Portnoy and Steve Guyger. This sixteen track album was recorded live in the studio and features Richard on a wide variety of blues styles, taking in artists as disparate as John Lee Hooker and T-Bone Walker, and with his rack-harmonica-playing strongly featured: harmonica was his main instrument in his younger days.
Although rack playing may seem more limited, that is certainly not the case on this ;ne and varied blues set.
page 36
CD Review by Norman Darwen
Liam Ward & Malcolm Thorne - ‘You Are My Medicine’
( Green Bullet Records )
UK blues harmonica ace Liam Ward needs little introduction, an accomplished
player who consistently pushes the blues harp; Malcolm Thorne is a �ne guitarist
and singer, and the two men here draw nearly as much on folk music as they do on
the blues. This is a �ve track CD EP, with the vocals bright and accessible, even on a
minor number such as ‘Down Home Blues’. Liam is also happy to hold back, as on
the title track, whilst ‘Crescent City Jive’ (about New Orleans, of course) has a �ne
and jaunty air. ‘Bulldoze Blues’ is a strong traditional styled blues, and the closing
‘Song For Dennie’ is a kind of late 60s Bert Jansch or even Davy Graham baroque
instrumental (but also including nicely restrained harmonica). Harmonica-wise,
some of this is very much a lesson in “less-is-more”. All in all, a very attractive set.
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CD Review by Norman Darwen
“Sir” Oliver Mally & Hubert Hofherr - ‘Overdue’
(TimeZone TZ1845)
Oliver Mally is an experienced blues singer and guitarist from Austria; and
Hubert Hofherr is a German harmonica player who honed his craft in Chicago.
They have great reputations and ‘Overdue’ is an excellent duo release, drawing
mostly on the blues, from the rough John Lee Hooker inAected style of ‘Cracks In
The Mirror’ to the delicate ‘ButterAy Girl’, with its echoes of Mississippi John Hurt’s
warm sound. Hofherr’s playing is equally versatile – he can play crossed harp, of
course, but rather more surprising is the folky ‘Sweet & Fine’, with moving, very
subtle harmonica. There are a couple of covers, one from Steve Earle and one from
Tom Waits, adding variety to a �ne and recommended release.
www. sir-oliver.com / www.hubert-hofherr.com
page 37
CD REVIEW by Norman Darwen
TOMISLAV GOLUBAN -
‘Memphis Light’
( Spona CD 208 )
This Croatian blues harp player/ singer/ bandleader and songwriter’s last album was recorded in Chicago (it was actually entitled “Chicago Rambler”), but for this latest set, he travelled to Memphis, Tennessee and worked with local musicians. The result is a very accomplished and listenable modern blues set, though with its roots in the traditional sound. There is a *ne 50s ,avoured instrumental in ‘Country Bag’, but Tomislav is not a ,ashy player, making sure his excellent harmonica work is neatly integrated into the overall sound for the most part – he even works as a backing musician behind the excellent singer Vince Johnson on ‘Fun Starts Here’. His own compositions are strong, not just simple 12-bar re-treads, but interesting, original and seemingly personal, and the only borrowing is a boogie-based, genuine re-working of ‘House Of The Rising Sun’. Worth checking out!
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BOOK REVIEW by Norman Darwen
SEYDEL TRIOLA TUTOR BOOK FOR CHILDREN -LEVEL 2
by Eva Hurt
(MY FAV BOOKS PUBLISHING) www.seydel1847.com
The Triola is a single-toned wind-piano, looking like a Melodica but with diEerent coloured keys. Often used to teach children music, this book is aimed at 6-11 year olds- though as Eva -a harmonica player herself- points out, it can be used by those older, including adults! A bright and colourful book, the level is just about right, building from the *rst volume, with the music laid out and coloured music notes corresponding to the keys.
Good to see also random “interesting facts” about the material- and good advice such as not to use the Triola after sugary drinks- and a Progress Chart and Certi*cate of Achievement. The book ends with, “Maybe one day you will become a famous harmonica player” – and I will add, that this book might well help!
( -and also see page 40 for Norman interviewing Eva) page 39
EVA HURT –Interview by Norman Darwen
Why the harmonica?
My grandfather and great-grandfather played diatonic and tremolo
harmonica. I started at 4 or 5 years old.
Can you tell us about your harmonica career?
I play classical and crossover music- arrangements and compositions
by James Moody, Zymunt Zgraja, Sarah Watts -and also my own.
I have a Degree in Classical Music. I mostly play chromatic, but
also bass and diatonic harmonicas. My favourite make is Seydel
because they have a solid sound, and last a long time.
Your CD “My First Harmonica Album” was released by Birnam CD in
2018...
Yes, it has classical pieces- Mozart, Bach, Rubinstein, and so on-
and also my own compositions, and Folk and romantic melodies.
You are heavily involved in the harmonica community worldwide...
Since 2014 I have been running the ‘Four Seasons’ Concert Series,
which promotes the harmonica. I perform regularly in UK and Europe,
and run workshops. In 2019 I joined the Committee of HarmonicaUK.
Why the Triola?
By chance in 2009, a student said diatonic harmonica didn’t suit-
but then her parents found a Triola- and because I like novelties, I
gladly agreed to teach it.
Soon I discovered it is very nice: and good for children aged 3-4,
who know the colours and can speak, who can begin their adventure
with music. It is very easy to transfer later to any wind
instrument, keyboard, piano, or even guitar or violin.
Why Triola instruction books?
I soon realised this instrument, on the market for 50 years, didn’t
actually have a tutor book! There are many nice song-books but they
are not suitable for a proper music study.
Why the format, and the "Interesting facts" section etc…?
The A5 size makes a nice neat 40 page booklet. The 18 tunes build
the basic musicianship of the 1st book in the same, direct way. The
carefully graded learning sequence assures steady progress. Based
on The Kodaly Method, it develops musical skills and concepts using
Folk songs, Curwen hand signs, pictures, movable-do, rhythm symbols,
and syllables.
The idea of “Interesting facts” makes it even more captivating,
because it allows one to teach the cross-curricular links to other
subjects such as History, Science, foreign Languages or Geography,
in a simple and holistic way.
What feedback have you had?
Parents and Teachers said the first book in 2014 was good for
starting with. The colour music notation entertains and reinforces
the learning process. It is simple to understand, but it sets the
foundation for musical literacy and lifelong enjoyment in making
music.
Do you know of people who started on Triola and then went on to
become top harmonica players?
A couple of my students transferred to chromatic harmonica and they
are promising players- so maybe in a few years we could see a young
generation of rising stars…
What future plans do you have?
Publishing more tutor books. I compose my own works so there is new
harmonica repertoire growing steadily. And currently it is not
possible to take graded exams on harmonica: we should change that
situation and give young people a chance to have formal
qualifications on harmonica. I know the guitar had similar obstacles
to overcome especially in the UK, but now it is hugely popular- so I
believe we can achieve it for harmonica too.
It is all about determination, persistence and endurance.
~ Norman also reviews Eva’s Triola Book, on page 39 ~
page 41
Gecko Harmonica Holder
by Seydel
Review by Phil Leiwy
(AKA- Harmonica Lewinsky)
I have used harmonica braces or holders for 45 years -which is
quite an achievement because I’m only 36...!
Seydel’s Gecko Harmonica Holder, came out about a year ago,
designed by Peter Farmer (who designs high-end foot drums).
There are 3 improvements on previous designs.
Firstly- a small but powerful magnet holds the harmonica. It
is easy to change harmonicas and quickly move to a different
key. You can remove and replace the harp with ONE hand- and
the magnet will hold it firmly with no movement.
Secondly, three sets of screws make it is easy
to position the brace for your mouth and playing
style. Adjust the holder tilt/ height, and
magnetic strip up/ down to get the harp exactly
where you want it.
It also remembers your favoured position when
you next put it on- so you won’t need to adjust
it- unless you wanted to...
Thirdly, it has a very sleek visual appeal. The leather pads
sit on top of your breastbone and have a little give, the
whole brace is slim and unobtrusive, weighing only 235 grams-
and you can look along the neck of your guitar easily.
The price is about £69 so it’s not cheap: but, this IS worth it for anybody who often plays harmonica in a brace.
www.seydel1847.com
page 42
Jim -in the news! Will -new CD! HarmonicaUK !
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
What will be in
our NEXT ISSUE ? … Jun - Jul 2020
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Trevor Yeo reviews the recent Harpin’ By The Sea -
Steve Baker describes the new Harp Blaster HB52 Microphone -
Simon Joy interviews Ernie Gordon, King of Northumbrian Tremolo -
Rollen Flood shows how your Mind plays your music -
Margie Goldsmith interviews Brendan Power -
Dave Taylor on how to play Minor with a Major Diatonic -
Hound -Dog Gateley reviews Giles Robson and Billy Branch live -
Dave Hambley tells of his Slovenian Harmonica Trip -
+ many more great writers + your usual hot News + cool Reviews...
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Berry Gordy listens to Stevie Wonder, in the 1960s…
We’ll try and do a Stevie Special soon- he deserves one!
page 43
page 44
s m a l l A d s - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
~ F O R S A L E / W A N T E D ~
Harmonica Player wanted Surrey, for Country/Bluegrass singer/guitarist-
Bass Harmonica for sale good condition, box a bit used [email protected]
David Hynes �nest Irish Trad harmonica CDs £7 davesharmonicas.com
Alan Glen Barcodes CDs £10. 0207732 1127 [email protected]
Harry Pitch 3 CDs @£11 01628 622895 [email protected]
Patrick Ellis CD Interpretaciones £12 inc p+p 07760 132980
Tatty old amp? we’ll refurbish your cabinet- www.honeyboyamps.com
Igor Djeke cool stu1- www.facebook.com/harpplayercustomshop
Gerry Ezard chrom/ chord/ bass CDs £10 01656 784904
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
~ T E A C H E R S / R E P A I R E R S ~
Johnny Mars blues Somerset 01823 400744 [email protected]
George Wickstead blues/ diatonic Ormskirk 0775 3633720
Steve Lockwood diatonic/ chromatic Cambs 07786 256178
Tim Haigh blues North London 07525 097859
Ben Hewlett diatonic Skype globally / or Bristol 0797328 4366
Aidan Sheehan cajun pop folk blues Cwmbran 07812 143226
Tony Jukes dia/ chrom E. Midlands 01455 202829 [email protected]
Eva Hurt adults/children, diatonic/ chrom/ Triola, Skype or London
0757 8808 353 [email protected]
Roy Green chromatic/ blues Cranbrook, Kent 01580 720148
Mat Walklate all styles Greater Manchester 07725 479148
Cathal Johnson diatonic lessons/ repairs/ tunings Eire 03834444980
>>>>
page 45
s m a l l A d s continued...
T E A C H E R S a n d
R E P A I R E R S at the UK Harmonica Festival
-learning from the experts.
John Monaghan chromatic repairs/ tuning Liverpool 0151-424 9594
Adam Glasser chrom tuition on Skype [email protected]
Eddie Martin blues Bristol/Frome 07974 120418 eddiemartin.com
Frederik Hertzberg blues Sweden/ Online www.frederikhertzberg.co
Paul Gillings tuition Norfolk/ Su+olk 01502 589439
Tony Perry chrom jazz classical Beds/ Cambs/ Herts 01767 680668
Gary Murray chrom South East 01344 842162
Adam Pritchard blues Cheltenham 01242 253949
Moses Jones chrom/ diatonic Bristol 07707 193437
Mike Fairbairn dia blues Notts 01623 753693 [email protected]
Julian Jackson jazz classical London 07930 801344 [email protected]
Jo� Watkins dia/ chrom London 07890 834002 [email protected]
Will Pound all styles Leamington 07884 222356 [email protected]
Richard Taylor dia Brighton 01273 271203 [email protected]
...GIVE ‘EM A CALL -GO ON... they can help, because they know...!
page 46
‘THE LAST WORD’ . . . ____________________________________________________________________________________________
“What’s next for the chromatic harmonica? Certainly no return to
Larry Adler-style solo performances!” says Gerry….
PLAYING CHROMATIC IN A BAND by Gerry Ezard
The Blues guys got it right, playing in bands. People were startled when I started
playing with my band- ‘Didn’t know you could do that with a harmonica.’
I happened to go to an Accordion Band practice session, sat in the back row with a
lot of unfamiliar music, much of which I couldn’t read- a sort of word-blindness took
over as they charged through the familiar pieces. They were a friendly lot, but I
staggered out with my confidence severely dented, and a clutch of music to practice.
I swiftly learned that playing in a band is an entirely different experience, and
became a useful player, concentrating on giving a clear melody line whilst they
chased the theme all over the place! My reading improved, often out of
desperation, and my sense of humour was stretched to the limit by the antics of ‘The
Boys in the Band.’
Here’s what I discovered about playing in a band-
1. They don’t play difficult music- most pop, rock, standards are easy tunes.
2. Get your own amplification sorted out. My solution was a finger mic with a belt
pack to control the volume. Wired or wireless I leave to you.
3. Remember the existing players have been performing their pieces for years –
they’re not that good, just well practiced.
Turn up to rehearse; like a football team,
you learn to run with the theme, to pass it,
and when to go for the big finish!
Just try it. You’ll never look back!
After several years my pride was immense when they appointed me Leader. Then I
discovered it’s not like being a conductor who wears the best suit, and points that
nasty little stick at offending musicians whilst grinning hugely and bowing to the
audience. No, the Leader is the fall guy for every wrong note, lost piece of music,
missed gig, absent player, and unpaid fee…
...but - it is still FUN ! page 47
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