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| Blues Harmonica Blowout at Three Stages Mark Hummel's Blues Harmonica Blowout comes to Three Stages on Saturday, Jan. 21. In his annual gathering, dating back to 1991, Hummel assembles some of the finest blues musicians and, in a tribute to the mighty harmonica, takes them out on the road. This year, his Blues Harmonica Blowout is a tribute to Little Walter Jacobs and features Charlie Musselwhite, Curtis Salgado, Billy Boy Arnold and Sugar Ray Norcia. Three Stages Executive Director Dave Pier noted, "The list of musicians who have participated in the Blues Harmonica Blowout is mind boggling: John Mayall, John Hammond, Norton Buffalo, James Cotton, Kim Wilson, Watermelon Slim, James Harman, Fingers Taylor, Snooky Pryor, Magic Dick, Rick Estrin, Little Sonny, Paul Osher, Lee Oskar, Cephas and Wiggins and so many more. Three Stages is in for a real treat." Little Walter Jacobs was born Marion Walter Jacobs (May 1, 1930 – Feb. 15, 1968). He was an American blues harmonica player, whose revolutionary approach to his instrument has earned him comparisons to Charlie Parker and Jimi Hendrix for innovation and impact on succeeding generations. His virtuosity and musical innovations fundamentally altered many listeners' expectations of what was possible on blues harmonica. Little Walter was inducted to the The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2008 making him the first and only artist ever to be inducted specifically for his work as a harmonica player. He is widely credited by blues historians as the artist primarily responsible for establishing the standard vocabulary for modern blues and blues rock harmonica players. Charlie Musselwhite is one of the most recognized names in blues harmonica. Born in 1944, Musselwhite traveled the long road from backwoods Mississippi to a teenaged upbringing in Memphis, where he first heard and learned the blues from its originators. Musselwhite served his apprenticeship on the south side of Chicago with Johnny Young and Big Walter Horton. By the mid-'70s he and Paul Butterfield were the two trendsetting white blues blowers in the biz. In the mid-'90s Musselwhite signed with Alligator Records and had a string of successful recordings. Musselwhite has recently hit his stride with his newest recording, "Delta Hardware, " a throwback to the early '60s sound with a little funky Mississippi mud in the grooves. Musselwhite has received several Grammy nominations and won 19 W.C. Handy Awards. For more information go to charliemusselwhite.com. Curtis Salgado first gained northwest fame in the mid '70s as the main frontman singer in the early Robert Cray Band. Salgado also played fiery harmonica in the band but when Cray and Salgado joined their voices in harmony, they truly soared. This was the main reason John Belushi started the Blues Brothers. While filming "Animal House" in Eugene, Ore. Belushi would come to listen and pick Curtis's brain to get inspiration to start the Blues Bros. After leaving Cray, Salgado hooked up for a short stint with Roomful of Blues, while Ronnie Earl and Ron Levy were members. When Carlos Santana called Salgado to be his vocalist, he couldn't say no but soon was ready to resume his own career. Thanks to several releases on Shanachie records, Salgado's soulful pipes and powerful harp blowing are catching the national public's ear. Now the rest of the world can hear what the Northwest as known for 25 years — that Salgado can sing and play with the best of them. Sugar Ray Norcia started the popular East Coast blues band, The Bluetones, 30 years ago with guitarist Ronnie Earl. They backed Big Walter Horton, Big Joe Turner, Jimmie Rogers, Otis Rush, JB Hutto and countless others in the early '80s all over the North East. They recorded two albums for Rounder Records. In 1991 Norcia hooked up with Roomful of Blues and toured the world with the 11 piece band, appearing on their Grammy-nominated Rounder release, "Turn it on, Turn it up." Norcia also recorded the Grammy nominated Telarc release, "Super Harps, " during his Roomful tenure with harmonica heavyweights Charlie Musselwhite, James Cotton and Billy Branch. In 2001, Norcia reunited the Bluetones with guitarist Kid Bangham and later Monster Mike Welsh. The Bluetones have recorded four CDs on Severn Records, their latest being "Swinging." Billy Boy Arnold started with Ellis McDaniels in Chicago in 1955, where they created the "Bo Diddley" sound at Chess Records. Arnold learned harp at the feet of the legendary John Lee"Sonny Boy" Williamson when he was just 12 yrs. old. Arnold went on to record singles for VeeJay like "Wish You Would, " "Ain't Got You" and "You Got Me Wrong" with an all-star band made up of Jody Williams, Otis Spann and Syl Johnson. Arnold just released his Electro Fi Records debut, " CONSOLIDATED MOJO, " which was produced by Mark Hummel with backing by the Blues Survivors. Mark Hummel, was born in New Haven, Conn. and was raised in Los Angeles. He absorbed the music of such Chicago based harp blowers as Little Walter, James Cotton, and Sonny Boy Williamson, before settling in Berkeley in 1972. In 1980, he took the helm to lead the popular Blues Survivors Band. Since 1991 Hummel has been both producing and performing at his Blues Harmonica Blowout series. These shows have grown to be a much heralded event and continue to draw sellout crowds wherever they appear. Mark Hummel's Blues Harmonica Blowout will perform in Three Stages on Saturday, Jan. 21, at 8 p.m. Three Stages is located on the west side of Folsom Lake College, 10 College Parkway in Folsom. write your comments about the article :: © 2011 Jazz News :: home page |