Happy Hour Harmonica Podcast

Grant Dermody, Ross Garren and Pete Dammann join me on episode 120 for a retrospective on Paul DeLay.
Paul is a harmonica player who may go under the radar for some but his unique approach to both the diatonic and chromatic harmonica, as well as his powerful vocals and his insightful and humorous songwriting have placed him firmly in the hearts of harmonica and music fans in the know.
Paul was from Portland, Oregon in the north west United States where his first outfit was the Brown Sugar Blues band. He formed The Paul deLay Blues band in the early 1980s releasing four albums before a period of incarceration in the early 1990s saw him breakout with his highly original blues based material, all laced with harmonica playing quite unlike any other. His passing in 2007 has left a Paul deLay shaped hole which has never been filled.

Links:
Paul deLay website:
http://www.pauldelay.com/

Grant Dermody interview:
https://www.harmonicahappyhour.com/grant-dermody-interview/

Pete Dammann LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/peter-dammann-4777b916/

Videos:

Brown Sugar Blues Band - I Know My Baby Been Cheating:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8IdB1HuB9so

Burnin’ album:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGa0DQNJ2ao

Fourteen Dollars In The Bank:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IzqF1jNhO-Y

deLay Does Chicago album:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NaI0T2rhQQM

Ocean of Tears album:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IE1u-RBPfmI



Podcast website:
https://www.harmonicahappyhour.com

Donations:
If you want to make a voluntary donation to help support the running costs of the podcast then please use this link (or visit the podcast website link above):
https://paypal.me/harmonicahappyhour?locale.x=en_GB

Spotify Playlist:
Also check out the Spotify Playlist, which contains most of the songs discussed in the podcast:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5QC6RF2VTfs4iPuasJBqwT?si=M-j3IkiISeefhR7ybm9qIQ

Podcast sponsors:
This podcast is sponsored by SEYDEL harmonicas - visit the oldest harmonica factory in the world at www.seydel1847.com  or on Facebook or Instagram at SEYDEL HARMONICAS
--------------------------------
Blue Moon Harmonicas: https://bluemoonharmonicas.com

Support the show

Yeore Kim joins me on episode 119.
Yeore is from South Korea, where she first picked up the tremolo harmonica at the age of six. Her mother is a piano teacher, so she also learnt piano and other instruments, including trumpet, before focusing on the chromatic harmonica from age 18.
Yeore has released two albums of duets with different pianists.
She moved to France in 2018 after meeting her guitarist husband, Antoine Boyer, with whom she has released an album, Tangram. This contains a great mix of jazz, world music and interpretations of pop songs.
Yeore is currently working on a duo album with her husband, due to released later in 2024, and to be followed by a tour in 2025 to promote the album.

Videos:

YouTube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfFkS5hmOn6BCgU1FCO_IEQ

Japanese player Nobuo Tokunaga:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33t6gCajgyw

7AM duet with pianist Mia:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gA2INoVumc0

Oasis song: Don’t Look Back In Anger:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGiQuyXSN7Y

HUK interview with Sam Spranger:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iSKLp_di5uw&t=98s

European Tour blog:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aaQmcObOMiU


Podcast website:
https://www.harmonicahappyhour.com

Donations:
If you want to make a voluntary donation to help support the running costs of the podcast then please use this link (or visit the podcast website link above):
https://paypal.me/harmonicahappyhour?locale.x=en_GB

Spotify Playlist:
Also check out the Spotify Playlist, which contains most of the songs discussed in the podcast:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5QC6RF2VTfs4iPuasJBqwT?si=M-j3IkiISeefhR7ybm9qIQ

Podcast sponsors:
This podcast is sponsored by SEYDEL harmonicas - visit the oldest harmonica factory in the world at www.seydel1847.com  or on Facebook or Instagram at SEYDEL HARMONICAS
--------------------------------
Blue Moon Harmonicas: https://bluemoonharmonicas.com

Support the show

David Barrett joins me on episode 118.
David is based in San Jose, California, where he took   lessons from Gary Smith from age 16, in addition to learning from great harmonica recordings. He started teaching harmonica himself from age 18 and has become one of the foremost harmonica educators around, with his BluesHarmonica.com website an invaluable resource. He ran the School of Blues for twenty years and has written over seventy instructional books, DVDs and CDs.
David has four albums to his name, including two albums where he has collaborated with other harmonica players. These albums showcase his dedication to playing blues harmonica, where he has crafted harmonica parts from his lifelong study and love of the art form.

Links:

Website:
https://www.bluesharmonica.com/

School of Blues:
https://www.schooloftheblues.com/

Hohner profile page:
https://www.hohner.de/en/david-barrett

David's tuition books:
https://www.melbay.com/AdvancedSearch/Default.aspx?SearchTerm=david+barrett

Videos:

David's YouTube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/@bluesharmonicateacher


Podcast website:
https://www.harmonicahappyhour.com

Donations:
If you want to make a voluntary donation to help support the running costs of the podcast then please use this link (or visit the podcast website link above):
https://paypal.me/harmonicahappyhour?locale.x=en_GB

Spotify Playlist:
Also check out the Spotify Playlist, which contains most of the songs discussed in the podcast:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5QC6RF2VTfs4iPuasJBqwT?si=M-j3IkiISeefhR7ybm9qIQ

Podcast sponsors:
This podcast is sponsored by SEYDEL harmonicas - visit the oldest harmonica factory in the world at www.seydel1847.com  or on Facebook or Instagram at SEYDEL HARMONICAS
--------------------------------
The Harmonica Company. Use promo code: 'happyhour7'.
Email Jonathan at: [email protected]
--------------------------------
Blue Moon Harmonicas: https://bluemoonharmonicas.com

Support the show

Yvonnick Prene joins me on episode 117.
Yvonnick was born in France and has been resident in New York for seventeen years after first moving to the city to study at the New School for Jazz & Contemporary Music.
He started out playing blues and jazz on the diatonic and took lessons with some of the great French players, before focusing his attention playing jazz on the chromatic.
Yvonnick is a bandleader and has released seven albums under his own name as well as numerous sessions as a sideman.
He also runs the New Harmonica School in New York and the excellent online tutorial website My Harmonica Studio, as well as numerous tutorial books.
Yvonnick is also the face of Hohner’s new Xpression chromatic harmonica.

Links:
Website:
https://www.yvonnickprene.com/

Tuition website:
https://www.myharmonicastudio.com/

Henriksen amplifiers:
https://www.henriksenamplifiers.com/

Videos:
Yvonnick’s YouTube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCRked2IhFUqTf92SHisizQ

Yvonnick Prene & Manual Rocheman:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6O-y3YLahwY

Slim Shady song:
https://youtu.be/y6mgIJH6_EY

New York Harmonica School:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qcwEprk6rJ8

Triste from Jobim’s World album:
https://youtu.be/nlztkwCXeKU

Podcast website:
https://www.harmonicahappyhour.com

Donations:
If you want to make a voluntary donation to help support the running costs of the podcast then please use this link (or visit the podcast website link above):
https://paypal.me/harmonicahappyhour?locale.x=en_GB

Spotify Playlist:
Also check out the Spotify Playlist, which contains most of the songs discussed in the podcast:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5QC6RF2VTfs4iPuasJBqwT?si=M-j3IkiISeefhR7ybm9qIQ

Podcast sponsors:
This podcast is sponsored by SEYDEL harmonicas - visit the oldest harmonica factory in the world at www.seydel1847.com  or on Facebook or Instagram at SEYDEL HARMONICAS
--------------------------------
The Harmonica Company. Use promo code: 'happyhour7'.
Email Jonathan at: [email protected]
--------------------------------
Blue Moon Harmonicas: https://bluemoonharmonicas.com

Support the show

Isabella Krapf joins me on episode 116.
Isabella is from Vienna, Austria, where she started teaching and performing concerts in her late teens and has had a career in the harmonica ever since.
Isabella is a collector of harmonicas and puts on exhibitions. She played a part in keeping the Seydel factory in business when it was looking for new investors in the early 2000s, by ordering 1000 ‘boomerang’ harmonicas.
In 2011 Isabella was asked to visit North Korea to teach groups of music students there to play harmonica. A group later visited Austria and performed some concerts in Europe under her guidance.
Isabella also got to know Jerry Adler towards the end of his life and compiled an album for him and played in a concert with him and Howard Levy in 2006.

Links:
Website: https://www.isabellakrapf.com/

Videos:
Boomerang harmonica:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0n7hfbd9BQ0

North Korean ensemble at Trossingen in 2013:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dCoL33Y0-24

North Korean group playing at Bristol in 2012:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4dI7k5s0uVw

The Bossa Nova Company:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uujLkY_iCfo

Pablo Fegundas:
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=792673521775393

HUK virtual workshop:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v1LjuOwqaic

Historical diatonic video:
https://www.facebook.com/denise.uthoff.3/videos/1020566385917951


Podcast website:
https://www.harmonicahappyhour.com

Donations:
If you want to make a voluntary donation to help support the running costs of the podcast then please use this link (or visit the podcast website link above):
https://paypal.me/harmonicahappyhour?locale.x=en_GB

Spotify Playlist:
Also check out the Spotify Playlist, which contains most of the songs discussed in the podcast:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5QC6RF2VTfs4iPuasJBqwT?si=M-j3IkiISeefhR7ybm9qIQ

Podcast sponsors:
This podcast is sponsored by SEYDEL harmonicas - visit the oldest harmonica factory in the world at www.seydel1847.com  or on Facebook or Instagram at SEYDEL HARMONICAS
--------------------------------
The Harmonica Company. Use promo code: 'happyhour7'.
Email Jonathan at: [email protected]
--------------------------------
Blue Moon Harmonicas: https://bluemoonharmonicas.com

Support the show

Pat Missin joins me on episode 115.

Pat’s knowledge about the harmonica is unsurpassed, with his website at patmissin.com, a definitive source of information for over twenty years. He gives us an insight into some of this knowledge, starting with how free reed instruments were the predecessor of the harmonica and the questionable history of who actually invented the harmonica as we know it today. We also discuss various harmonica recording firsts, such as the first blues harmonica song recorded, the first second and third position and chromatic recording. Pat was also one of the earlier leading exponents on exploring harmonica tuning schemes and has released some song books for harmonica as well as some on other free reed instruments.

Links:
Website:
https://patmissin.com/

Free reed instrument history:
https://patmissin.com/history/history.html

Harmonica collection:
https://patmissin.com/gallery/gallery.html

Tunings:
https://patmissin.com/tunings/tunings.html

Vintage harmonica recordings:
https://www.patmissin.com/78rpm/78rpm.html

Harmonica reviews:
https://patmissin.com/index1.html

Magazine articles:
https://www.patmissin.com/articles/articles.html

Roger Trobridge’s Harmonica Archivist site:
http://www.the-archivist.co.uk/

Videos:
Pat playing at the NHL festival in 1999:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKOBtWLuV7E


Podcast website:
https://www.harmonicahappyhour.com

Donations:
If you want to make a voluntary donation to help support the running costs of the podcast then please use this link (or visit the podcast website link above):
https://paypal.me/harmonicahappyhour?locale.x=en_GB

Spotify Playlist:
Also check out the Spotify Playlist, which contains most of the songs discussed in the podcast:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5QC6RF2VTfs4iPuasJBqwT?si=M-j3IkiISeefhR7ybm9qIQ

Podcast sponsors:
This podcast is sponsored by SEYDEL harmonicas - visit the oldest harmonica factory in the world at www.seydel1847.com  or on Facebook or Instagram at SEYDEL HARMONICAS
--------------------------------
The Harmonica Company. Use promo code: 'happyhour7'.
Email Jonathan at: [email protected]
--------------------------------
Blue Moon Harmonicas: https://bluemoonharmonicas.com

Support the show

Seth Shumate joins me on episode 114.

Seth is an Old Timey and pre-war harmonica player originally from Arkansas, now living in Tennessee. Seth has deeply researched the early history of the harmonica and has written an Old Time Harmonica Handbook which contains lots of great information, as well as techniques on how to play authentic Old Timey harmonica using various tongue blocking techniques to add percussive rhythm and to provide self-accompaniment while also playing the melody of the tune. Seth likes to play acoustically, making use of an Edison phonograph cylinder for amplification, and accompanying himself using bones and other instruments, and he’s recently acquired the Masterharp USA tuning table company.

Seth plays with The Ozark Highballers band and releases regular videos to his YouTube channel of his playing.

Links:

Contact Seth:
[email protected]

Soundcloud:
https://soundcloud.com/seth-shumate

Facebook group:
Harmonica Country, Bluegrass, Rock & Celtic

Videos:
YouTube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrSFmT4zFksy1YRKGVJSfhg

Seth playing Turkey In The Straw with Edison Horn:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9s9obWRYkEI

Tupelo Blues played with bones:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrSFmT4zFksy1YRKGVJSfhg

Dave Rice Old Timey album:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9g13kPvKhaMrGaHI8RdBYWvmWOHzeV75

Seth YouTube Interview and playing:
https://youtu.be/1As3CbgL9ug


Podcast website:
https://www.harmonicahappyhour.com

Donations:
If you want to make a voluntary donation to help support the running costs of the podcast then please use this link (or visit the podcast website link above):
https://paypal.me/harmonicahappyhour?locale.x=en_GB

Spotify Playlist:
Also check out the Spotify Playlist, which contains most of the songs discussed in the podcast:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5QC6RF2VTfs4iPuasJBqwT?si=M-j3IkiISeefhR7ybm9qIQ

Podcast sponsors:
This podcast is sponsored by SEYDEL harmonicas - visit the oldest harmonica factory in the world at www.seydel1847.com  or on Facebook or Instagram at SEYDEL HARMONICAS
--------------------------------
The Harmonica Company. Use promo code: 'happyhour7'.
Email Jonathan at: [email protected]
--------------------------------
Blue Moon Harmonicas: https://bluemoonharmonicas.com

Support the show

Andre Godoy Coelho (and Brendan Power) join me on episode 113.

Andre is a Brazilian who relocated to Portugal in 2018, performing and recording two albums with the Rio Grande band in Sao Paulo, before recording a recent album in a duo in Portugal. 

Andre quickly became interested in harmonica customisation when his first harmonica didn’t quite perform as he wanted. This has turned into a full time business for Andre, who has now teamed up with Brendan Power on his x-reed harmonica range. The partnership has just released the Morbendz, a diatonic with a slide which increases the number of available bends from 8 to 14, providing the missing notes from a standard diatonic, while playing just the same.

Links:
Website:
https://linktr.ee/agcoelho 

Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/andre.coelho.1694059/

Order the Morbendz and other x-reed harmonicas:
https://x-reed.com/products.php

Harmonetta information:
https://americanhistory.si.edu/collections/nmah_1306551

Videos:
Andre's YouTube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/@agc_custom_harps

Little Lady Hip Hop track:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fx05yBNybXw

Lapa & Godoy duo:
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLB0l7d8Zq0HLoVfSIdapXoOEvKox4JCjn&si=dOzFb8z6lC7MmGfk

Andre and Brendan playing together:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1KPaUDT9RbM

Brendan introduction video to Morbendz diatonic:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-z3WLTRymYU

Andre playing on the Morbendz:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwYRXqgwTv8

Podcast website:
https://www.harmonicahappyhour.com

Donations:
If you want to make a voluntary donation to help support the running costs of the podcast then please use this link (or visit the podcast website link above):
https://paypal.me/harmonicahappyhour?locale.x=en_GB

Spotify Playlist:
Also check out the Spotify Playlist, which contains most of the songs discussed in the podcast:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5QC6RF2VTfs4iPuasJBqwT?si=M-j3IkiISeefhR7ybm9qIQ

Podcast sponsors:
This podcast is sponsored by SEYDEL harmonicas - visit the oldest harmonica factory in the world at www.seydel1847.com  or on Facebook or Instagram at SEYDEL HARMONICAS
--------------------------------
The Harmonica Company. Use promo code: 'happyhour7'.
Email Jonathan at: [email protected]
--------------------------------
Blue Moon Harmonicas: https://bluemoonharmonicas.com

Support the show

Harmonica group Svang join me on episode 112.

Svang are a harmonica quartet from Finland, who have been performing and recording for over twenty years now. They first formed in 2003 when Jouko was teaching at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki and suggested forming a harmonica group with two of his students.

The group doesn’t play the typical harmonicas of a harmonica group, with a harmonetta used instead of a chord, and bluesy diatonics used as part of the sound alongside chromatic.

Their repertoire includes folk music from Finland and the rest of the world, but is equally influenced by classical music or Finnish tango. They have released ten albums to date, with the latest, Svang Nuevo coming out in 2024 to celebrate their 20 year anniversary.

Links:
Website: 
https://www.svang.fi/

Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/svangharmonica

Concerts:
https://www.svang.fi/concerts

Galileo Music: (to buy their albums)
https://www.galileomusic.de/katalogsuche.aspx

Videos:
YouTube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/@SvangHarmonicaQuartet

Appearance on Jools Holland BBC TV show:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EwEkbFHpLTc


Podcast website:
https://www.harmonicahappyhour.com

Donations:
If you want to make a voluntary donation to help support the running costs of the podcast then please use this link (or visit the podcast website link above):
https://paypal.me/harmonicahappyhour?locale.x=en_GB

Spotify Playlist:
Also check out the Spotify Playlist, which contains most of the songs discussed in the podcast:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5QC6RF2VTfs4iPuasJBqwT?si=M-j3IkiISeefhR7ybm9qIQ

Podcast sponsors:
This podcast is sponsored by SEYDEL harmonicas - visit the oldest harmonica factory in the world at www.seydel1847.com  or on Facebook or Instagram at SEYDEL HARMONICAS
--------------------------------
The Harmonica Company. Use promo code: 'happyhour7'.
Email Jonathan at: [email protected]
--------------------------------
Blue Moon Harmonicas: https://bluemoonharmonicas.com

Support the show

Episode 111 is part 2 of the ten minute question, from the remaining podcast guests up until this point.

As per the last episode, I’ll say the name of each guest before they respond to the question: “if you had 10 minutes to practise, what would you spend that ten minutes doing”.

Podcast website:
https://www.harmonicahappyhour.com

Donations:
If you want to make a voluntary donation to help support the running costs of the podcast then please use this link (or visit the podcast website link above):
https://paypal.me/harmonicahappyhour?locale.x=en_GB

Spotify Playlist:
Also check out the Spotify Playlist, which contains most of the songs discussed in the podcast:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5QC6RF2VTfs4iPuasJBqwT?si=M-j3IkiISeefhR7ybm9qIQ

Podcast sponsors:
This podcast is sponsored by SEYDEL harmonicas - visit the oldest harmonica factory in the world at www.seydel1847.com  or on Facebook or Instagram at SEYDEL HARMONICAS
--------------------------------
The Harmonica Company. Use promo code: 'happyhour7'.
Email Jonathan at: [email protected]
--------------------------------
Blue Moon Harmonicas: https://bluemoonharmonicas.com

Support the show