The Man Can Blow....Mark Hummel! (Pt.1)

The past decade has seen the emergence of young harmonica-led Blues bands. In California, groups that draw their inspiration from the Chicago school but add elements of jump Blues and rock 'n' roll into the mix have come up with an exciting new style of West Coast Blues. In Oakland, the northern capital of California Blues, resides the incredibly powerful harmonica player and vocalist Mark Hummel, leader of The Blues Survivors, who has been a major force in shaping and defining this musical genre.

Mark Hummel is a road warrior - a true Blues Survivor. Along the way, he has crafted his own trademark harmonica sound - a subtle combination of tone, phrasing and attack combined with a strong sense of swing. While Mark is new to Electro Fi Records, his earlier albums, constant touring and appearances at the major Blues festivals have firmly established his solid reputation around the US and Europe.

On this broadcast, host John Rhys welcomes Mark Hummel to BluePower. Mr. Hummel has raised the bar of Bluesharp playing to new heights. The man is not only a gentleman but a scholar as well. He knows every harp player who ever lived that made a record or CD.

Mark also explains to BP's listeners, how the harmonica works, the amplifiers he uses and the various types of harp playing. For instance, I didn't know there were three distinct ways to play a harmonica. No wonder I could never "get it".

Part One of this show introduces Mark Hummel and The Blues Survivors and allows an inside look at how Mark has achieved worldwide prominence. His goals and his aspirations plus a few of his favorite recordings. Artists include James Cotton, John Brim, Little Walter, George "Harmonica" Smith and many more of Mr. Hummel's favorites.

If you like harp men as much as I do, you will certainly enjoy Part One of this two part series with a true virtuoso of the instrument....Mr. Mark Hummel.

John Rhys/BluePower.com

Click To Listen....The Man Can Blow....Mark Hummel! (Pt. 1)