Anson Funderburgh is one of my favorite Blues Guitarists. He’s had harp player Sam Meyers as the front man for his band Anson Funderbergh and the Rockets for years. Sam hasn’t always been in the best of health and was a heavy smoker. He even smoked on stage at The Turning Point Cafe after the no smoking laws came into effect in NY (the law doesn’t apply to performers who use smoking as part of the act).

Sam got a bad case of throat cancer and had his larnyx removed. He’s up at the Mayo Clinic right now, but we all pray that he’ll be well enough to return to Texas for his recovery, soon.

You can visit his site at www.sweetsammyers.com. There is a guestbook at that you can sign at www.caringbridge.org/visit/sweetsam and someone reads Sam the entries every day.

Latest cancer treatment costs bluesman his voice – The Clarion-Ledger

Gary Schwartz, one of the best Blues Drummers you’ll ever find, is one of the teachers at a summer music program for kids: Rhythm Section RockShop. If you know a young musician 8-18 years old, who is interested in Blues or Rock and wants to learn how to play in a band – this is for them.

Rhythm Section RockShop
Briarcliff Music & Related Arts
515 North State Road
Briarcliff Manor NY 10510
(914) 941-0900
www.briarcliffmusic.net
Musicians/instructors:
Andy Kuusisto & Gary Schwartz
Recommended for young musicians 8 – 18 yrs. with at least 1 year of musical study preferred. Guitarists/bassists/wind players should have their own instrument. We provide amplification, microphones, drums & keyboards.
Bands may come in fully formed, or individuals may join and we will complete your ensemble.

For more information and registration details, please contact
Gary Schwartz (845) 528-1612 or Garydrums@optonline.net
Andy Kuusisto (914) 944-4884 or Lowasharp@aol.com
Our program will enable the participants to more successfully work together in a musical group environment. Students will be taught to
recognize their own strengths and talents as well as each others, in order to achieve maximum benefit from their collaboration.

Session I – 6/26 – 7/15
Session II – 7/17 – 8/5
Session III – 8/7 – 8/26
All bands meet Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday of the 3rd week, all bands will play in concert.
3 Bands will be formed per Session:
Band 1 meets 12:00 – 1:30 PM
Band 2 meets 1:45 – 3:15 PM
Band 3 meets 3:30 – 5:00 PM

I get lots of questions about Shure mics. I almost always find the answer on this page. Book mark Shure Discontinued Products for future reference. Anyone who is interested in mics should have this page available for quick reference.

Coast2Coast Music has a pair of Microphones for sale at a decent price. I might buy these when I get my tax refund.
Shaker Retro Rocket Harmonica Microphone. (about $120) This is a small mic and I think it would fit nicely in your hand and help to control the sound very well. Shaker mics have always had a good sound.

And this very pretty one
Bushman Torpedo Harmonica Microphone. (about $100) This is more like a vocal mic in a retro package. You would have to use a transformer to plug it into a tube amp, but it’s perfect if you plug directly into the PA.

I found this on the apple downloads website. It looks pretty cool, but you need a Mac to run it on – no PCs.

Harmonica – Audio: “Want to play a soulful solo like Stevie Wonder, or take a blues odyssey and crank out tunes like the oldtimer Howlin’ Wolf? This free Mac Harmonica Player will give you a listen to basic harmonica chords, and let you play around a little with them so you can compose your own simple tunes. Harmonica will give you an idea of the sounds of a diatonic harmonica and generally introduce you to the wonderful world of Harmonica. After you experiment with this free application, maybe you’ll try to dig out and dust off the harmonica that’s been in your attic forever.”

If you happen to find yourself in Swazi (you know, Africa?) and in the need of some great Blues Harp action stop by at the Mbabane Theatre Club Saturday night.

The Swazi Observer: “THE Alliance Francaise will on Saturday host ‘An Exceptional Blues Concert’ at the Mbabane Theatre Club.

The show will feature Tao Ravao, a Malagasy polyvalent string instruments bluesman who will be accompanied by French Vincent Bucher on harmonica.

“We are pleased to be hosting the two musicians who are among the best in Africa,” said one of the organisers. He added that the musicians have been playing together for 18 years, with their crossbreed blues mixed with influences from Chicago and Madagascar, and toured 17 African countries last year.

Admission is E50 and the show will start at 8 p.m. “We have confirmed everything concerning the show and music lovers should brace themselves for a great show,” he said.”

Any new harp players in the Holden area in Massachusetts (a little north of Worcester) might want to check out the harp lessons starting next Monday. Anybody attending, please send me pictures!

Harmonica lessons: “Harmonica lessons

Have fun while learning the basics of playing the harmonica. Discover how to properly hold the instrument, hand effects, single notes, bend notes and chords, breathing techniques and care of the instrument. The class covers a wide variety of musical styles including ‘jamming the blues.’ Classes begin Monday, April 10, from 7 to 8 p.m. at the Holden Recreation Office, 175 Highland St., and continue for six weeks. The cost of the class is $40.

A standard 10-hole diatonic (or chromatic) harmonica in the key of ‘C’ is required. To register or for more information, call (508) 829-0263. “

I made this at www.signgenerator.org. Click the image to see full size.

I made an ipod type ad image for the JT-30 microphone. You can tell that I was real busy today at work.

I added another one, since the first came out so well

I read on alt.music.harmonica:

Jeanette Clarke has let it slip that she plans to release the next CD of Clarke’s music in July. It will feature tracks of pre-Alligator music, and will include some cuts with George Harmonica Smith.
She is also working on having converted VHS tapes of Bill when he was just twenty+ years old.

I can’t wait. As soon as I get my hands on it, I will give it quick review.