I’ve been listening to some Jason Ricci bootlegs and I am looking forward to seeing him at Mexicali Blues in Teaneck, New Jersey.

I am going down to buy the tickets this weekend. They are $15, which is cheap for an act like this. They are $20 online.

I’ll see you there.

BTW there’s an opening act that does not sound like it is blues or harp related. I just stopped by their web page, and they seem to be talented, but I am a blues harp bigot.

Mexicali Blues Cafe | NJ Hottest Live Music Venue

I updated my “10 steps” page over at Squidoo. I like their format – it makes it easy to write a short essay like this.

Check it out. I think I’ve condensed about 20 years of struggling with the harp down into a few hundred words.

10 Steps to Becoming a Harmonica Super Star

There’s a cool sounding harmonica get-together out in North Benton, Ohio. Danny G is having another Harmonica Lover’s Family Picnic. It’s way to far for me, but if gas cost less, I might try a road trip.

If you are within $150 miles, and you drink enough free beer, you might just break even.

This years guests will include singer, guitar player and composer “Grizzly” (Dave) Warner, a friend who doesn’t play harmonica but recently performed at the seasons opening festival at Nelson Ledges. Wally and Val Peterman. We have talked with a couple well know blues players this year, but no confirmations yet.

I’d like to attract more diatonic players to the party.
I’m going to give my Astatic model JT-30 microphone to the short harp player the audience votes as their favorite.

We have room for a bunch of tent campers.
(email me if you’d like to camp out so I can keep track and limit space if necessary)

Friday July 11th and Saturday July 12th (we’ll run you off if you stay past Tuesday)

21746 North Benton West Road
North Benton, Ohio

DannyG@AllianceLink.com

Danny G’s 2008 Harmonica Lovers Family Reunion

Little Annie Raines taught a Women-Only course in Blues Harp that is covered by this article. I took some lessons from Annie about 16 years ago. (Little Annie is right, she’s under five feet and I’m 6 foot 3, so she must have had a stiff neck from talking to me.)

Link to the Ladies Play the Blues (harp) video.

Annie is a great teacher. My only criticism is that the article has precious little of Annie’s playing in it.

Harp players are mostly men, but the women harp players that I have met have all been damn good at it.

Ladies play the blues (harp)