I'm Jay, from Atlanta. Tom directed me to this site. We were talking about blues over on All About Jazz.
I play the drums and harmonica. The first blues record I ever heard was Paul Butterfield's first album, the one where Sam Lay's wearing the silver Beatle boots. Immediately I knew I had to learn to play the harp. Then I found Little Walter and copied everything I could from him. I can play "Roller Coaster" note-for-note. That took awhile.
I'm basically a jazz drummer and composer, but when I was younger I played harp in quite a few blues bands. I even got to play harp on a Curtis Mayfield song called "Dirty Laundry." I got that session because I used to do a lot of jingle sessions, back in the days when real musicians were used for that kind of studio work.
I'd love to play the harp again but I don't know much about what's happening with blues these days. I'm a Chicago/Chess Records guy. The blues being played now is much more informed by rock, anyway it seems that way to me. So I just play for myself. I've been to a few blues jams but I never could connect with that really. All the same old songs, you know. "Sweet Home Chicago," no thanks.
I play my harps through a 1969 Fender Super Reverb amp, with an Astatic microphone. I play Special 20's, and also Meisterklasse and CX12 chromatics. The CX sounds great through the amp.
So that's me. I'm looking forward to joining in.
J
I play the drums and harmonica. The first blues record I ever heard was Paul Butterfield's first album, the one where Sam Lay's wearing the silver Beatle boots. Immediately I knew I had to learn to play the harp. Then I found Little Walter and copied everything I could from him. I can play "Roller Coaster" note-for-note. That took awhile.
I'm basically a jazz drummer and composer, but when I was younger I played harp in quite a few blues bands. I even got to play harp on a Curtis Mayfield song called "Dirty Laundry." I got that session because I used to do a lot of jingle sessions, back in the days when real musicians were used for that kind of studio work.
I'd love to play the harp again but I don't know much about what's happening with blues these days. I'm a Chicago/Chess Records guy. The blues being played now is much more informed by rock, anyway it seems that way to me. So I just play for myself. I've been to a few blues jams but I never could connect with that really. All the same old songs, you know. "Sweet Home Chicago," no thanks.
I play my harps through a 1969 Fender Super Reverb amp, with an Astatic microphone. I play Special 20's, and also Meisterklasse and CX12 chromatics. The CX sounds great through the amp.
So that's me. I'm looking forward to joining in.
J
