Category Archives: Uncategorized

Special Guest: Sugar Ray Norcia



#bluesharmonica #blues #roomfullofbluesSugar Ray Norcia is an American electric and soul blues singer and harmonica player. Formerly the singer for Room Full of Blues, he is best known for his work with his backing band, The Bluetones, with whom he has released seven albums since 1980.

Mark Hummel

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Accidental Productions https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOOnWFbj8SGiV34ixhO0Cwg


Special Guest: Magic Dick



Magic Dick, (Richard Salwitz) plays harmonica for the J. Geils Band.

Salwitz was born in New London, Connecticut. He attended Worcester Polytechnic Institute, in Worcester, Massachusetts, where he met John “J.” Geils and Danny Klein and became a founding member of the J. Geils Band in 1965. Salwitz’s harmonica playing became a major and distinctive element in the J. Geils Band’s sound during their hard-rocking 1970s heyday. His performance of “Whammer Jammer” on the band’s live album Full Househas been particularly noted. In The Rolling Stone Record Guide (1979), music critic Dave Marsh described Salwitz as possibly “the best white musician to ever play blues harmonica.” He was often referred to as “Magic Dick and his Lickin’ Stick”.

Mark Hummel

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Accidental Productions https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOOnWFbj8SGiV34ixhO0Cwg


Special Guest: Angela Strehli



#antones #fabulousthunderbirds #stevierayvaughan #austinmusicians

Angela discusses her long career and talks about her friends in the music biz: Stevie Ray Vaughan, Muddy Waters, Huey Lewis, Gregg Allman, Janis Joplin and more.

In the early 1960s, Strehli learned the harmonica and bass guitar before becoming a vocalist. In 1966 she visited Chicago, and attended concerts given by Howlin’ Wolf, Muddy Waters and Buddy Guy. In her final university year, Strehli and Lewis Cowdrey formed the Fabulous Rockets. Strehli then sang as a backing vocalist for James Polk and the Brothers and assisted with Storm, which had been formed by Cowdrey and Jimmie Vaughan. In 1972, she was a founding member of Southern Feeling, along with W. C. Clark and Denny Freeman. Three years later Strehli became the stage manager and sound technician at Antone’s, a nightclub in Austin, Texas. By 1986, Strehli had recorded Stranger Blues (EP) which help launch Antone’s own record label. Her debut album was Soul Shake (1987, Antone’s Records), and she appeared on Dreams Come True, with Lou Ann Barton and Marcia Ball (1990). Her own effort Blonde and Blue (1993, Rounder Records) assisted in building the Austin, Texas blues scene, alongside nightclub owner Clifford Antone, Kim Wilson, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Jimmie Vaughan. In 1998, Strehli released Deja Blue, and Blue Highway followed in 2005.

Mark Hummel www.markhummel.com

Patreon https://www.patreon.com/markhummel

Accidental Productions https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOOnWFbj8SGiV34ixhO0Cwg


Special Guest: Chris Cain



Guitar virtuoso Chris Cain began playing professionally as a teenager in local clubs, at festivals, and at private events. .Cain received four Blues Music Award nominations in 1987 for his debut album, Late Night City Blues, including Guitarist of the Year. He signed to Blind Pig Records in 1990 and released his second album, Cuttin’ Loose, then released Can’t Buy A Break in 1992 and Somewhere Along the Way in 1995. 2018 brought more nominations, including Blues Music Awards Guitarist of the Year, Blues Blast Awards Best Males Blues Artist and Best Contemporary Blues Album for the 2017 release, Chris Cain. Chris records for Alligator Records.

Mark Hummel www.markhummel.com

Chris Cain  http://chriscainmusic.com

Patreon https://www.patreon.com/markhummel

Accidental Productions https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOOnWFbj8SGiV34ixhO0Cwg


Special Guests: Kid Andersen & Wes Starr



#greaseland #robertcray #wesstarr

Mark sits down at Greaseland Studios with guitarist/producer Kid Andersen ( Charlie Musselwhite, Rick Estrin, Little Charlie,Terry Hanck)  and legendary drummer Wes Starr. (Asleep at the Wheel, Hal Ketchum, Anson Funderburgh & The Rockets, Omar and The Howlers).

The guys talk about their attraction to the Blues and their journey to California. Kid began playing as a younth in Norway and came to the US at the invitation of Terry Hanck.  Wes was raised in Georgia and was exposed to the best of the blues. Wes made it to California via Nashville & Austin among other stops.

The guys also open up about sobriety and their path to becoming a sober performer and the challenges of staying sober on the road and in an industry that expects abuse.

Mark Hummel www.markhummel.com

Greaseland Studios https://www.facebook.com/Greaseland/

Patreon https://www.patreon.com/markhummel

Accidental Productions https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOOnWFbj8SGiV34ixhO0Cwg


Special Guest: Nick Gravenites



#electricflag #sanfranciscoscene

Nick Gravenites played in clubs with Mike Bloomfield, Charlie Musselwhite and others. In 1967 he formed the Electric Flag with Bloomfield. Gravenites also wrote the score for the film The Trip and produced the music for the film Steelyard Blues.

Gravenites is credited as a “musical handyman”, helping such San Francisco bands as Quicksilver Messenger Service and Janis Joplin‘s first solo group, the Kozmic Blues Band. He wrote several songs for Joplin, including “Work Me, Lord and the unfinished instrumental track “Buried Alive in the Blues”. Gravenites was the lead singer in the re-formed Big Brother and the Holding Company (without Joplin) from 1969 to 1972. He also worked extensively with John Cipollina after producing the first album by Quicksilver Messenger Service.

Gravenites produced the pop hit “One Toke Over the Line” for Brewer & Shipley and the album Right Place, Wrong Time for Otis Rush, for which he was nominated for a Grammy Award.

Mark Hummel www.markhummel.com

Patreon https://www.patreon.com/markhummel

Accidental Productions https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOOnWFbj8SGiV34ixhO0Cwg


Special Guest: Tad Robinson



Tad Robinson (born June 24, 1956) is an American singer, harmonica player, and songwriter. Robinson was born and raised in New York City. He graduated the New Lincoln School and attended Indiana University‘s school of music and graduating in 1980. He played regionally with a group called the Hesitation Blues Band, then moved to Chicago, where he became the vocalist for Dave Specter & the Bluebirds, singing on their 1994 album Blueplicity for Delmark Records. In 1994, he released his first album under his own name on the same label; seven more have followed, five on the Severn imprint. Robinson has performed at notable festivals in several countries, including the United States, Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, the Netherlands, and Switzerland. He has been a Hohner harmonica endorsee since 1985.

Tad Robinson https://tadrobinson.com/

Mark Hummel www.markhummel.com

Patreon https://www.patreon.com/markhummel

Accidental Productions https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOOnWFbj8SGiV34ixhO0Cwg


Special Guest: The James Cotton Band



#jamescotton #harmonicablues #markhummel

The James Cotton Band sits down and talks with Mark about playing with Mark’s longtime friend and harmonic legend James Cotton. James Henry Cotton (July 1, 1935 – March 16, 2017) was an American blues harmonica player, singer and songwriter, who performed and recorded with many of the other great blues artists of his time and with his own band. He played drums early in his career but is famous for his harmonica playing. Cotton began his professional career playing the blues harp in Howlin’ Wolf’s band in the early 1950s. He made his first recordings in Memphis for Sun Records, under the direction of Sam Phillips. In 1955, he was recruited by Muddy Waters to come to Chicago and join his band. Cotton became Waters’s bandleader and stayed with the group until 1965. In 1965 he formed the Jimmy Cotton Blues Quartet, with Otis Spann on piano, to record between gigs with the Muddy Waters band. He eventually left to form his own full-time touring group. His first full album, on Verve Records, was produced by the guitarist Mike Bloomfield and the singer and songwriter Nick Gravenites, who later were members of the band Electric Flag. In the 1970s, Cotton played harmonica on Muddy Waters’ Grammy Award–winning 1977 album Hard Again, produced by Johnny Winter.

Mark Hummel www.markhummel.com

Patreon https://www.patreon.com/markhummel

Accidental Productions https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOOnWFbj8SGiV34ixhO0Cwg


Special Guest: Charlie Musselwhite Part 1



#charliemusselwhite #elvis #chicagoblues #memphisblues #harmonicaparty

Charlie Musselwhite joins Mark Hummel’s Harmonica Party for a conversation with the legendary Harp player. Charlie talks about growing up in Memphis and going to the Amusement Park and movies with Elvis Presley and the Memphis Mafia. Charlie remembers his unique childhood that brought him to music and to the blues. Charlie tells Mark about the move to Chicago and trying to find a place in the blues scene, First working in a record store and sharing the stage with Chicago Blues legends Lew Soloff, Muddy Waters, Junior Wells, Sonny Boy Williamson, Buddy Guy, Howlin’ Wolf, Little Walter, and Big Walter Horton. Charlie Musselwhite recent recordings include Grammy nominated releases with Elvin Bishop #elvinbishop Ben Harper #benharper .

Please SUBSCRIBE to Mark Hummel’s Harmonica Party YouTube Channel. Mark Hummel  Accidental Productions


Special Guest: Elvin Bishop



Mark Hummel’s Harmonica Party brings in Elvin Bishop singer, guitarist, bandleader, and songwriter. An original member of the Paul Butterfield Blues Band, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of that group in 2015 and the Blues Hall of Fame in his own right in 2016 Elvin talks about Mike Bloomfield, Paul Butterfield, James Cotton, Charlie Musselwhite. Elvin discusses searching for a singer for his hit Fooled Around and Fell In Love. Elvin talks about his days at The Fillmore for Bill Graham, and physics! #elvinbishop #paulbutterfieldbluesband #bigfuntrio

Please SUBSCRIBE to Mark Hummel’s Harmonica Party YouTube Channel. Mark Hummel  Accidental Productions