Tag Archives: Delta Blues

Special Guest: Dick Bright



The Dick Bright Orchestra has built a reputation as being San Francisco’s premier social band. They also travel to perform throughout the U.S. for conventions, corporate events, fundraisers, weddings, and private parties. Based on Dick Bright’s colorful career history, we couldn’t wait to interview him and share more with you about what makes him so knowledgable and entertaining. Enjoy! Born in Santa Monica, California, and grew up in West Los Angeles, Rod Serling was president of his junior high school, and actress Katey Sagal from Married With Children was in his high school acting class! Dick’s father was a public school music teacher at the same school for forty five years, taught private lessons, and played weddings and bar mitzvahs on the weekends. Dick attended to Palisades High School in Pacific Palisades where he played in the orchestra and took acting classes – loving both arts. “It’s why I like combining music with a flair for a show and comedy as well. Sybil Maxwell, my violin teacher, was one of the top teachers in Los Angeles (she studied with Jascha Heifetz considered the world’s greatest violinist), and I was being groomed to hopefully grow up and play in a major symphony. When I got to UC Davis I discovered girls and rock and roll. Needless to say, my classical career was over. I went on to double major in music and acting.” Dick went straight from college to play in an original rock band in Berkeley, California called Little Roger and the Goosebumps. We had a novelty hit called Stairway to Gilligan’s Island—the words from Gilligan’s Island and the music from Stairway to Heaven. Led Zepplin threatened a law suit. We got mentioned in Rolling Stone. I was hooked on show biz by then. For twenty five years Dick’s been performing the National Anthem for the Golden State Warriors and San Francisco Giants. “As a sports nut, so this is probably the biggest thrill every year — to step on the court or the field. I feel like I’m about twelve years old! Plus it’s the most nervous I get (no band to cover my mistakes!). I even got to do God Bless America at a World Series game and the anthem for the Home Run Derby when it was at AT&T Park.”


Special Guest: Big Creek Slim



Big Creek Slim is a blues man as sure as the day is long. Don’t believe it? Hear that voice. Feel the passion and intensity that he brings to the blues. Big Creek Slim’s trademark is authentic pre-WWII country blues and early Chicago Blues. Right now he’s the hottest Scandinavian blues name and has received a rain of awards, and has excited the blues crowds all over Europe.

Big Creek Slim Website

www.bigcreekslim.dk

Welcome


Special Guest Big Joe Louis



#bluesharmonica #bluesguitarist

Marks talks with Big Joe Louis while touring the UK together. Big Joe Louis was born in Jamaica, West Indies, and moved to the UK during the 1970s. The Blues Kings were formed 18 years ago and have taken their special kind of real down-home Blues to venues the length and breadth of the UK and Ireland and with great success in virtually every country in Western Europe and Scandinavia. 1998 and 1999 brought two invitations to play in the USA, leading to exceptional reviews.

Mark Hummel Website

Big Joe Louis Website

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


Mark talks about & plays Jimmy Reed



Mark sits down and discusses Jimmy Reed’s influence and plays a couple JR tunes.

Mark Hummel’s Website

Patreon

Produced by Accidental Productions

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Seydel Harmonicas

Electro Fi Records

 


Special Guest: Steve Freund Pt 1



Mark sits down with blues guitar legend Steve Freund to talk about his career and blues history. Steve began his career in Chicago with Hubert Sumlin, Lee Jackson, Homesick James, Louis Myers, and many others. He spent two years working with Big Walter Horton and Floyd Jones, and in 1978 he became Sunnyland Slim’s main guitarist. Freund is the consummate piano accompanist working with Pinetop Perkins, Jimmy Walker, Henry Gray, Erwin Helfer and many more. Steve spent nine years working with harmonica legend James Cotton. Steve tours internationally and has played with and opens shows for Boz Scaggs.

Special Thanks to Bob Corritore for his photographs

Steve Freund’s Website

Mark Hummel’s Website

Produced by Accidental Productions

For a video version please visit  Mark Hummel’s Harmonica Party on YouTube


Road Dogs



Mark talks about life on the road for blues musicians, and his book Big Road Blues: 12 Bars on I-80 and plays music from his new CD The Wayback Machine with Deep Basement Shakers

Contact Mark and check out his website

Contact Jeff and check out his website

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Seydel Harmonicas

Electro Fi Records

Mountain Top Productions & Records

Accidental Productions


Remembering James Harman



Mark talks about the roots of blues and his friend James Harman.

James Gary Harman (June 8, 1946 – May 23, 2021) was an American blues harmonica player, singer, and songwriter. The music journalist Tony Russell described Harman as an “amusing songwriter and an excellent, unfussy blues harp player”.

James Harman’s CD “Fineprint”

Mark Hummel

Please check out our sponsors and affiliates.  

Seydel Harmonicas 

Electro Fi Records

Mountain Top Productions & Records

Accidental Productions