Saturday Group Harmonica Classes (Teaneck, NJ-NYC metro)

Due to all the requests I got from students & new harp players on my email list, in 2011 I started a small group blues harmonica class in Teaneck, NJ that meets approx. twice a month. Easily accessible from NYC or northern NJ. The general level in beginner/intermediate, with most students somewhere in between. The focus for each class is to cover new ideas for jamming, new techniques to work on, basic understanding of blues music & theory, building a rhythmic foundation, building a melodic foundation, working on blues patterns and licks, and answering any & all questions along the way.

Starting in Spring 2012:

I will focus on these same goals, as well as use this webpage for the following:

• future class dates & topics
• reservation for group classes (class reservations are now required)
• song/technique/topic request form
• outline, discussions, and questions from the class
• info on “special” future group classes, including guests, performances, jams, and more!
• LEVEL 1 (beginner/intermediate) and LEVEL 2 (intermediate/advanced) class levels

For private lesson information, check out my full LESSONS page here

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RESERVE YOUR SEAT AT A CLASS TODAY!

(invoice for seats will be emailed to you…$30/seat…reserve for as many classes as you want, limited seating available!)

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MAKE A CLASS SUGGESTION…

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NOT ON THE EMAIL LIST? JOIN NOW!!

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Microphone Request – Astatic JT-30-c ($320) and Astatic 30 Biscuit ($350) plus shipping/insurance ($20)

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Microphone Request – Green Bullet $150 plus shiipping

July 21, 1917 – December 19, 1989

Recording history: late 1940′s for Marvel/ Tempo-Tone, early/mid-1950′s for JOB/ Chess/ Vee-Jay, 1960′s for Testament, 1970′s for Earwig

Also recorded with: Little Walter, Snooky Pryor, Eddie Taylor, Sunnyland Slim, Junior Wells, and more…

Important/historic recordings: “Stockyard Blues”, “Dark Road”, “On The Road Again”, “Hard Times”

Random fact: One of the earliest of the great post-war Chicago blues stylists (one of his early bands included Little Walter & Jimmy Rogers), he didn’t record much as a leader, though he remained active for many years in the Chicago blues scene.

About: Born in Arkansas, Floyd Jones spent much of his formative years in the Mississippi Delta. In the 1930′s and 1940′s spent some time playing music in Mississippi and Arkansas, before moving to Chicago in the mid-1940′s. He became very active in the post-war Chicago blues music scene, especially in it’s early period (the late 1940′s). With his cousin Moody, and other musicians such as Baby Face Leroy, Little Walter, Jimmy Rogers, Sunnyland Slim, Johnny Young, and Snooky Pryor, Floyd made some now-classic early post-war Chicago blues recordings and also performed in the Chicago area (especially on the famous Maxwell Street), helping to set the stage for more popular post-war stylings from artists such as Muddy Waters and Howlin’ Wolf.

The 1950′s saw only a few (but great) recording sessions for JOB, Chess and Vee-Jay. Classics such as “Playhouse” (on Chess featuring Little Walter) and “Schooldays On My Mind” (on Vee-Jay featuring Snooky Pryor) come to mind as particular highlights, but all of his early 1950′s recordings stand as great examples of early post-war Chicago blues. Later in his career, the electric bass replaced the guitar as his main instrument, but he continued to remain active on the scene for many years.

Recommended Recordings in-print (some with harmonica):

• “Chicago Blues – Hard Times”- Indigo - nice early Chicago blues compilation with some great FJ tracks
• “Blues Is Killin’ Me” – Paula - nice early Chicago blues compilation of JOB recordings with some great FJ tracks
• “Vee-Jay Blues – Very Best Vol 2″ – Collectables – another good blues compilation with some FJ tracks
• “Old Friends” - Earwig – later recording with some harp from Big Walter Horton

I’ve found the best selection of blues harmonica CDs to be available at:

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Video clips:

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ABOUT • BLUES HISTORY • BLUES & THE BEAT • CDS • CONTACT • HARP Q&A’s • HOME • LISTEN UP! • JAM TRAX • LIVE LESSONS • MICS & MORE • STORE PAGE • WHAT THEY SAY • LINKS

September 5, 1906 – March 17, 1995

Recording history: late 1940′s for RCA-Victor (as “Dr. Clayton’s Buddy”)/ Aristocrat/ Hy-tone/ Chance/ Tempo-Tone/ Mercury/ Apollo, early-mid-1950′s for Regal/ JOB/ Blue Lake/ Cobra, in 1960′s for Prestige/ Atomic/ Spivey/ World Pacific, 1970′s-1990′s for Red Beans/ Airway/ L&R/ Earwig/ Arcola/ BGO and others

Also recorded with: Muddy Waters, Little Walter, Johnny Shines, Snooky Pryor, Robert Lockwood, Jr., Homesick James, Big Walter, and more…

Important/historic recordings: “Sunnyland Train”, “She Got A Thing Goin’ On”, “It’s You, Baby”, “Everytime I Get To Drinking”

Random fact: One of the earliest of the great Chicago-style pianists (he also had a hand in Muddy Waters meeting the Chess brothers for the first time), he also lived to be one of the oldest, outliving many of his contemporaries and even others he had influenced.

About: Born Albert Laundrew in Mississippi. First learned music on the organ and later started performing on piano at juke joints and parties. Moved to the Memphis, TN area in the 1920′s and performed all around Beale Street while meeting and playing with other blues artists of the area. Somewhere around the late 1930′s, he moved to Chicago as many other musicians had, and started working soon with people such as John Lee “Sonny Boy” Williamson, Robert Lockwood, Jr., Muddy Waters, Little Walter, and Floyd Jones.

From the late 1940′s through the late 1950′s, Sunnyland Slim recorded for many labels under his own name, and as a sideman with many other known blues artists. He was known for his right-hand trills and his loud, expressive vocals. Some sessions that come to mind are several featuring Big Walter Horton (one under the title of “Old Friends” featuring Sunnyland Slim, Big Walter, Floyd Jones and Honeyboy Edwards) and a session for World Pacific in the late 1960′s featuring George “Harmonica” Smith entitled “Slim’s Got His Thing Goin’ On” (around the same time George Smith recorded his “Tribute To Little Walter” album for the same label).

In later years Slim continued to play regularly in Chicago as well as festivals. Several health issues set him back from time to time, but Slim persevered until 1995 when he succumbed to kidney failure implications following a fall (at the age of 88). Considered to be one of the greatest traditional blues piano players.

Recommended Recordings in-print (some with harmonica):

• “Sad And Lonesome”- Jewel - nice session featuring Big Walter Horton
• “Slim’s Got His Thing Goin’ On” – Sequel - GREAT session with George “Harmonica” Smith (OUT OF PRINT)
• “Decoration Day” – Evidence – good recording with some harp by Carey Bell
• “Old Friends” - Earwig – later recording with some harp from Big Walter Horton
• “Be Careful How You Vote” - Earwig - later recording w/Eddie Taylor on guitar

I’ve found the best selection of blues harmonica CDs to be available at:

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Video clips:

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ABOUT • BLUES HISTORY • BLUES & THE BEAT • CDS • CONTACT • HARP Q&A’s • HOME • LISTEN UP! • JAM TRAX • LIVE LESSONS • MICS & MORE • STORE PAGE • WHAT THEY SAY • LINKS

March 21, 1930 – April 24, 1970

Recording history: 1954 on Chess, 1960 for Candid, 1960′s for Storyville/ Prestige/ ABC-Bluesway/ Vanguard/ Flying Dutchman/ Spivey and others

Also recorded with: Muddy Waters, Little Walter, Howlin’ Wolf, Jimmy Rogers, Bo Diddley, Sonny Boy Williamson #2, Junior Wells, and more…

Important/historic recordings: “Must Have Been the Devil”, “The Blues Never Die”, “Get Your Hands Out Of My Pocket”, “I’m Leaving You”

Random fact: An important figure in the post-war Chicago blues era, particularly as a member of the Muddy Waters Band, but also as a sideman with many other Chess blues recording acts. Ironically, he only released one single under his own name on the Chess label (in 1954) which also happened to feature B.B. King on guitar, and was the first recording session for George “Harmonica” Smith.

About: Born in Jackson, MS. By his teen years was playing in juke joints & clubs in Jackson and the surrounding area. By around 1947 (when his mother died) the young piano player moved to Chicago to stay with relatives, and perhaps seek more musical opportunities. By then the young Spann was already inspired very much by Chicago blues pianist Big Maceo Merriweather, and Spann had eventually taken over the piano seat with Muddy Waters in the early 1950′s…a seat which he held through the late 1960′s.

Through his all-too-short career (living only to be 40 years old), Spann didn’t record much as a leader until the early-mid 1960′s. A few recordings were made with Chess (with George “Harmonica” Smith and with Big Walter Horton), and only one single was released. Some fine recordings were made in the 1960′s for the Prestige (featuring James Cotton on harmonica and vocals), Testament (also some with James Cotton), ABC-Bluesway (also with George “Harmonica” Smith), Vanguard, and Candid.

Probably best remembered for being Muddy Waters’ piano man during Muddy’s most popular recording era (early 1950′s though the 1960′s on Chess), Otis Spann was also an extremely gifted blues singer and boogie piano player. Stylistically, he also carried on the deep blues piano tradition laid down by the aforementioned earlier Chicago blues piano great – Big Maceo. Two years after his death (in 1972), he was recognized by the Ann Arbor Jazz & Blues Festival and the festival was dedicated in his memory. He was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 1980.

Recommended Recordings in-print (with harmonica):

• “The Blues Never Die!”- Prestige/OBC - great session sharing leader duties with James Cotton
• “Chicago Blues” – Testament - more classic Chicago blues some with w/James Cotton
• “The Blues Is Where It’s At” – BGO – classic recording with some harp by George Smith
• “Chess Blues Piano Greats” - MCA/Chess - 2CD Chess compilation including four Spann tracks w/George Smith & Big Walter

I’ve found the best selection of blues harmonica CDs to be available at:

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Video clips:

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ABOUT • BLUES HISTORY • BLUES & THE BEAT • CDS • CONTACT • HARP Q&A’s • HOME • LISTEN UP! • JAM TRAX • LIVE LESSONS • MICS & MORE • STORE PAGE • WHAT THEY SAY • LINKS

April 26, 1915 – April 20, 1992

Recording history: 1946 for Columbia, 1950 on Chess, 1952-3 for J.O.B., late 1960′s for Vanguard/Testament/Blue Horizon and others…1970′s for Spivey/Testament/Biograph/Advent/Tomato and others…1980′s & later for Rounder/Blind Pig/Wolf and others

Also recorded with: Chicago Blues All-Stars, Koko Taylor, Willie Dixon, Johnny Nicholas, Robert Jr. Lockwood, Snooky Pryor

Important/historic recordings: “Evening Sun”, “Brutal Hearted Woman”, “So Glad That I Found You”

Random fact: An important figure in Delta and Chicago blues styles historically, Johnny Shines’ recorded legacy could (and should) have been much bigger, but for the fact that he quit the music business during the heyday of post-war Chicago blues (mid-1950′s through mid-1960′s), while other transplanted Delta artists such as Muddy Waters & Howlin’ Wolf recorded prolifically in Chicago.

About: Born John Ned Shines in Tennessee, and spent much of his formative years in the Memphis area playing slide guitar, learning how to play guitar from his mother. Was inspired by some early blues greats such as Blind Lemon Jefferson, Charley Patton and Lonnie Johnson, and soon was performing and learning from other area musicians such as Howlin’ Wolf, and in the mid 1930′s with Delta blues great Robert Johnson. Not long before Johnson’s untimely death in 1938, the two went separate ways and Shines eventually made his home in Chicago in the early 1940′s.

Johnny Shines’ earliest recording sessions for Columbia (1946) and Chess (1950) went unreleased, but he continued to perform locally in Chicago on his own and with other performers. In 1952 and 1953, he made some great records for the J.O.B. label, but still hadn’t met much success in the music business. Various business-related frustrations caused Johnny to quit the music scene for a while and thankfully was “re-discovered” in the mid-1960′s while photographing other blues performers. His recordings on part of the Vanguard label’s legendary LP series called “Chicago/The Blues/Today!” marked his return to the music scene. Plenty more recordings followed suit, many of them featuring the same great harmonica player from his Vanguard session – Big Walter Horton.

Through the 1970′s Shines toured and recorded with another important Delta/Chicago artist with connections to Robert Johnson – Robert Jr. Lockwood. Several other fine albums (including some live recordings) have also been released from this time period. Johnny suffered a stroke in the 1980′s but still continued to perform on his own and collaborate with others. The same year that he died – 1992 – he was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame.

Recommended Recordings in-print (with harmonica):

• “Drop Down Mama”- MCA/Chess - collection of  early Chess blues including two from Johnny Shines)
• “Evening Shuffle/J.O.B. Recordings” – Westside - CLASSIC Chicago blues w/Big Walter Horton
• “Masters Of Modern Blues” – Testament – another session with Big Walter
• “Back To the Country” - Blind Pig - later recording with Snooky Pryor (Johnny Shines only handling some vocals)

I’ve found the best selection of blues harmonica CDs to be available at:

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Video clips:

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ABOUT • BLUES HISTORY • BLUES & THE BEAT • CDS • CONTACT • HARP Q&A’s • HOME • LISTEN UP! • JAM TRAX • LIVE LESSONS • MICS & MORE • STORE PAGE • WHAT THEY SAY • LINKS

If you want to seek out where to get some good blues harp lessons, take some of these things into consideration…

3) Set realistic goals

Once you have found a good instructor to take blues harp lessons from, and you are setting aside some practice time, you will also want to make sure to not set yourself up for frustration or disappointment by setting realistic goals.
What NOT to do…
So many students & players get ahead of themselves when they want to learn some new licks, songs or techniques – regardless of their playing level. Yes, it can be very exciting to learn, but many times people set themselves up for frustration (in between the blues harp lessons) as they expect too much too soon, or think they should be “getting it” much quicker than is realistic.

One thing I repeat to all of my students is this little secret – the only REAL “shortcut” is to avoid all shortcuts! It takes everyone a while to learn these techniques and be able to learn them and execute them correctly, let alone make them sound like music. We’ve all been there before, especially myself. I’ve taken time to learn dozen & dozens of songs, solos, licks, techniques – you name it. One thing I DID learn quickly is this – not many things are learned “quickly”. Take your tie with practice sessions and blues harp lessons, so as to learn things correctly. Learning them correctly will undoubtedly save you much time in the long run.

What is GOOD to do?

Aside from keeping notes and keeping track of what you are learning, be sure to pace yourself and allow your body to adjust to new techniques. Whether it is something concerning your mouth or tongue position, or adjusting your breathing, or a new concept to wrap your brain around concerning playing harmonica, these things take time. Repetition is your friend and is THE key to help you & your body get used to these new things. I also want to stress again what a big help a live instructor can be, to point out what specifically you are doing right and/or wrong, so you can adjust your focus and learn as quickly and correctly as possible.

Patience!

I almost threw my first harmonica out the window! I realized how far I needed to go with my technique one day (it was one of THOSE days), and I had no one to take good blues harp lessons from to help point out the minor details I needed to know to help get further and develop (and practice) my techniques correctly. With a good practice routine and a good harp instructor, you can learn SO much faster if you work at developing the skills and don’t expect it overnight. I guarantee all the students that take blues harp lessons from me that they will see results if they stick to a routine and work on the materials I give to them.

MORE INFORMATION ON BLUES HARP LESSONS HERE
(to be continued…)
- Dennis Gruenling
Dennis Gruenling can be found on DennisGruenling.com or here on BadAssHarmonica.com. He teaches blues harmonica around the globe, including in the NY/NJ area and online, performs all over, and also hosts the blues radio show “Blues & the Beat” on WFDU – Teaneck, NJ on Thursday afternoons.