Blues Harmonica Blowout

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Mark Hummel's Blues Harmonica Blowout returns to the Tower as part of the 33nd annual tour, including master harpslingers Curtis Salgado, Magic Dick, and R.J. Mischo!

Curtis Salgado was half of The Robert Cray Band as a co-front man in the first five years of the band's busy touring schedule starting in 1977. Salgado has since been one of the leading lights of the Northwest's R&B world, racking up BMA awards every year for Soul Man of the Year in Memphis, Best CD, Song Of The Year, and many other notable accolades. Curtis's latest, Fine By Me, spent most of 2024 at the top of the charts. Curtis is the best blue-eyed soul singer alive as well as a great harmonica man.

Magic Dick is the original harp man from the J. Geils Band, whose many hits flooded the airwaves during the 1970s and 1980s. Chart-toppers like "Freeze Frame," "Centerfold," "First I Look At The Purse," "Must a Got Lost," "Give It To Me," and Magic Dick's own composition "Wammer Jammer" were in the Top Ten off and on for twenty years and made them one of the few top bands (other then WAR) that featured a harmonica prominently in the frontline. Dick went on to start the band Bluestime with J. Geils after the original band broke up, making two CDs for Rounder Records.

Mark Hummel took up an interest in blues harp in high school and was soon frequenting the legendary Ash Grove on Melrose Avenue in LA where he saw three blues legends he would later work with on a regular basis: Charlie Musselwhite, Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee, and James Cotton. By 1985 Mark Hummel's Blues Survivors hit the road full time and never looked back.

R.J. Mischo is from the Twin Cities in Minnesota and has garnered a stellar reputation for his harmonica prowess worldwide, thanks to consistently great recordings and constant touring. RJ has been a Hohner Harmonica sponsee for twenty years! Mischo last played the Harmonica Blowout in 2018, with John Primer & Billy Boy Arnold.

Anson Funderburgh taught himself to play the guitar and went on to make a living doing what he loved with that set of strings. In 1978, he formed the iconic blues band Anson Funderburgh & The Rockets, who continue to define the sound of modern-day Texas blues. His unmistakable style, tone and sensibility has made him one of contemporary blues music’s most important guitar players.

Steve Freund, also on guitar, hails from Brooklyn, NY but moved to the Windy City of Chicago in 1970 at the invitation of legendary blues pianist Sunnyland Slim, who Steve accompanied for twenty years. During this time Steve played with every noteworthy blues person in the city, including Otis Rush, Bo Diddley, Koko Taylor, James Cotton, Magic Slim, and many more. Steve played on Boz Scaggs’ Come On Home album as has recorded three albums of his own as well on Delmark Records.

Rounding out this lineup is Wes Starr on drums (Asleep at the Wheel, Delbert McClinton, Marsha Ball, Omar and the Howlers, Anson & The Rockets, Willie Nelson) and BMA-winning bassist Rodrigo Mantovani (Nick Moss, Jontavious Willis).

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ABOUT

Mark Hummel’s Blues Harmonica Blowout™ started on a Sunday night in 1991 at Ashkenaz in Berkeley with four harmonica players - Rick Estrin, Mark, Dave Earl and Doug Jay. Each player performed a twenty to thirty minute set and everyone jammed together with Hummel’s Blues Survivors as backup.  Over the next five years it grew to become a multi venue event around California and included bigger names like William Clarke, Norton Buffalo and Paul DeLay. By the year 2000 the Blowout was headlining Yoshi's in Oakland as a four night show with Rod Piazza, Kim Wilson, Rick Estrin, James Harman and Billy Branch. These shows were recorded for Mountain Top Records.  

Since then it’s become a who’s who of players. From icons like Snooky Pryor, Carey Bell, James Cotton, Charlie Musselwhite, John Mayall, John Hammond, Little Sonny, Lazy Lester, Billy Boy Arnold, Sam Myers, Corky Siegel, Magic Dick, Huey Lewis, Lee Oscar, Jerry Portnoy, Howard Levy and Paul Oscher to younger players like Sugar Ray Norcia, Jason Ricci, Son Of Dave, Aki Kumar, Curtis Salgado, Kenny Neal, RJ Mischo, Sugar Blue, Annie Raines, Carlos Del Junco, just to name a few.

The selection of guitarists has also been a stunner including Duke Robillard, Rusty Zinn, Bob Welsh, Little Charlie Baty, Anson Funderburgh, Jr. Watson, Billy Flynn, Steve Freund, Mike Keller and many more.  

In 2013 the tribute to Little Walter Blowout was recorded for a CD on Blind Pig Records called Remembering Little Walter. This recording was nominated for a Grammy award and won two Blues Music Awards (Album of the Year and Best Traditional Blues Recording).

Year after year Mark Hummel's Blues Harmonica Blowout™ continues to play festivals nationally and internationally as well as sold out venues coast to coast.