Mark Hummel
Mark Hummel (born December 15, 1956 in New Haven , Connecticut ) is an American harmonica player .
He grew up in Los Angeles and discovered his passion for the blues in his youth . Blues harper like Little Walter , James Cotton and Sonny Boy Williamson were his role models. At the age of 16, he moved to Berkeley, California where he began playing with local blues musicians such as Cool Papa, Boogie Jake, Mississippi Johnny Waters and Sonny Lane.
In 1980 he founded the band The Blues Survivors . After the first record hit the market in 1985, he began touring with his band across the United States, Canada and parts of Europe. He played with Charlie Musselwhite , Brownie McGhee , Lowell Fulson and Eddie Taylor .
Interrupted by recordings, Mark Hummel has been on tour continuously since 1988. He played at various blues festivals, such as the San Francisco Blues Festival , Chicago Blues Festival , King Biscuit Blues Festival , Waterfront Blues Festival , Monterey Jazz Festival and was also a jury member at the Hohner Harmonica World Championships in Germany.
Since 1991 he has organized, produced and designed his annual Blues Harmonica Blowouts . Other musicians from the US blues harps scene took part in this series of events. B. Charlie Musselwhite, James Cotton, Kim Wilson, RJ Mischo, James Harman, and Annie Raines.
In April 2008 he came together with his band "The Blues Survivors" - Rusty Zinn (g), Bob Welsh (b, g, p) and Marty Dodson (d) - to the "1st German Blues Harmonica Blowout Tour" in Germany. His German booking agency "Crossroadblues Agency" was able to engage the three blues harper Steve Baker , Keith Dunn and Doug Jay for these blowouts .
In November 2013, Hummel went on another European / Germany tour under the motto "Golden State - Lone Star Revue". The theme was the merging of the " West Coast / California Blues " (Golden State) with the " Texas Blues " (Lone Star). The musicians who came on tour with him represented these two US states: Hummel (harmonica / vocals), Little Charlie Baty (guitar) and RW Grigsby (bass) stood for the West Coast Blues and Anson Funderburgh (guitar) and Wes Starr (drums ) for the rhythm-oriented Texas blues.
Discography (selection)
- The Hustle Is Really On (2014)
- Unplugged - Back Porch Music (2011)
- Retro-Active (2009)
- Mark Hummel's Blues Harmonica Blowouts : Still Here and Gone (Bluesharmonica Blowouts 1993 to 2007)
- Ain't Easy No More (2006)
- Odds & Ends (Early recordings 1982-2006) (2006)
- Rolling Fork Revisited (with Johnny Dyer ) (Mark Hummel and John Dyer play Muddy Waters)
- Blues Harp Meltdown 3 double CDs (with Kim Wilson, Rick Estrin, James Harman, Billy Branch, Gary Primich, Johnny Dyer, Paul Rischell & Annie Raines, Gary Smith, RJ Mischo & Frank Goldwasser, Carey Bell, Lazy Lester, Steve Freund , Phil Wiggins, John Cephas & Willie "Big Eyes" Smith)
- Married To The Blues (Rusty Zinn, Duke Robillard guitar Mark Hummel, Charlie Musselwhite harmonica)
- Heart of Chicago (1997)
Web links
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Hummel, Mark |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American blues harper (harmonica player) |
| DATE OF BIRTH | December 15, 1956 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | New Haven (Connecticut) |