© Bluestronomical Publishing Inc. 2009

Mark Hummel’s Blues Harmonica Blowouts
Still Here and Gone 1993 - 2007
Electro-Fi (E-Fi 3410)

Since 1991, West Coast blues harmonica disciple Mark Hummel has been producing and performing at his annual Blues Harmonica Blowout series. These live shows draw huge crowds and have grown to be a much heralded event. The list of blowout participants is a who's who of blues harp history. Hummel has previously released live recordings from his blowout shows under the Blues Harp Meltdown moniker on Mountain Top. This 4th edition of the recorded blowouts is a celebration of the great West Coast harpists and a couple old Chicago guys who inspired them. Still Here And Gone features harmonicists such as Paul delay, who were not on those previous discs. Hummel’s aptly titled backing band, the Blues Survivors, provide support for most of the 11 guest harp-blowing artists. The band includes Charles Wheal (guitar), Steve Wolf (bass), Bob Welsh (piano and guitar) and Marty Dodson (drums). As an extra bonus a few songs features these extraordinary guitarists Rusty Zinn, Junior Watson, Steve Freund and Anson Funderburgh.

Hummel, a New Haven, CT-born artist, uses a similar recipe on his three featured tracks, but don’t expect common fare. In a fashion that’s typical of West Coast music, “Hard Hearted Woman” hops, jumps and jives. The guitar is grooving on “Summertime” where, like Hummel, Wheal’s notes flow like water from a fountain. While he makes his diatonic harp create vibrating and penetrating sounds, Hummel blows up a storm but avoids hyperventilating on “Harpo-Ventillating”.

Hummel himself primarily takes a back seat and leaves the key performances up to his featured harpists. They perform a total of 18 songs ranging from refreshing originals to harmonica classics by each of the Sonny Boys and Little Walter. Lazy Lester sounds real good while performing his well known hit “Sugar Coated Love”. Billy Boy Arnold lacks energy on the simple and laid-back “Sugar Gal”. But he can still deliver sweet, smooth and sweaty old school blues with the same pure tone he has had since the late ’50s. Lee Oskar is jazzy and mellow on Duke Ellington’s “In A Sentimental Mood”. Magic Dick jumps and wails on “Pontiac Blues”. Classic ’50s style Chicago blues abounds on “You’re Sweet” where Johnny Dyer’s vocals are not as strong as his performances with the Mannish Boys. Always an innovator, William Clarke performs big chromatic harp on the slow blues “Lonesome Bedroom Blues”. Carey Bell’s distinguished voice is full of life and his harp sounds in natural form on “I Got To Go”. James Harman creates the sweetest tone on the disc on “Extra Napkins,” but his rippling solo isn’t as long as listeners would like to hear. While coming across as a warm individual, Sam Myers plays blues in its purest form on “I Done Quit Getting Sloppy Drunk”. As a change of pace from all the other songs, Rick Estrin performs entirely solo on “Gettin’ Out Of Town”.

This two hour two-disc live compilation, where the vast majority of songs were recorded at Yoshi’s in Oakland, CA, features great performances as well as not so great performances. If you hadn’t placed Hummel in the same class as Estrin or Harman, now you will. Electro-Fi has long been the home of great past and present harmonica men. With Still Here And Gone, they add another 11 harpists to their dignified roster. For bringing attention and recognition to the harmonica and its masters, Electro-Fi and Hummel are to be commended.

- Tim Holek -


Southwest Blues CD Review - May 2009

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