Mark Hummel's Harmonica Party features and interviews with blues greats. Mark Hummel is a Grammy Nominee, Blues Award Winner, Author, Harmonica virtuoso and winner of Best Blues CD and Best Traditional Blues CD at the Blues Music Awards . Mark's The Hustle Is Really On climbed to #2 and stayed in the top five for four months on the Living Blues Radio Charts. Hummel's book "BIG ROAD BLUES:12 Bars on I-80" garnered rave reviews and was nominated for best Independent Book release.
Mark is an Ambassador for Seydel Harmonicas & records for Electro-Fi Records
Mark Hummel's Harmonica Party is produced by Jeff Vargen for Accidental Productions
R.I.P. Nick Gravenites, September 18, 2024 (aged 85). Thank you for this interview. Based on Wikipedia, it looks like Nick may have started slipping into dementia in the less than two short years after your interview.
Pittsfield ,Ma. Is a great town caught a G harp from Steven Tyler when he was playing a Bishop Gurton High School in Nashua, NH. 1973 or 74 but you are the world famous best harp player ever that Headlines bar in Nashua great music !!!
"Gun totin' Chicago bluesmen"? When I was in graduate school at Northwestern we occasionally took time off to take in Chicago music. At one of the clubs we were enjoying the first set when several brass (not gun) totin' blues kids in their high-school band jackets piled in--apparently fresh from marching-band practice--and added a whole new section to the group that was performing. Talent like that walking in off the street? I thought I was back in Westerly.
I was a friend of the Heights and I remember these guys and I met him a long time ago when they were playing the Topanga club in Topanga Canyon Old Topanga Canyon he’ll know about that
Lot of people don't know this. Janis Joplin came to California in early 61 and she went back to Port Arthur in late 61 Janice was in California for 10 months in the year of 61.. when Janice was in North Beach area she had a friend Linda McLean.. and she introduced Linda to Nick gravenites at the coffee gallery.. I believe Linda married Nick in 1962 therefore her name was Linda gravenites... Janis Joplin was not in California for the whole year of 1962..
It was in February of 1967 that Bill Graham pushed Janis Joplin down the stairs and out the door because she was on mescaline and told her she was no good.. Janice was there to watch BB King.. Bill Graham could be a a******... After Janis Joplin blew the top off the Monterey Pop fest.. Bill Graham sucked up to Janis Joplin big time..😊
Ahmet brought me here. He had Diva on Rocktails. At 31:40 is "Zappa called me." "In 1976 I got a call from FZ. Zappa said, "Do you play keyboards?" "Yes." (I said very softly) "What do you want me to play?" "Just play with the band and learn these lyrics." I decided I would sing with all my might and play piano so he would hire me. Yep. And he did, and that was beginning of my apprenticeship with a genius.... From the start of the tour it was uncomfortable with the sexual and sexist nature of some of Zappa's lyrics and attitudes, along with calls for her to remove her clothes from audience members. To one particularly odious oaf at the show in Boston she retorted "Tell your mama to take HER clothes off and while she's got 'em off, tell her to suck a rat's dick." Which was not appreciated: "Frank was not pleased with me at all; he didn't like my comment to that person in the audience - and told me so". Around halfway through the tour, she decided to leave the band. Zappa said she was fired but she insists they parted amicably: I did not feel I had to be humiliated by taking off my clothes or letting Frank use me as a prop on his show. I feel that my vocals and musicianship should have sufficed. That is why I left, it was my choice.... I was on good terms with Frank when I left. As a matter of fact I returned to see some of his performances when he was in town. We kinda laughed about the whole thing. But it wasn't funny at the time. It was a mutual agreement, because he wanted to make me do more degrading things on stage than just display my talent. I thought my musicianship should have been enough. And then again I don't know why I had to leave, it just was something that did jive with him. I was a little too conservative at that time, and still am a little. [He wanted] like put his guitar on my body . . . things like that ... I thought I shoudn't have to if Ray and Eddie and Pat and Terry didn't, we were a band all of us.
Thanks Mark for handling Bobby just right. He's an old dear friend of mine. We talk regularly on the phone until we're both hoarse with sore ears. I wish I'd have been there to prompt some of the stories he's told me. He really does have a million of them...Merle Haggard carrying his equipment to his car at San Quentin, George Jones walks in and sits at the bar in a little club on Post St. in SF and got up and sang with them, etc...Bravo for your interview. John Rewind
Outstanding interview and interviewee. Bobby has a wealth of stories . Also, hats off to Mark for having guests on from other genre's of music. It's great to hear the old stories from the Western swing and country realm as well as the blues.
32:02 IT WAS CLEANHEAD, date : the week beginning june 9th, 86, The Blue Note, NYC. Gibbons came to see u on tuesday, Doc Pomus and Portnoy on wed. The band stayed @ The Gramercy.
ANDREW BROWN did 2 great lps 4 dutch lbls that Shurman produced fabulously ...iiiiff MMSMC. Hip Linkchain s CHANGE MY BLUES westside neglected masterpiece as well, not sure, on Teardrop, 82 or so.
AIN T DOIN 2 BAD, ain t doin 2 bad @ all = Cotton s zenith on HIGH COMPRESSION 86 w Killer on dms. Is he still aroun ? Or Living In The Danger Zone 1990 w Seals ...?
REST IN PEACE BIG MAN I MET NICK THROUGH SONGWRITER MARCY LEVY I HAD A FEW OCCASIONS TO PLAY WITH NICK GRAVENITES ON STAGE WHEN HE WAS PART OF MARCYS LEVYS BAND SO GOOD TO MEET HIM HE GAVE ME A HOMEMADE CASSETTE TAPE OF 1950s BLUES AND DO WOP NEXT TIME WE PLAYED WITH MARCY CARLOS GUITARLOS 90042 USA
One of the greatest recording of 2024 a great departure of the noisy heavy blues that bands are producing thoses days. Real stuff with expereinced players who have paid theur dues and know their crafts. Love the extra footage of the rehearsals that's very instructive
I'm that baby he came out with, my Pa, Ambrose! I've known him all my life....I will miss you very much...But, you are with all your brothers and sisters now... LOve you...
Wonderful stories, I had the pleasure of hanging out with Mike Bloomfield and Nick over a beer when they took a break while doing a gig in Seattle at an Eastlake Avenue club circa 1977 and came up to the bar where I was seated. They were the salt of the earth. R.I.P.
Been listening to the JGeils Band since 1971. Seen them live in 1979 in Amsterdam. Magic Dick is by far, the greatest blues harmonica player, to hit the stage. Without him, J Geils Band wouldn't happen.
Great interview Mark! Gravenites was an unsung hero. Also, interesting revelations about Grossman and Graham and the early days of the music biz in general.
thanks Mark...Sears is a great musician with one of the widest ranges of musicians anyone has played with. Saw him much in late 90s with Hot Tuna and Jorma, also on the Furthur Festival dead tours they were really well received, and remember being really impressed with his piano playing. Also met him on a frigid night outside the Wetlands club in NYC in 2000 with the Steve Kimock Band..incredible music out of those guys. Come to play in central Italy Mark!! Luke
and great job Mark of asking him about our crucial responsibility - the US govt - in the killings of hundreds of thousands in Central America in the 1980s
