Michael Hamby and harmonicas. Hammer was recorded with Leonard Watkins on guitar and Terry Waldron on bass. I have been lucky enough to play with Jack Nicks, Debbie Bond, Tommy Bounds, Mark Whitehead, Leonard Watkins, Shar-Baby Newport, Dan Turner, Paul Walters, Stan Muse, Ralph, Rick and Judy Ranelli and most every musician in the Magic City Blues Society.
Influences
Sounds Like
Myself mostly, but I try to sound like Mark Wenner, Little Walter, Big Walter Horton, Mickey Rafael, Sonny Terry, Jerry Portnoy, Kim Wilson, Mikey Junior, Lester Butler, Fingers and Toes
I got my first harp for about $5 in 3rd grade, 1964. Learned a few folk tunes but, started learning more from the 9th grade and up. From learning, Piano Man, Keep On Smilin', Neil Young and Bob Dylan,The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, The Ozark Mountain Daredevils and Willie Nelson songs from the albums I bought. I discovered The J. Geils Band and Magic Dick about 1973. I had a teacher/Coach at Huffman High School. Jerry Ryan, now of the Birmingham blue grass band Three On A String. He played his harmonica around the school campus. He would be looking for people smoking or skipping class, but his harmonica also warned ya when he was getting close. I was a big trouble maker in HS so I heard him play a good bit. I thought it was so cool that he was nice enough to give warning with some blues riffs.
I didn't really discover real blues harp until the early 1980's when I bought a Muddy Waters album. I was already playing along with Neil Young, Willie, Emmylou, other country. I got interested in more electric blues I went to the library and music stores and started buying Sonny Terry, James Cotton, Junior Wells, Sonnyboy Williamson, and then The Nighthawks and The Fabulous Thunderbirds gained some notoriaty. I met Greg "Fingers" Taylor harmonicist for Jimmy Buffet, in the early 80's. I asked him who his biggest influence was. He told me Little Walter. It was from the first Little Walter album and The Blues Brothers first movie I loved blues harp and never looked back.
I played with a small country band for a few months in 1984. I really just played for my own enjoyment and sometimes to the torment of friends and neighbors. When I lived in Tuscaloosa, Al in the early 90's I got a chance to sit in with a local blues band, Debbie Bond and The Kokomo Blues Band.
I moved to Childersburg, Al. in 1999. I soon met a guy who owned a downtown music store. Tommy Bounds and his Guitar Shoppe, A lot of local musicians always gathered there to jam, almost daily on a small scale but on Wed. afternoons and Saturday mornings they had big crowds. We played on the sidewalk out front of the store when it wasn't too hot or too cold.
Blue Grass and Country music was the primary genre of The Guitar Shoppe but, I learned more about music in general. Learning some guitar. Tommy also happens to be one of the top harmonica players in the state of Alabama. He won 5-6 championships from the annual Athens Alabama Fiddlers Convention. It was Tommy's own knowledge, guidance, leadership and inspiration
that got me more interested and became a fairly good on the harp myself. I've played with a few gigs with Tommy Bounds.
In the summer of 2007. I had a my space site for harmonica players. Blues Harp. I listed Birmingham blues harp master, Topper Price as one of my influences. I was contacted by Leonard Watkins upon the news of his tragic and untimely death. Through Leonard I learned about the Magic City Blues Society so I have been playing in many of their open blues jams about once a month. I enjoy it and love the people too. I just wanna have fun but, maybe I'll get a few payin gigs out of this too, who knows.
Hello, Hambone! Thanks so much for the friend request and for the really kind words you gave me. I really appreciate it! It means a lot to me that you enjoy what I do and that you enjoy jammin with my tunes. Wow! That's too cool! Again, thanks for being so generous with your kind words.
By the way, I really dig your harp playin! It sounds so cool, and it sounds like you are having a blast playing it also!
Hey Hambone, Glad you figured out the Dominican Republic Money .... I would never have thought of that ...it is always interesting how folks see things.... someone that doesn't know what a cigar box is may not get the Dominican sticker. There is a wood shelf on the bottom ... with a harmonica that I discolored and aged ... shot glass, dice,and chips. How about $120.00 and that will cover the postage and everything. Let me know if you are still interested .... Hope you had a good weekend, thanks Mike, dan
I haven't been on here in a few days...just wanted you to know I appreciate your friendship...and just love coming here and hearing you play! I will update you on all the craziness soon...hope all is well with you!!! Hugs & Love, Rucy
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