Norton Buffalo

"... No one plays a harmonica like Norton Buffalo. No one. Norton gets notes out of a harmonica that just aren’t there. The chromatic harps he plays are amazing, but even when he plays the diatonic harps, the emotional feeling he invokes from his notes is staggering." J.M. Berry, Sonoma Sun

Long regarded as one of the finest harmonica virtuosos on the planet, with a career now spanning 35 years, Norton Buffalo never has limited himself to playing simply one style of music. Having appeared in live performance and on over 180 releases with artists ranging from Bonnie Raitt (check the solo on “Runaway”) Kenny Loggins, the Doobie Brothers (including the Grammy Award- winning “Minute by Minute), Johnny Cash, David Grisman, Judy Collins, the Jerry Garcia Band, Vasser Clements, Olivia Newton-John, and Kate Wolf, to name a few, Buffalo leaves no doubt about his tremendous virtuoso talent in all genres.

Norton Buffalo was born in 1951 in Oakland, California. Growing up in nearby Richmond, California, musical talent ran in the family – his great uncle, noted MGM Studios composer Herbert Stothart, was nominated for 14 Academy Awards and won an Academy Award for his musical contributions to “The Wizard of Oz.” Buffalo learned the harmonica from his father, and at the aqe of 11, won his first talent contest. He sang in the church choir, and throughout high school played trombone in the symphonic and marching bands and trombone and harmonica in both the pep band, and jazz band, while on the side furthering his musical interests performing in local rock ‘n’ roll and soul bands and also developing a passion for jazz.

Buffalo ended his college days when he moved to Berkeley to devote himself to music full time. His first band, The Chaos Chorus performed in the early 70s around many Bay Area clubs. Shortly after that, a love of country-western and swing music was fostered when Buffalo joined up with Western Swing Hall of Fame guitarist Tommy Thomsen’s band Sonoma County Line.

Since 1976, after he toured Europe with Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen (“We’ve Got a Live One Here” released from that excursion), Buffalo also has been a mainstay in the Steve Miller Band – “my partner in harmony,” as Miller introduces him in concert. He was on Miller’s Fly Like an Eagle tour that year and since then has never stopped touring and also recording with Miller on several of his records on Capitol, including that tour’s 30th anniversary album, including a live DVD, released in 2006. A brand new live Miller HD-DVD is expected out in November 2007.

It was Steve Miller who nudged Capitol to sign Buffalo in 1976. Norton released “Lovin’ in the Valley of the Moon,” the first of his two excellent solo records for the label in 1977. Showcasing not only his formidable harp playing, Norton also was able to combine his talents as a songwriter and producer and feature his band the Stampede, which also opened all of the Steve Miller's concerts that year. His followup LP, “Desert Horizon” followed in 1978, another sterling collection of original music with an appearance by the Tower of Power horns.

1978 also found Buffalo working as both musician and actor with Bette Midler in “The Rose.” In the years following, Norton acted and performed in “Heaven’s Gate,” as well as composing and producing the scores for “Eddie Macon’s Run” and “Stacey’s Knights.” Buffalo also has extensive television credits for soundtracks (“Here Comes Garfield,” “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown,” “Twilight Zone,” and “Unsolved Mysteries.” He was an actor and musician on “Starsky & Hutch,” and has also performed on Austin City Limits, Midnight Special, and both the Jay Leno, David Letterman and Arsenio Hall shows.

Since 1980, Buffalo has been performing with his rocking road band of dynamic, R&B/blues/rock veterans known as Norton & The Knockouts. In 2000, Norton released the blues-based “King of the Highway,” on Blind Pig, also featuring guitar solos by, Steve Miller, Elvin Bishop, and some fine B-3 playing by Merl Saunders. The Knockouts turned out a stellar performance framing Buffalo’s outstanding vocal, songwriting, and, of course, harmonica talents.(Blues Review Magazine said: "Buffalo demonstrates more chops than a national steakhouse chain"). In early 2008, Norton will begin recording for a new R&B flavored release with the Knockouts.

Another remarkable partnership was born in 1987 when Buffalo teamed with slide guitar player extraordinaire Roy Rogers. The pair have since released three acoustic-based albums on the Blind Pig label: “R&B” (garnering a Best Country Instrumental Grammy Award nomination for “Song for Jessica”); Travellin’ Tracks” (said People Magazine: “more bounce than a book of bad checks . . . a spirited mix of souped-up slide guitar and blustery blues harmonica”); and the latest “Roots of Our Nature.”

As a showcase for his many acoustic compositions, in 2001, Buffalo started performing and recording with the trio, Norton & Friends, featuring his new wife, Lisa Flores, and good friend, David Aguilar. The ever-eclectic Buffalo continues his love of all syles of music in this ensemble, with an emphasis on vocal harmony and melodic ballads. They have since expanded to five pieces with the addition of Owen Davis on Congas and longtime Knockouts bassist David Brown. Having now recorded 28 new tunes with this group, Norton putting the finishing touches on their first release

In 2007, Norton teamed up with Grammy Award winning Hawaiian Slack Key guitar master George Kahumoku. This pairing of harmonica and slack key guitar is magical, joining George's mastery of island music with the soul and bounce of Norton's harmonica, topped off with some wonderful vocal harmonies. So far this year they have performed a few concerts together and have recorded well over 30 tunes for an upcoming release.

When you discover Norton Buffalo, you have found the best harmonica player you are ever going to hear, bar none. (The Santa Rosa Press Democrat calls him "The High Lama of Harmonica") Be ready for a fun, heartfelt and thought provoking musical adventure with harmonicalogist, vocalist and songwriter, and long time veteran of The Steve Miller Band, Norton Buffalo. He makes the audience feel right at home with his charismatic presence. His shows are exciting, fun, soulful and full of the unpredictable and the unbelievable. Norton has been known throughout his lengthy and outstanding career, for both recordings and live performances that cover a broad range of musical styles, intimate stories, extraordinary musicianship and jaw dropping harmonica virtuosity. Check it out!

Contributed by John Paul Brophy .. ...... ......

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Below are the groups that
..Norton Buffalo..
performs and records with

My father:
Dad played the Harmonica around the house and on camping trips when I was a child. I began playing Harmonica at age 7, learning a lot of basic folk songs from him and found a passion for it.

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My Mother:
Mom had been a night club singer at several clubs in San Francisco in from the early to mid 1940s. she sang around the house ... and supported my music 100%.

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My Grandfather
My Grandfather on my Father's side came west from Pennsylvania when he was a young man. He became a steam locomotive engineer for the Santa Fe Railroad. He retired from the railroad when I was quite young, However, more important to me, was that Grandpa was a storyteller, knowing a vast collection of poems and tales, including many of the poems of Robert Service. As a young boy, my grandpa gave me my first silver dollar for reciting (without any mistakes) Lincoln's Gettysburg Address. He would sit on his red rocking chair in the back room of his house and recite tales that were such a joy for us to hear. It certainly whet my taste for storytelling that comes through in many of my songs.

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My Great Uncle, Herbert Stothart
My Mother talked a bunch about her Uncle Herbert and the work he did on film scores in the 30s and 40s. uncle Herbert was nominated for 14 Academy Awards and won an Academy award for the Music to the Wizard of Oz. He was the head of the music department at MGM throughout their golden era of musicals. His accomplishments were massive and covered an incredible wealth of music, leaving an indelible mark on first in New York on Broadway then onto the Hollywood movie music scene.

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My High School Band Teacher, Robert Madelena
I had played harmonica for many years before joining the band in Seventh Grade. I already played and owned a bugle, so I thought I was a natural for the trumpet. Alas there were too many kids that wanted to play that, so I took on the trombone. By high school I was in the Jazz Band, Marching Band, Pep Band and Symphonic Band. I loved the musical education I learned through those years. Mr. Madelena was a great teacher ... and quite patient with me. I was indeed the class clown so I was in his hair a lot ... but I got to write some arrangements for the pep band ... and got to solo a bunch on both trombone and harmonica in the Jazz band. I honor Robert for all that he gave me.

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My brother in law Ed Trout
Ed was a hoot. He had been a rodeo rider in his younger days and had a great passion for country western guitar. When he married my sister, our families would get together and Ed would pull out his electric guitar and play some great country stuff. He opened me up to the country scene. My dad had bought me an acoustic guitar when I was about 10, and Ed gave me Roy Acuff, and Chet Atkins guitar books to check out and showed me my first guitar chords. I never really got that far ont he guitar back then ... but watching Ed have so much fun jamming along on the guitar and singing his country favorites certainly inspired me as a young and budding harp player.

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Musical influences from the big world
... holy moly .. this could be a long list. I have learned from and stolen licks from every one from Rock and Rollers Country and Bluegrass pickers to Jazz cats, Regaee, R&B, Big Bands, Blues and especially from a lot of vocalists. I sang along in my room with the likes of Little Esther Phillips, Diana Washington, Ruth Brown, Jon Hendrix, Mose Allison, Maria Muldaur, The Golden Gate Quartet, Mills Brothers, Joe Williams, The Beatles, Loving Spoonful, Hank Williams, Beach Boys and so many other records I discovered in my youth ... the list is long and diverse ... I took it all in.
I learned a bunch from many of the musical cats I went to school with in Richmond and the surrounding turf. I didn't get into the "band" scene quite as young as some others that were kicking ass long before I was doing my own thing. In 1966, My stint in Johnny and The Marcels, a kick ass soul band, was certainly put the funk in my bones. Among my school friends were guys that went on to play with Cold Blood, Tower Of Power, Santana, Eddie Money, Greg Kihn, Elvin Bishop, Charlie Musselwhite to name a few. My little blue collar town of Richmond turned out an incredible wealth of musical talent. I certainly honor all all of these cats from my younger years.

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Harmonica influences
They are few, but certainly vitally important in the development of my harmonica style. Having started playing so young, for the most part, I carved my own path as I didn't have other harp players to model after besides my father. I had so much fun playing with my dad! Then a little bit with my brother in law, Ed. I was inspired by the Larry Adler records that my dad listened to when I was young. I had become a pretty darn good melodic harmonica player as a kid, but it was a long time before I started hearing other harmonica players on some of the records being played on KMPX radio in San Francisco. It was there that I discovered, first, Bill Lyman from the Jim Kweskin Jug band, then, Sonny Terry, Paul Butterfield and Charlie Musslewhite. I learned some great folk, blues and country blues techniques from these cats ... new stuff that I'd never dicovered playing folk tunes such as note bending, expanding my rhythmic playing from Sonny etc I went to school a bunch on these guys. It was a big shift from what I had played before ... but I took it on and got it in a pretty short time. I had come from the melodic and quick lick side, now it was time to dive into the blues. It took me a long time to slow down my playing and get a "bigger tone" out of the harp. (I'm still working on slowing down) ... I honor Paul, Charlie, and Sonny for helping open me up to the blues and for both the musical inspiration and the new path they set me on. Once I discovered this new direction on the harmonica, I started taking licks from other instruments like piano, guitar, sax, flute etc. I got immersed in Jazz in my high school years and soaked up a lot of stuff that then came out in my harp playing.

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The South Bay Experimental Flash
This was a jazz funk band in the Bay Area. When I was in High School, The B-3 player, Harry Critchfield, and drummer, Kirk Harwood, moved in across the street from me, and used to practice there. I hung out a bunch with these guys .. They kicked some serious ass!! Harry is a monster keyboard player ... and Kirk, one of the most musical drummers i have ever known. they were a huge inspriation to my music. They put so much heart and soul into their performance that they blew me away! In fact, it was sitting in with this group at the New Orleans House in Berkeley, that gave me my first time on stage in a night club when I was about 17 or so.
David Ladd Andersonwas the Sax and Flute player with this group. I loved what David did both with his horn and flute playing as well as his stage presence. An amazing talent he fronted this group with an exiting musical presence. I grabbed a lot of both licks and style from David as well as from the entire band ... and eventually grabbed the drummer and bass player from that group to form my first recording band The Stampede back in 1975. The "Flash"... Harry, Kirk, David and Dick and Gary were probably the biggest influence of my younger years. I honor them for all that they gave me.
Beyond that the list of musical influences is way to long and tedious to list. I am a sponge that has absorbed a piece of all of those I have played with and listened to. I feel so blessed for the gift I have and to be able to do what I do!!!

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