HarmonicaBoogie.com
- => Hello Room => Topic started by: HarpMitch on July 31, 2013, 08:54:29 AM
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Hello everybody, I'm a harpplayer from Germany. I'm a Dutchman who lives in Germany. I play about 10 years harp. For me the harmonica is the most beautiful instrument with which I really really available to show my emotions. My favorite harpplayers are Little Walter, Rod Piazza, William Clarke, Mark Hummel, Gary Smith, Mitch Kashmar, Rick Estrin.....
I try to develop my own style to be authentic. It's a very difficult thing to do that. But I'm still working on it. My favorite amp is the Harpking 6x10. My mic is a shure 520 with a blacklabel element of 1949. I hope to meet a lot of players to talk the harpthings what we all so speak about.
Greetz Harp Mitch 8)
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Welcome, Michel
A 6x10 Harp King - that's quite an amp!
-Eric
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Mitch,
You sound like you know your blues. Great list of harp influences - maybe we can start a list of favorite albums for each performer.
You hit the nail on the head regarding developing your own sound/ your own blues style and the challenge therein. First one learns from the masters and then tries to figure out who S/HE is (i.e., what they want to express) - at least, that's the path I travel. Others, you may find, have different approaches.
Looking forward to hearing from you. BTW, if the site technology (getting backing tracks downloaded, etc.) gets confusing/frustrating - just ask for help (or look into Forum history). The more people that join in, the better this site becomes.
thanks
Jeff
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Hello Eric, thank you for replying my posting. Yes the Harpking 6x10 is quite an amp. I'm very happy with this 'giant'. Last year September I had the opportunity to buy a blond Harpking from a famous dutch harpplayer. I'm a fan off the big Piazza-sound. So I started the search for a Harpking 4x10 or 6x10. I had already a Kinder Soulful 2x10 amp. But for the chromatic harp it is not the right amp for me. And now after almost a year I have the feeling to get my own sound. Yesterday I played in Germany Meppen Int. Blues & Jazzfestival. We played openair and I had this big sound with the HK6x10 and the Soulful2x10 connected. It's a great feeling when you have enough power to do your thing. It's also a great amp to play with at small gigs. With lower volume you have you tone. I will never never want another amp. I have found my amp which is my companion for the rest of my live.
Greets Mitch 8)
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Hello Jeff, thank you for replying my posting. Well the only thing that I'm trying to do is to express my emotions and feelings the way I like to do. I've heard a lot of harpplayers who really can play. It's the biggest challenge to hear yourself. I mean that you got the feeling 'It's ME!!' That your own sound is influenced by the great harpplayers as Little Walter, Big Walter Horton, George Harmonica Smith and many others, I think, it is the most normally thing. I even think that it is a special feeling to let these harpplayer live in your playing and sound and try to make it a mixed up with you own signature. That's what I'm trying to do.
To start with the list of favorit albums: 1992 Alphabet Bluese Black Top Label
Greetz Mitch 8)
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Mitch,
I've seen Rod Piazza a number of times in small to medium sized clubs, and understand what you mean about that monster Harp King amp sounding surprisingly good in a variety if venues. My playing has been mostly home practice, where smaller amps fit better ;D and I like variety... like an 8-inch Valco, a 10-inch Kalamazoo, and a 12-inch Fat Dog. There is someone on this site (Randy) who places Bogen tube amps into a variety of real cool [Blues Box] custom cabinets - and who recently placed a Pig Nose into a nice wood grain cabinet. I like variety as a source of inspiration - to take me places spur of the moment - and carry that through with mic/amp combinations as well. It's hard to beat a Shure 520 for powerful oomph, I have one too. Other excellent mics that I enjoy include a JT-30 ceramic, a powerful old military element in a massive American mic shell, and a 1955 Philips (Holland) element in a Turner shell that has what I think of as a crooners tone.
Don't get me wrong, music is *all* about one's own practiced abilities - with your entire body and entire brain in-tune and focused - but hardware can give you a good jump-start 8)
-Eric
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Hello Eric, you right. It all starts with that little and also great instrument. Practice to get your own tone. And I'm happy that there're so many players with difference taste for sound and equipment. I play with different mics and elements. My favorite mic is a JT30 with a ceramic element. The shure 520 is very old one and I'm using it for the better gigs and studiowork. The problem is down here in europe that you can't get the blacklabels. It is very rare here in europe. I had the luck to get one. Now I'm very carefully with it.
To answer your final statement: I agree this 100%. Most of time I play without electric equipment. Pure acoustic.....
Greetz Mitch 8)
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Hello there, I get the feeling everybody is on holiday. It's still around the forum. Anyway me and my band Harp Mitch & The Bluescasters have 2 gigs next weekend. On friday @ the festival Oldenzaal Muzikaal www.oldenzaalmuzikaal.nl and on sunday we've organizes a Benefitconcert in our town Nordhorn Germany. This will happen in our little centralpark. Line up with 2 other bands, the Highway gang and Tabuwta. I hope the wetter is good so there will be many people to donate for the benefit Children Medicaltreatment in our local Hospital.
Have a nice sunday and see you.
Kindly Regards Michel Zwiers 8)
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Hi Michel,
wish you'll bring in here some of ya sounds with that BTs, and the advice how ya make it....
Grüße aussem Pott (greets from the rhein-ruhr-aera)
Thomas
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Yes, I think everybody is outside eating barbecue and enjoying the sunshine.
Welcome to the Jam and I look forward to hearing that Harp King.
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Hello harpers, now a short note from Germany. I had a great october with great gigs. Last week I've played one song on stage with Egidio Juke Ingala & The Jacknives. A great Italian bluesband which plays Little Walter Style with the sound from the 50s. In two weeks we'll play as supportact for Tommy Schneller Band(German Blueschallenge winner 2012) I will play with my two Kinderamps 6x10 Harpking and 2x10 Soulful. I will see that I'll post a song from our last cd so you can hear the 2x10 Soulful.
Have a good time
With Regards
Mitch 8)
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Man, you can wail, Mitch. I found this video of you playing with Rod Piazza and was blown away.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRTEgk8WaPU
Hope you find the time to post some of your playing on this jam with us mere mortals. 8)
Cheers,
Brett
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We have a pro in our midst. ;D
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That is hot harp playing.
I once helped Honey Piazza onto the stage - high heels and stairs made of milk crates don't mix. Made my day :)
Eric
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Hello harpers, thank you for all the fine words but I'm not a pro :) That evening with Rod Piazza was for me a dream.That evening Mai 2011 I played with my band Harp Mitch & The Bluescasters as the supportact. You can find some YouTube videos (Twist 2011). We had a great time. Everyday I learn more and more by listening to Little Walter......See what comes in 2014. We planning our new cd Harp Mitch & The Bluescasters Plays Little Walter Songs...For more info you can visit our Homepage www.harpmitch.com See you all and have a great time in december..
Good Luck
Mitch 8)
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Welcome to the site Mitch. Looking forward to hearing some posts from you :)
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Thank you Angelo for posting. You can already hear some songs on our homepage www.harpmitch.com
Regards Mitch 8)
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Hello everybody on harmonicaboogie. Too all of you a happy new year and let it be a successful, musically and healthy 2014. See you all :)
Kindly Regards
Mitch 8)
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Same to you :)
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Hello everybody,
Blues from Germany
To show you how our band looks.......Here a link of photos : http://www.jansen-fotografie.de/
the button Bands/ live and 2013. You can also see Rod Piazza 2011....
Greets Mitch 8)
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Well hello everybody,
We had a great gig yesterday at the Bluesnote Club in Rheine. Full house with blueslovers. Big response and a lot of fun. Up to next week in Bluescafe Apeldoorn. Yesterday we played for the first time Big Joe Turner's Low Down Dog in a way Piazza does. It was great..... :)
Greets Mitch 8)
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Hello everybody, this week we got the message to be the Support act on 12 October this year with Rod Piazza & The Mighty Flyers feat. Alex Schulz in the Netherlands Dongen.
It's great great great......We are very happy.
Gr Mitch 8) :-
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Very impressive HarpMitch! Best of luck supporting Rod and the Mighty Flyers!
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Thank you Rick, we will give our best and make sure we have a lot of fun as always. Rod is going to use my Kinder Amps Soulful and Harpking 6x10. I will ask him if he's willing to sign my 6x10.
Greets Mitch 8)
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Hello everybody, we planning a new cd. It will be a cd full of Little Walter Songs. Harp Mitch & The Bluescasters Plays Little Walter Songs. Tommorrow we have a gig in Hoogeveen the Netherlands. I'm very exciting cause I really want to play. Last week I became my set of new tubes for my Harpking 6x10. It sounds fresh and really powerfull . I'm curious tommorrow how it sounds after 2 hour playing.
Greets Mitch 8)
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Hello there, we had a great gig. During our soundcheck we tried Little Walter's Too Late. Great when it's sounds very good. We played 2 1/2 hours. We had a lot of fun an the people where very enthusiastic. My amp was aw-sum!!! What a Sound!! :o
Greets Mitch 8)
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Hello everybody. How you're doing. I've good news about the Harpking Amps. Maybe you already knew it. But a friend of mine told me about it. You can find it on google.com with harpking facebook. The new website is www.harpking.com and Junior Vegas Redlands 92373 San Bernardino CA is the new owner..... Well....I think!!! So the Harpkings are goin' on..........
Greets Mitch 8)
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What's going on on the Forum. Well this week I've got a harpmeeting. We all bring our amps and mics to talk about our experience. After that part of the evening we going to jam with everybody who's there.....
Greets Mitch 8)
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Sounds like a ton of fun Mitch!
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Yeah, we had a lot of fun. 6 Harpplayers at one stage with a backup band. It was a evening full of styles and sounds of playing harp. And of course Little Walter was there with us in our Songs that we've played.
Greets Mitch 8)
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Well hello there, tommorrow a great gig at a big Festival in Germany Meppen. www.bluesundjazznacht.de In every Pub or cafe will be a jazz or bluesband. A great start of my Holidays....
Have fun and stay healthy
Greets Mitch 8)
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Hello there, we (Harp Mitch & The Bluescasters) got a option to give some mp3 free for download to a Radiostation(Internet) The Blues Alley. Anybody who knows this Station. Please let me know if there are experiences with Radio The Blues Alley.
Greets Mitch 8)
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Hello everybody, next week will be a very exciting week. On Saturday 4 Oct we play with Egidio Juke Ingala & The Jacknives from Italy in Germany and next Friday we got a bluesfestival in the Netherlands. The biggest happens on sunday 12 Oct in Dongen Netherlands with Rod Piazza & The Mighty Flyers. I'm very exciting about this. We will have a real ball.......
Greets Mitch 8)
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Sounds awesome! 8)
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It was awesome to see Rod Piazza & The Mighty Flyers feat. Alex Schulz. He played the harp more than marvelous. The whole band was very good. Read the review article.
http://www.bluesdongen.nl/rod-piazza-the-mighty-flyers/
and look a the photos........ It was a ball that evening. http://www.bluesdongen.nl/2014-10-12-rod-piazza-the-mighty-flyers/
http://www.bluesdongen.nl/2014-10-12-harp-mitch-the-bluescasters/
I played with my band the Bluescasters the Support act. It was an honour.... After the gig we had a Chinese meal together with Rod, Honey and all the other musicians and soundguys. A day never to Forget......
Greets,
Mitch 8)
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Wow, awesome! I'm sure some of Rod's greatness rubs off on you every time you are the support band!
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Well Rick, that's right. But...Still a Long way to go. Rod told me, when I said to him that I got a lot of stuff to learn after his gig, that he still learns everyday.... It's giving me a real push again and again..
Greets,
Mitch 8)
My new suit!!
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Wow, that's quite a suit! Gold! 8)
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Thank you very much.... I think it's not only your ears that want show but also the eyes. It all fits to our Show.
Greets
Mitch 8)
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Hello everybody on the Forum. I had a great gig on 12 October as a Support for Rod Piazza. We played a few Songs of Little Walter and our own Songs. Low down Dog Big Joe Turner was our Highlight. After our gig came Rod Piazza & The Mighty Flyers. Rod played on my Harpking 6x10 and signed it after his gig. At the and of the evening we had a China meal together with the two bands and the soundpeople. It was a day never to Forget....
Greets Mitch 8)
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Hey Mitch,
Pretty awesome, you'll never forget all that, I'm sure. Do you ever see Doug Jay, he's sort of a local harper for me (Washington DC) but many years ago he moved to Germany. Pretty popular in Europe, from what I've heard. Doug Jay and the Bluejays.
BZB
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Hello Bob, I've heard of Doug Jay but I never heard or saw him live. He sits in with Jimmy Reiter from Munster Germany. I've also heard that he is back in the USA. Last year I've tried to contact him but he was already gone. What I saw on YouTube was very good. He Plays a bassman I think....
Regards Mitch 8)
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Hello everybody, after a great Christmas with family and friends I wish all the best and a lot of healthy and luck for a successfully 2015.
Greets Mitch 8)
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Thanks Mitch, you have a great 2015 also!
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Hello to everybody on the forum. Harp Mitch & Band are goin' to start a new chapter. With a new drummer and pianoplayer a great time is goin' to start. We've our first Gig on 6 March in the Netherlands Nix en Meer Bluesclub. On 22 March we're going to have a live CD and DVD recording. It's going to be very exciting year I think. Keep our homepage in mind www.harpmitch.com
Big Regards
Mitch 8)
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Hello to everybody,
We had our live recording on 22 March. It was a great experience to all of us. Here a quick view and impression!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejazfo1NE5w
Greets Mitch 8)
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Awesome! 8)
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Hello Bluesers,
And here is another one........Little Walter's up the line in our own way.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZAoHtqX6fM
Greets Mitch 8)
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Rocking and mellow at the same time! Great harp playing, tone was amazing with the first note. Nice singing .... and send me that silver suit in the mail please!
Great recording and great visuals! 8)
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Hello Rick,
Thanks for your posting. What the suit matters............it's a gold-coloured one and you can order it @ www.otto.de ;)
Yeah you wright. The song is a mix of old and new to be mellow and rocking!! The cd/dvd double package will be introduce in Autumn.
Greets Mitch 8)
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Hello everybody, long time no see but I'm still goin' on that bluesroad. By the end of this year or start next year we will release our new CD/DVD Harp Mitch & The Bluescasters @ Bluescafe Raalte.
It will be very exciting.
Greets Mitch 8)
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Hello over there. I told you about my cd and dvd. :-[ We had our diferences in the band and decided to go our own way. After 10 years it's a big decission. So the cd and dvd isn't coming. In the mean time I've a new band. Check it out on youtube Sheiks of R&B
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=poqZPWyOUxQ&list=PLN15ScU-NCjdohEt8QDTQdPou-936uDeJ
I'm not on this videos but I can tell you it's very hot!!
Check my facebook too..... Harp Mitch
Greets,
Mitch 8)
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Sounds great. Onwards and upwards.
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Hello again from Germany......
A Lynwood Slim song Lonesome Train and You're the one James A. Lane...
enjoy this Video..
I'm playing a HK 6x10 with a Boss DD2 and a Customized JT 30!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LkpQ6gfsOQw
Greets Mitch 8)
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Just keeps getting better, Mitch. Well done.
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Thank you Matt.
Greets Mitch 8)
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The new band sounds great! The guitar player is subtle.
Sorry about the old band. 10 years is a long time.
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Thank you Rick. Yep, 10 years is a long time, but we still friends! We'll see what happens in the future..
But in the mean time...I'm on the road with this great band.
The guitar player has played for more than 15 years in California. He's also a good singer. .
Check it out on youtube: Sheiks of R&B (Jerome Engelberts!)
Greets,
Mitch 8)
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Hello again, it's bin a long time but I'm still on the road. check out www.harpmitch.com and another one on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KSddkdFGCgE
It was a great gig with blueslovers.....
Big regards Mitch 8)
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Hello everybody,
Finally we've finished our new release Live at Veenbraand. It was a spontanious recording for a few YouTube movies. Harp Mitch & The Sheiks of R&B.
You can order the cd by harpmitch1@gmail.com for €10,- excl. worldwide postal charges. You can see the cover on www.harpmitch.com . I hope you like this live recording. I use a Harpking 6x10 and JT30 with cm and a DD2 Boss.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LkpQ6gfsOQw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXCkLEk-xlM
See you all and a Happy Christmas time
Mitch 8)
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Hello everybody,
Finally we've finished our new release Live at Veenbraand. It was a spontanious recording for a few YouTube movies. Harp Mitch & The Sheiks of R&B.
You can order the cd by harpmitch1@gmail.com for €10,- excl. worldwide postal charges. You can see the cover on www.harpmitch.com . I hope you like this live recording. I use a Harpking 6x10 and JT30 with cm and a DD2 Boss.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LkpQ6gfsOQw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXCkLEk-xlM
See you all and a Happy Christmas time
Mitch 8)
This is great, Mitch. The whole act has really developed over time. Glad you stuck with it. best wishes.
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Thanks Matt for your kind words.
Greets,
Mitch 8)