Sigmund Groven joins me on episode 127.
Sigmund is a chromatic player who is a household name in his native Norway.
He was inspired to take up the harmonica after hearing Tommy Reilly on the radio. After taking some lessons with Tommy they formed a lifelong friendship, with Sigmund even becoming his manager.
Sigmund has released over thirty albums in his own name through his illustrious career and has played in venues and orchestras around the world, including Carnegie Hall, throughout Europe and in Asia, where he enjoyed chart success in South Korea. He plays classical, pop, contemporary, light music and Norwegian Folk and still enjoys recording and performing regularly.

Links:
Sigmund’s website:
https://sigmundgroven.com/

Sigmund's Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/TheSigmundGrovenPage

Discography:
https://sigmundgroven.com/discography/

Videos:
75th birthday concert on Norwegian TV:
https://tv.nrk.no/serie/kork-hele-landets-orkester/sesong/2021/episode/MKKA11001721

Tommy Reilly playing Colors Of My Life:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_eCEv-J-kL4

Playing with the pipe organ:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HkvAcaoMVXY

Playing at Jersey festival in 1987, with James Moody:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yS7GSLCaxO8


Podcast website:
https://www.harmonicahappyhour.com

Donations:
If you want to make a voluntary donation to help support the running costs of the podcast then please use this link (or visit the podcast website link above):
https://paypal.me/harmonicahappyhour?locale.x=en_GB

Spotify Playlist:
Also check out the Spotify Playlist, which contains most of the songs discussed in the podcast:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5QC6RF2VTfs4iPuasJBqwT?si=M-j3IkiISeefhR7ybm9qIQ

Podcast sponsors:
This podcast is sponsored by SEYDEL harmonicas - visit the oldest harmonica factory in the world at www.seydel1847.com or on Facebook or Instagram at SEYDEL HARMONICAS
--------------------------------
Blue Moon Harmonicas: https://bluemoonharmonicas.com

Support the show

Winslow Yerxa joins me on episode 126.
Winslow is originally from Canada, now living in San Francisco. He started out playing blues harmonica before becoming interested in the traditional music of French Canada and British origins, among others. Winslow plays in harmonica ensembles and produces his own compositions using a wide variety of harmonicas, including the diatonic, chromatic, tremolo, the Pentaharp, XB40 and the recent Gamechanger harmonica.
Winslow created the Harmonica Information Publication (HIP) magazine in the 1990s, with much of the publishing and writing done by himself. This led on to him writing Harmonica For Dummies and Blues Harmonica For Dummies.
Winslow was also the President of SPAH from 2012 to 2015.

Links:
Winslow’s website:
https://winslowyerxa.com/

Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/WinslowYerxaHarmonica/

Bandcamp:
https://winslowyerxa.bandcamp.com/

The HIP magazine:
https://winslowyerxa.com/articles/hip-the-harmonica-information-publication/

Videos:
Youtube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/@winslowyerxa8505

Tommy Reilly playing Chez Helene TV theme:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=da6dW7aV7D0

The Rounder’s Rag:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yKZmcSAanc4

Spanish Changes with Tuula Tossavainen Cotter:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30BatYKOOC0

JDR Trochilus / Bushman Gamechanger harmonica:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0NM1mxtzHw


Podcast website:
https://www.harmonicahappyhour.com

Donations:
If you want to make a voluntary donation to help support the running costs of the podcast then please use this link (or visit the podcast website link above):
https://paypal.me/harmonicahappyhour?locale.x=en_GB

Spotify Playlist:
Also check out the Spotify Playlist, which contains most of the songs discussed in the podcast:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5QC6RF2VTfs4iPuasJBqwT?si=M-j3IkiISeefhR7ybm9qIQ

Podcast sponsors:
This podcast is sponsored by SEYDEL harmonicas - visit the oldest harmonica factory in the world at www.seydel1847.com or on Facebook or Instagram at SEYDEL HARMONICAS
--------------------------------
Blue Moon Harmonicas: https://bluemoonharmonicas.com

Support the show

Paul Lamb, Joe Filisko and Adam Sikora join me on episode 125, for a retrospective on one of the legends of the diatonic harmonica, Sonny Terry, whose real name was Saunders Terrell.
Sonny was born in 1911 (or 1912), in Greensboro, Georgia (or it could have been North Carolina). Growing up on a farm in a rural community, Sonny was left blind by two accidents in his youth. Unable to work on the farm he turned to music, with his harmonica playing father giving him his early lessons.
Sonny first rose to prominence playing with Blind Boy Fuller, and then made a splash by performing at Carnegie Hall in 1938 as part of the ‘From Spirituals To Swing’ concert.
A few years later he formed probably the most famous blues duo ever, with Brownie McGhee. Sonny and Brownie made their name in the New York Folk scene and went on to play together for forty years, travelling the world, with many festival appearances, on Broadway, in movies and countless albums together. Sonny also played solo and with many other notable musicians besides Brownie, including an album with Johnny Winter towards the end of his life.
We look into Sonny’s style of playing and talk about how his rhythmical work is essential study in getting your own harmonica chops together.

Links:
Sonny Terry Estate items for sale:
https://bluemoonharmonicas.com/collections/sonny-terry-estate-llc

Paul Lamb: http://paullamb.com/

Joe Filisko: https://www.filiskostore.com/

Adam Sikora: https://jukejointsmokers.com/

http://www.the-archivist.co.uk/rare-early-blues-harp-recordings-by-singers-and-sidemen-introduced-by-joe-filisko/


Videos:
American Folk Blues Festival, Hootin’ The Blues:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CtO7cctW1uI

Sonny and Woody Guthrie postage stamps playing Lost John:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4ldxb0iGHc

Sonny and Brownie in one of their last concerts, 1980:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KzDNhA5irc8

Sonny and Brownie playing on The Jerk, Steve Martin movie:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QeDgOUoDTsY


Podcast website:
https://www.harmonicahappyhour.com

Donations:
If you want to make a voluntary donation to help support the running costs of the podcast then please use this link (or visit the podcast website link above):
https://paypal.me/harmonicahappyhour?locale.x=en_GB

Spotify Playlist:
Also check out the Spotify Playlist, which contains most of the songs discussed in the podcast:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5QC6RF2VTfs4iPuasJBqwT?si=M-j3IkiISeefhR7ybm9qIQ

Podcast sponsors:
This podcast is sponsored by SEYDEL harmonicas - visit the oldest harmonica factory in the world at www.seydel1847.com or on Facebook or Instagram at SEYDEL HARMONICAS
--------------------------------
Blue Moon Harmonicas: https://bluemoonharmonicas.com

Support the show