Down Home Texas Blues Harmonica Festival and Clinic

2ND ANNUAL TEXAS HARMONICA FESTIVAL AND CLINIC IS BACK IN HOUSTON WITH A VENGENCE!


Following last summer's triumphant success of the very first TEXAS HARMONICA FESTIVAL AND CLINIC, this year,

www.houstonharmonicalessons.com teams up with the Houston Blues Society as well as Project Row Houses to expand the festival to even greater heights. They will not only to put on one heck of a blues harp showcase and clinic at Dan Electro's Guitar Bar but they also reprise the Houston Blues Society's successful BLUES 'N' KIDS program with a fabulous workshop and presentation on Friday, July 29th at the historic Eldorado Ballroom instructing neighborhood kids how to play harmonica and teaching them about it's relation to blues history.

The workshop will be presented by youtube sensation Denver Colorado's Ronnie Shellist , who is also owner of the harmonica instruction web site www.harmonica123.com. Joining Ronnie is Houston blues harp man and recording artist Sonny Boy Terry - also a renown harmonica teacher who shares his talents at middle and high schools, harmonica camps, community colleges, universities, corporate retreats and private instruction in the Houston area and across the US. Assisting on guitar will be the great Houston legend Texas Johnny Brown.

Introducing the kids to the world of blues harmonica, will be a viewing the award winning film Pocket Full Of Soul: The Harmonica Documentary, produced by Houston filmmakers Todd Slobin and Marc Lempert.

The BLUES 'N' KIDS workshop will start the weekend's activities at around 10AM Friday morning, July 29th and go for approximately two hours. The workshop is free to kids between 14 and 18 who participate in Project Row Houses Summer Arts/Education program. Harmonicas will be provided free by the HOUSTON BLUES SOCIETY for the kids to take home with them.

On Saturday, the TEXAS HARMONICA FESTIVAL moves over to Dan Electro's Guitar Bar in Houston's Heights for an afternoon clinic/workshop starting at 1PM. Tickets for the clinic are on sale now at www.texasharmonicafestival.eventbrite.com

This year's clinic/workshop offers four sessions instead of one at a great price ($30.00 for the clinic only and $40.00 including the evening showcase).

Sonny Boy Terry kicks it off with a "Harmonica for Beginners" workshop - great for fathers and sons, young and old or anybody who is just starting out. Terry will go for an hour or so before turning it over to Ronnie Shellist from 2PM - 4PM for the Intermediate/Advanced Harmonica" clinic that would be great for anybody but focuses on techniques and instruction for those who have some background playing harmonica. Ronnie will take a brief survey survey from the attendees to gauge where the majority's interests and abilities lie, then proceed so students can get the most out the clinic.

Immediately after Ronnie's workshop is Stephen "Fess" Schneider's "Amplifying the Harmonica" Clinic. Steve is a known vintage amp repairman for many blues musicians in Houston who is also an excellent blues harp player himself. He is able to set up and specialty tune harmonicas, and work on vintage microphones known for creating classic "Chicago Sound". As an English professor at Houston Community College's main campus, Steve is a superb teacher who will certainly be able assist attendees to help understand the nuances of harmonica amplification.

To top the afternoon's clinics off, there will a one hour jam session with the Sonny Boy Terry Band with special guest Forth Worth jump blues master Holland K. Smith on guitar allowing all the attendees an opportunity to sit in with a true Texas blues band. What an afternoon! And what a great price with a genuine chance to learn from several of America’s finest blues harmonica performers and instructors! Attendees are highly recommended to get there early and stay for the entire program. The novice or the more experienced players should be able to gain from the entire experience.

After a dinner break with a film documentary (TBA) between 6PM - 8PM (grill food is available on site at Dan Electro's), the real blues kicks in with Houston multi instrumentalist Texas Johnny Boy and his band. Texas Johnny Boy is a known commodity on the Texas music scene working regularly on the Dallas-Fort Worth blues circuit as well as Houston venues for nearly 30 years. An excellent harmonica player and vocalist, Texas Johnny Boy is also gifted at playing saxophone, piano, and flute blending his talents to create his own unique sound.

BREAKING NEWS: Fort Worth, Tx jump blues guitar master Holland K. Smith, a brilliant musician and an old of Sonny Boy Terry, has just been added to the festival lineup and will perform a brief set after the Texas Johnny Boy Band and because of his experience back up blues harmonica players, he will work with the house band for the rest of the evening.

Starting at 9PM, a true Houston treasure, Tommy Dardar will give blues lovers a taste of his soul drenching vocals and fiery harmonica. Tommy has been doing this long time having gigged with Lightnin Hopkins, Mississippi Fred McDowell and Juke Boy Bonner. Guitar hero Jimmy Vaughn and Dardar friend once advised Tommy after hearing him sing to take up the harmonica way back in the late 60s. The rest is history. The late Houston Chronicle music critic Bob Claypool once wrote:

"Tommy Dardar can play the blues like a man possessed".

Dardar plays a powerful brand of swamp rock steeped in the traditions of Louisiana Zydeco and blues masters such as Bobby Bland and the legendary Jimmy Reed. His recent album, Fool For Love is produced by Tony Braunigal , drummer for Taj Majal, Bonnie Raitt, Jim Belushi and currently with Robert Cray . this CD cooks from start to finish! It is a steaming cauldron of Creole swamp blues rich with the traditions of all the styles that Tommy and his band bring to the table. Tommy's music moves you and makes you want to move, whether to celebrate your joy, or bury your pain.

At 10PM, the Texas Harmonica Festival's featured instructor Ronnie Shellist takes the stage. Ronnie is a wonderful harmonica player inspired by William Clarke and Kim Wilson . He has an excellent album out produced by Chicago bluesman Nick Moss titled "Chicago Sessions". Ronnie's family lives in Houston so expect him to step up and give a rousing performance.

At 11PM, Houston's own Sonny Boy Terry and his band will show blues lovers what the harmonica is about Houston style. Sonny Boy Terry , wearing three hats for the day serving as producer, instructor, and performer got his start in Houston sleeping on Johnny Winter drummer Uncle John Turner's apartment floor on a kinder garden mat in Montrose just to break into the blues scene. "Before that," says Sonny Boy, "I couldn't buy a gig in this town". A genuine ambassador of Houston's rich blues heritage, Terry has eventually went to perform all over the world and record with Texas legends Joe Guitar Hughes, Johnny Clyde Copeland, Calvin Owens and with contemporary blues artists Rich Delgrosso, Jonn Del Toro Richardson, and Tony Vega . Sonny Boy is the founder of the Houston Blues Society, starting it in 1993 and serving as president for over 3 years. He has two acclaimed albums on the Austin blues label Doc Blues Records and has recorded on over twenty albums to date Terry is featured in most complete book on Texas blues to date, Alan Govenar's Texas Blues: The Rise of a Contemporary Sound.

At midnight, topping off an evening of great blues, the unheralded but deeply talented Greg Izor hits the stage. A former New Orleans resident and Hurricane Katrina "evacuee", Greg now resides in Austin, Texas where he is certainly making a name for himself. His brand new CD is getting rave reviews. A recent review of his album "I Was Wrong" in Living Blues Magazine says,

" The list serious blues harmonica players who have distinguished themselves as disciples of the post war greats is an all too short one, at least in comparison to the aspiring guitarists out there. And although he may not be a household name yet, Greg Izor, from Austin Texas deserves a place on that short list of harp player/singers who have developed a truly unique voice on the instrument without sounding like watered down versions of Little Walter, James Cotton, or Big Walter Horton.

It's not just the critics who are love with Greg Izor. He just filled some very large shoes replacing the late great Sam Myers in the prototype Texas blues band Anson Funderburg and the Rockets. The Texas Harmonica Festival is proud to introduce Greg Izor to the Houston blues scene hoping his gets the audience and recognition he truly deserves.

WWW.HOUSTONHARMONICALESSONS and the Houston Blues Society are collaborating on a festival we hope can bring the notoriety of the blues and harmonica to a larger audience, and not just "preaching to the choir", so to speak. We want to use the festival as an educational tool for the young and old alike. The blues are arguably America’s most original art form and we want people to realize that. The harmonica, which rose to prominence during the civil war due to it's portability is a simple instrument to learn but very difficult to master and play at the level of the true legends. It continues to evolve as many such as Howard Levy, Adam Gussow, Sugar Blue and Jason Ricci knock down barriers and limitations moving the tiny instrument into musical realms never known before. With the advent of the internet, providing more outlets to promote and market the harmonica, it is becoming more popular all the time. We feel a festival of this nature is something the Houston blues scene can build on and taken blues to even greater heights letting the world know Houston is a great blues town that is starting to become a great harmonica town too. Please join us for a day of not only great harmonica, but great blues with a respect for history and tradition steeped in a modern up-tempo blues sound.

Tickets for the Texas Harmonica Festival are very reasonably priced. For the entire day including the full afternoon of clinics, the jam session, movie time and the evening blues harmonica showcase, you can purchase tickets for one low price of $40.00. You can also get tickets for the afternoon clinics for one low price of $30.00. Or if you just want to enjoy the evening showcase, showcase, admission is only $12.00. It's advised you arrive early to get a seat. Tickets will be available at the door that day. No one will be turned away. But we strongly advise you get tickets in advance online at www.texasharmonicafestival.eventbrite.com It's a secure web site so please don't worry. You may also but advance tickets securely at www.houstonharmonicalessons.com . So if learning the harmonica is on your bucket list or you just want to dance your blues away, we have the event for you. Your support is appreciated.

Here is a schedule of the Texas Harmonica Festival and Clinic's activities for Friday and Saturday:


FRIDAY, JULY 29TH:
10:AM - 11:30AM, - BLUES 'N' KIDS - EL DORADO BALLROOM, THIRD WARD W/SONNY BOY TERRY, RONNIE SHELLIST, TEXAS JOHNNY BROWN AND VIEWING OF POCKET FULL OF SOUL: THE HARMONICA DOCUMENTARY

SATURDAY, JULY 30TH:
1PM - 2PM - BEGINNING BLUES HARMONICA W/SONNY BOY TERRY, DAN ELECTRO'S GUITAR BAR

2PM - 4PM - INTERMEDIATE/ADVANCED HARMONICA W/RONNIE SHELLIST

4:PM - 5:PM - AMPLIFYING THE HARMONICA W/STEPHEN "FESS" SCHNEIDER

5:PM - 6:30PM CLINIC PARTICIPANT JAM SESSION W/SONNY BOY TERRY BAND

6:30PM - 8PM - DINNER/MOVIE TIME (TBA DOCUMENTARY ON BLUES ON LARGE SCREEN) GRILL FOOD AVAILABLE ON PREMISES

8PM - 8:45PM - TEXAS JOHNNY BOY BAND

9PM - 10:30PM - Hollnd K Smith and TOMMY DARDAR

10:30PM - 11:15PM - RONNIE SHELLIST

11:30PM - 12:15AM - GREG IZOR

12:15AM - 1AM - SONNY BOY TERRY BAND

1AM - GRAND FINALE (IF TIME PERMITS)