Blues Harmonica Blowout shows

Concerts: Narrows hosts blues harp blowout

Since 1991, West Coast harp ace Mark Hummel has been producing and performing at his annual Blues Harmonica Blowout shows. Through the years, Mr. Hummel's presented many giants of blues harmonica including James Cotton, Carey Bell, Huey Lewis, Magic Dick (J. Geils), Lee Oskar (War) and Jerry Portnoy (Muddy Waters, Eric Clapton), Billy Boy Arnold (Bo Diddley), Paul Oscher (Muddy Waters), Rick Estrin and Rod Piazza.

The Winter 2007 tour includes Charlie Musselwhite and Kim Wilson (Fabulous Thunderbirds). Charlie Musselwhite is one of the most recognized names in blues harmonica. Born in 1944, he has traveled the long road from backwoods Mississippi to a teenaged upbringing in Memphis, to the south side of Chicago. His latest recording, with Real World (Peter Gabriel's label), is "Delta Hardware" a throwback to his early '60s sound with a little funky Mississippi mud in the grooves. He has several Grammy nominations to his credit and won 19 W.C. Handy Awards.

Among the greatest living blues harp players, Mr. Wilson happens to be a great singer as well as a founder and current bandleader-frontman of The Fabulous Thunderbirds. Their '80s hits such as "Tuff Enough", "Wrap It Up" and "Powerful Stuff" ruled the airwaves and MTV for several years. He continues to tour the world with the updated TBirds. As for Mr. Hummel, Huey Lewis calls him "simply one of the best harmonica players working today."