Jim Antaki – by day is a professor of biomedical engineering at Cornell. At SPAH, he is just an amateur harmonica player, and enthusiast. He began dabbling in the harmonica in high school (circa 1980), being a die-hard Bob Dylan fan.  But it was not until he partnered with Dr. Henry T. Bahnson, famous heart surgeon at University of Pittsburgh in 1990, and Howard Levy that he really delved into studying the “physics, phonetics, and physiology” of the diatonic harmonica. Although he does not play out, per se, except occasionally at church, he remains dedicated to the mission to “advance” and enhance the enjoyment of the harmonica for beginners and professionals. Some of his contributions have included the TurboHarp ELX – an electric diatonic harmonica; the TurboSlide – a diatonic harp with a magnetic “whammy bar,” the Sotto Voce – a muted practice harp (some call it a “marriage saver”), and TurboTab – a patented, intuitive tablature available in print, or via Android app called “HarpAmatic.”  Current projects include a second-generation, affordable electric harp (Turbo/EMX); an affordable MIDI harp; and yet another app, “RiffAmatic” to provide visual feedback to make it easier to learn riffs and licks and develop tone. He is grateful for the kind welcome that he has received by the SPAH community.

Inspired by the magical sounds that emanated from his father’s harmonica, Charlie bought his first Marine Band as a teenager and never looked back.

Beginning as primarily a traditional straight-harp player, he soon discovered through experimentation that this wonderful instrument was well suited for playing a wide range of musical styles. When he first realized a strong attraction to the rhythms and grooves of Blues music, Charlie was determined to learn to play the harp in this style as well, which continues to keep him busy and in demand in his home market of Western Pennsylvania as well as other regions of the Eastern United States.

Charlie focuses mainly on the diatonic harmonica and plays mostly in a very traditional style utilizing various tongue blocking techniques. He has also developed his vocal prowess and can be found fronting his own band as well as working as a sought-after side man.

In addition to performing, teaching harmonica is another activity that Charlie loves. Whether in group settings or individually, equipping aspiring harmonica players to sound as good as possible is a priority of his. He taught the harmonica classes at Calliope House of Pittsburgh for several years as well as a stint at Harmonicollege in Huntington, WV, not to mention the Filisko Teach-In at SPAH.

Downbeat Magazine proclaimed Chris Bauer “is an excellent harmonica player…with a free sense of swing and joy.” Residing in central Connecticut, Chris performs popular jazz standards on the chromatic harmonica with a repertoire including upbeat bop tunes, cool Latin numbers, and soulful ballads. Playing harmonica for over 50 years, his performance and recording experiences are diverse including jazz gigs, harmonica trios, church worship bands, production library tracks, even recording “Mack the Knife” with a reggae band! He performs and gives harmonica technique seminars at many festivals around the country. His recording projects include “How High the Moon,” “Straight Ahead,” and “In a Yuletide Groove” which was declared as “a solidly delightful mainstream take on holiday classics that makes you smile from start to finish,” by Chris Spector of Midwest Record. He has also recorded with Jerry Murad’s Harmonicats on their “Magic” album.

Born and raised on New York’s Long Island, Chris was surrounded by the harmonica since his father had a harmonica trio of his own. He started playing at age nine and began appearing on stage with his father’s trio by thirteen. At sixteen, Chris placed third in a worldwide harmonica competition and in 1987, placed fourth in a field of 27 at the International Harmonica Federation competition, both times finishing as the highest placed American harmonica player. Since then, Chris has performed at many venues including B.B. Kings in NY (guest artist for Dickey Betts), Shanghai Jazz in Madison NJ, and also the harmonica role in the play “Big River.” In 2016, Chris was invited to judge and perform at the Asia Pacific Harmonica Festival in Taiwan.

Chris was a regular contributing writer to The Harmonica Educator magazine on jazz topics and continues to work on recording projects that exemplify jazz harmonica. He also performs both in jazz trio or quartet settings, as a soloist utilizing custom backgrounds that provide the sound of a jazz ensemble, or can sit in with rock, blues, or jazz bands.

Richard had his first stage performance in a children’s choir in 1965. After winning multiple awards in high school for vocals and trombone, he majored in Theater in college and went on to performing on and Off-Broadway and at regional theaters around the country, including three shows at the Kennedy Center, with two at the Opera House. After moving to Chicago in 1994, he was a paid chorister at St. James Episcopal Cathedral for 10 years, and a trombonist/vocalist for a 12-piece big band. Vision loss caused him to quit the choir and trombone. So, he sold the horn, bought a set of Hohner Special 20s, and began studying with Howard Levy. While sitting in with bands at the Green Mill, Martyrs, the Drake Hotel, and other venues in Chicago, he found out Joe Filisko was teaching at the Old Town School of Folk Music and, with Howard’s blessing, switched instructors, went from Special 20s to Hohner Crossovers, and, helped found The Lay-Down Ramblers, a 5-piece band that plays eclectic Americana, including original tunes.

Since 1991, Richard has studied voice with, Jack Waddell, whose students include Broadway veterans Jessica Vosk, who sold out Carnegie Hall in early 2022 and is currently starring on Broadway as Elphaba in “Wicked,” Tony Award winner Brian Stokes Mitchell, and Brandon Victor Dixon, who played Judas in the live TV production of “Jesus Christ Superstar” starring John Legend.

Hi guys. I’ve been playing harmonica since I was a kid but only got serious about it maybe 15 years ago when I discovered performing. Since then, I’ve played with a lot of different folks but have gigged routinely with a regional band named Kevin Dalton and the Tuesday Blooms or with some variation of that band. Kevin’s music is genre-spanning and trying to follow it has allowed me (or forced me…) to stretch my harmonica playing. It also led to experimentation with lots of different effect pedals to fill the sonic spaces that I could hear in my head. I’m thankful to spend some time visiting with you to share what I’ve found that works and what I’ve found that hasn’t.

CEASAR
The Carolina Cajun Connection & Hohner Artist!

“Some Blues, a little Rock & Roll and a whole lot of Creole Soul”

SPAH’s own beloved entertainer and showman of the harmonica world.

People who experience a Ceasar Show, do just that, experience the show. The Ceasar show has that certain joie de vivre and flavor that entices all to participate and share. The musical resonance of the harmonica and clatter of the washboard heard in the Zydeco tunes combined with the down home in the bayou blues and soul find audiences either on the floor or on the stage. No one can resist the captivating, electrifying, and infectious charm of “Creole Soul”. Ceasar’s spell-binding dance moves make women want to dance with him, and make men want to dance like him, and they most often do. Moreover, the Ceasar show brings such a quintessential essence of the Louisiana Blues that one can almost taste the jambalaya as the band yells, “Bon temps roulet! Ay eeh!”

For many live-music enthusiasts in the Southeast, the stylistic leadership qualities of the modern-day Ceasar are already a familiar entity on the bandstand. Like his predecessor, it appears this Ceasar is also on a mission to spread his musical cheer to a diverse listen ship of ages and cultures.

Ceasar, who hails from the bayou of Louisiana, in the heart of Creole and Cajun country where his grandfather, Alphonse “Bois Sec” Ardoin and Iconic Cajun fiddler Canray Fontenot were pioneers and founding fathers of the Cajun Zydeco music movement. Since then, he has evolved into today’s consummate, multi-talented act performing on drums, harmonica, and keyboards along with singing lead vocals and exuberant dancing which leaves one breathless after watching his high energy performance.

Ceasar takes you to another stratum of entertainment to ensure that electrifying and exhilarating are the two words that are emblazoned on people’s minds once they have experienced this dynamic performance.

James Conway is an Irish-American musician based in Chicago, Illinois, and is particularly known for playing traditional Irish music on the harmonica and tin whistle. He also plays guitar, bodhran, and plays folk and country blues music. Jason Ricci said of Conway’s playing, “This guy is the king of tongue switching (playing out of both sides of your mouth) – his octave leaps, effortless complex melodies, and chords are mind melting to the harmonica player while natural to the listener.

On a backpacking trip to Europe in 1970, with his first harmonica, Paul began tinkering with brass vibrations which to date has slowly consumed him.

Learning to play the harmonica was a self-taught endeavor at the time, as instructional material was just starting to be published. Paul’s interest in Old Timey and Bluegrass music set him on an acoustical course, attacking fiddle tunes and country licks. In 1980, Swallow Hill Music Association in Denver, hired him to teach the “Tin Sandwich”, which continued through 2002. During this time, he started the Mile High Harmonica Club, which is coming up on its 26th year. The club gathers twice a month to share tunes, jam and learn.

The harmonica convention in 1992 blasted opened new doors into the international world of the harmonica. The Society for the Preservation and Advancement of the Harmonica (SPAH), which started in 1962, introduced Paul to the world’s most renowned players, all willing to share and teach what they know. Excited to get involved, he served as President, and for many years as SPAH’s Artistic Director, booking entertainment for the annual conventions.

In the hands of harmonica master Grant Dermody, the harp rumbles like a freight train, sidles up like a soul singer, purrs like an electric cat, rings out in a rhythmic dance. Pair it up with his voice, a strikingly honest vocal approach that resonates in the direct center of your chest, and the intrigue just increases.

The swamps of Louisiana, the wide-open skies of Montana — all that’s deep and sweet and awe-inspiring about Americana and its musical roots — reside there. There’s simply nothing like the growling grace that emanates from Grant Dermody.

Tony Eyers started harmonica as Yale undergraduate in the 1970’s, inspired by classmate Jim Fitting, a highly regarded Boston based player.

Tony returned to Australia in the early 1980s and formed The Full House Blues Band, which became well known in Adelaide. He moved to Sydney and was drawn to acoustic music and traditional fiddle tunes. To better play this music he devised the Major Cross tuning, used on his 2003 CD “Black Mountain Harmonica” and his 2021 release “O’Carolan’s Harmonica”.

In 2017 the Seydel harmonica company released a Major Cross version of their Session Steel harmonica model. Tony is a Seydel endorser.

He also has a strong interest in baroque recorder, and performs with “Balmain Baroque”, a five-piece ensemble he co-founded in 1995. He is the creator of the LearnRecorder.com teaching site.

In recent years Tony has been playing American Old-Time music, and has a deep attachment to these traditional tunes and the music gatherings and festivals where they are played.

Jerry Fierro has enjoyed a rewarding musical career that began in Paterson New Jersey at the
age of sixteen and was playing professionally before his seventeenth birthday, “we had to sneak him in
the back door because he was under age,” said Son Lewis. Playing a wide range of styles over the years
such as: Rock, Funk, Jazz, Country, Gospel and Reggae Jerry has never strayed too far from his first love
“The Blues”
At age eighteen Jerry studied with legendary bluesman Sonny Terry and has since gone on to perform
live with such greats as Junior Wells, Hubert Sumlin, Jonny “Clyde” Copeland, Jorma Kaukonen,
Southside Johnny, Jimmy Vivino, Mark Pender and Felix Cavaliere, also, on many studio recordings with
Son Lewis, Impact, Robert Allen, Kim Page and Mudbone to name a few.
Currently residing in Fort Myers, FL, Jerry won back-to-back titles at the “Florida Harmonica
Championships” (2014/15) and can be seen performing weekly in Naples, FL co-hosting the “Mudbone
Blues and Beyond Jam” (seven years and counting) among other area clubs and festivals with some of
the best musicians in SW Florida.
For the past few years Jerry has been furthering his studies with: Todd Parrott, Howard Levy David
Barrett, he regularly attends SPAH’s annual harmonica convention and has created the annual “Paradise
Coast Harmonica Workshop”.

Joe Filisko and Eric Noden are an internationally acclaimed roots duo from Chicago, Illinois. They have been performing and recording music together for 20 years. Their original blues songs, train imitations and harmony singing are reminiscent of the 1920’s and 30’s when acoustic music was prevalent. Joe and Eric use their virtuosity and song writing skills to illustrate nearly forgotten styles of American Music.

Known not only for his soulful singing and harmonica playing, John is equally at home with a guitar or behind the drums while featuring his harmonica skills.

Harmonica John performs classic rock, blues, Marley and Motown, Americana, plus some cool original songs

Career highlights include performances with Joe Walsh, Bobby Blue Bland, Rod Piazza and the Mighty Flyers, and the Farmers to name a few. John is a top harmonica teacher in San Diego and has developed an easy to understand “positions” lesson.

John is also one of the founding members of the San Diego Spring Harp Fest, held annually on the Saturday of Easter weekend. Recently attained non-profit status, John is seeking corporate sponsors to help advance the Spring Harp Fest mission.

Brenda Freed has lived, performed and taught privately in the Texas Hill Country since 1991. Originally from rural Iowa, she has been singing publicly all of her life. She began singing in church as a young soloist, where she also developed a keen ear for singing harmony.

After two years at St. Olaf College, she transferred to the University of Iowa where she earned a BA in Music Education and Music Therapy in 1980. That same year, she started teaching K-12 vocal and general music classes in rural Iowa. In 1982, she left to pioneer the music therapy program at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics (UIHC) in Iowa City, Iowa. While working as a music therapist, she earned a Master’s Degree in Music Education/Music Therapy (emphasis in counseling). Throughout her University of Iowa college and employment years she played and sang in bands, original and cover material.

From 1991 on Brenda has maintained a successful private music teaching business, teaching voice, vocal harmony, piano and guitar. To supplement her teaching or to be used for self-study, Brenda has published two instructional recordings: Effortless Singing (2007) and Effortless Harmony Singing (2010), both 2-CD sets, available for purchase or download on popular sites.

In addition to her Skype teaching, Brenda has taught across North America at workshops, festivals and conferences. She is available to teach Effortless Singing and Harmony Singing Workshops as a conference presenter, panelist and mentor anywhere.

You may not know you know Will Galison’s music, but you do. You’ve heard his unique harmonica sound on the themes of “Sesame Street”, “The Untouchables”, “Bagdad Café” and hundreds of other movie scores, albums and commercials. Harmonica master, Toots Thielemans, called Will “The most original and individual of the new generation of harmonica players”. While Will is indeed one of the top exponents of the jazz harmonica, his career as a studio musician has allowed him to explore and embrace many other musical idioms, from rhythm and blues to classical concertos. That’s why he has recorded and/or performed with stars as varied as Sting, Donald Fagen (Steely Dan), Tommy Emmanuel, Barbra Streisand, Carly Simon, Chaka Khan, Ruth Brown, Jaco Pastorius, the O’Jays and Peggy Lee.

Will has released numerous albums under his own name (on Verve, PolyGram and Aosis records) and recorded as co- leader with other major talents from around the world. He’s also delighted audiences at jazz festivals and clubs around the world, recently in Japan and India. At home in New York, he has performed at venues such as Carnegie Hall, Joe’s Pub and The Blue Note.

In addition to jazz performances, Will has toured with various musical theatre productions, including the first two national tours of Roger Miller’s “Big River” and three European tours of “Bagdad Café”, starring Jveeta Steele (“Calling You”), and featuring the same director and composer as the movie.

In 2002, Galison’s duo with singer Madeleine Peyroux performed together, domestically and abroad, including a gig with the Dresden Symphony Orchestra. In 2003, The duo recorded “Got You On My Mind”, an album Jazz Times called “a match made in Musical Heaven”. Downbeat’s Bill Milkowski wrote: “Galison also reveals himself to be an accomplished guitarist…and he delights with a few vocal numbers as well, which makes him a real triple-threat.”

​In 2008, Will’s campaign video for President Obama, “Takin’ it Back with Barack”, was rated the best campaign songs of the election season by the Huffington Post, and received over 600,000 views on online, including several by the President himself, who “got a big kick out of it” according to his staff.

Will’s self-produced 2011 CD, Line Open features Galison as harmonica virtuouso, guitarist, composer, lyricist, singer and arranger. Together with some of New York’s top musicians, Will produced an album spanning a wide musical and emotional range, yet unified by his sly wit, compassionate outlook and deeply rooted musicality.

In recent years, Will has performed widely in France, and is currently collaborating with the noted composer Karim Maurice on a major work for chromatic harmonica, jazz trio and string orchestra; the “Odysseus Cycle”. To produce this project Karim and Will received a major grant with the French American Jazz Exchange to produce a program of music for harmonica, jazz trio and string orchestra.

In 2023, Will produced the album “Let Your Heart Lead the Way” with singer Marilyn Kleinberg, pianist John DiMartino, drummer Victor Lewis and bassist Noriko Ueda, with Will playing harmonica.

The most intimate setting in which Will shines is his DUO with master Guitarist Sean Harkness. They perform regularly at New York’s famous BIRDLAND Jazz club, and are quickly earning an international reputation.

While in New York, Will hosts house concerts, featuring premiere jazz musicians. A recent concert was a duo with jazz piano master Kenny Werner, who said of Will: “Will has always been a superb player, but his playing just gets deeper and deeper. I’ve played with the master, [Toots Theilemans] and Will is right up there”.

Mitch Grainger, an esteemed harmonica player, possesses an unparalleled level of talent and artistry that has enthralled audiences across the globe. His profound passion for the harmonica has propelled him to great heights, earning him a reputation for his soul-stirring sound and extraordinary mastery of the instrument.

With an innate ability to infuse each note with emotion, Mitch’s harmonica playing transcends mere music—it becomes an extension of his very soul. His melodies possess a captivating quality that evokes a wide range of feelings, forging a deep connection with his listeners. Whether he immerses himself in the depths of a blues solo or adds an ethereal touch to a melodic ballad, Mitch’s harmonica performances leave an indelible mark on all who have the pleasure of hearing him play.

Not only is Mitch a consummate performer, but he is also an exceptional educator and mentor. Recognizing the significance of passing on his knowledge and nurturing a love for the harmonica, he established the online harmonica school, harmonicatime.com. Through this site and workshops and masterclasses held worldwide, Mitch has inspired countless aspiring harmonica players to unlock their full potential, guiding them on their own musical journeys.

Beyond his remarkable talent and dedication as a musician, Mitch’s contributions have extended to innovation. His creation of the groundbreaking harmonica microphone, Dyna-Mic, showcases his commitment to pushing the boundaries of what can be achieved with the harmonica. This invention has revolutionized the instrument and continues to inspire musicians, enabling them to explore new realms of musical expression.

Mitch Grainger’s extraordinary musicianship, unwavering dedication, and genuine love for the harmonica have solidified his status as a virtuoso in the field. His captivating performances, educational endeavors, and groundbreaking inventions have propelled the harmonica into new realms of possibility, inspiring a new generation of harmonica players to embark on their own remarkable musical journeys.

Born and bred in Macon, GA, Buddy Greene has been performing for audiences since the tender age of ten, but his first big break came when, as a young man, he landed a position in country superstar Jerry Reed’s band. As rhythm guitarist, singer, and harmonicist, Buddy’s four-year stint with Reed proved to be the ideal apprenticeship that included appearing on numerous TV shows and recordings as well as touring extensively throughout the country.

By 1984, Buddy and wife Vicki had moved to Nashville where he was able to more fully develop as a musician, entertainer, and songwriter. In1986, Buddy released his first solo recording, a self-titled debut of original gospel music followed the next year by an instrumental release, Praise Harmonica, that helped to establish his reputation as one of Nashville’s best on the harmonica. At the same time, he began touring the country as a featured performer with gospel greats Bill and Gloria Gaither.

Over the last 30+ years, Buddy has performed across America, made numerous trips abroad, and released twenty recording projects. His album Sojourner’s Song won the Gospel Music Association’s Dove award for Best Country Album, and he has received 9 other Dove award nominations. Through his long association with the Gaithers, he has become a favorite gospel performer, appearing often on the Gaither’s popular Homecoming video series.

Buddy has also made his mark as a songwriter. Besides the many self-penned songs of his own recordings, he co-wrote (along with Mark Lowry) the modern Christmas classic “Mary, Did You Know,” recorded by a host of major artists, including Kathy Mattea, Kenny Rogers and Wynonna, Natalie Cole, Clay Aiken, CeeLo Green, Rascal Flatts, Mary J Blige, and Pentatonix. Other songs of Buddy’s covered by major artists include “Recovering Pharisee” by Del McCoury, “Fall Down, Children” by The Whites, and “He Is”, a number one for gospel artist Ashley Cleveland.

Throughout his career, Buddy has steadily advanced as a harmonica player. He has played on the recordings of many outstanding artists, including Jerry Reed, the Gaithers, Riders in the Sky, Charlie Peacock, Bela Fleck, The OJays, Sara Groves, Keith and Kristyn Getty, Sandi Patty, and Larnelle Harris, just to name a few. After hearing Buddy’s 2002 release “RUFUS”, legendary folk icon Doc Watson invited Buddy to join him onstage at the prestigious MerleFest roots music festival in 2003 and subsequent years. In 2009 he joined an auspicious lineup of Nashville virtuosos to help jazz bass legend Charlie Haden celebrate his country roots in the Grammy nominated recording and video project Rambling Boy.  And with good friend and accordion maestro Jeff Taylor, Buddy has played engagements from the U.S. to Europe and beyond.

Other milestones in Buddy’s career include performing at numerous Billy Graham crusades, especially the 1992 New York Crusade before a crowd of 250,000 in Central Park, and his performance of the “William Tell Overture” 10 years later at Carnegie Hall, captured live on a Bill Gaither Homecoming video and subsequently posted on YouTube, has been viewed by millions.

Buddy’s latest project, Looking Back, provides a strong summary statement of Buddy’s journey as a Christian, songwriter, instrumentalist, and skillful interpreter of songs, original or otherwise. The 18-song collection includes some self-penned numbers from earlier projects (updated with fresh arrangements for 21st century ears), introduces a few new ones, and presents, for the first time, some key songs from his musical and spiritual formation. Produced by good friend and award-winning guitarist and recording artist Bryan Sutton, Looking Back marks Buddy’s 20th release in a 30+ year recording career.

Michael started playing in bands in high school, mostly on guitar, but with the 60’s folk resurgence, turned to the harmonica and traditional folk and blues. He kept up the guitar, even had a lesson with local musician Jerry Garcia, but also had harp lessons later in life with Mark Hummel and Paris Slim.  Many years and bands later, Michael became a teacher as well as a player, and has played with some great cats on blues cruises, Big Blues Benders, recording sessions, and blues and jazz jam sessions. Based in Santa Fe, NM, he’s now in two bands, plays in the house band on jam nights, and has a blues radio show on KSFR, Santa Fe Public Radio, (plays lots of SPAH artists, too!) He loves sitting in and knows how NOT to be a jerk while playing! Endorsed by Seydel Harmonicas for 5 years, this will be his 4^th time presenting at SPAH.

Harmonica from Texas

Lonnie Joe was born and raised in the Lubbock, Texas area, well known for its musical influences from artists like Buddy Holly, Mac Davis, Bob Wills, and Waylon Jennings. His musical interests caught fire in his early college years when he started playing guitar and soon added harmonica as a second instrument. He started learning the songs of Bob Dylan, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, the Beatles and Charlie McCoy. He started playing guitar and using a Harmonica rack and singing as he learned new material from Rock, Country, Blues, Gospel, and Bluegrass artists.

His life experiences from jobs such as farming, truck driving, harvesting crops, teaching junior high mathematics, and owning a music store have contributed to his career of performing, songwriting, recording, teaching, merchandising and managing all the areas of his music business.
Howell spent 20 years in Nashville playing on recording sessions, writing songs, playing in bands, creating instructional videos, and writing instructional books on how to play harmonica. Four of those years were spent earning a degree in Commercial Music from Belmont University.
Howell’s harmonica style is described as diatonic Blues harp applied to Country. Many of his country and bluegrass songs use a “country tuned” harmonica played in the “Cross harp” position.

Howell’s track record includes four CDs, three Harmonica instructional DVDs, and 2 books written for Mel Bay Publications. He currently performs on a regular basis as a single act, or with his own group The Hot Texas Band. He teaches harmonica. fiddle, and guitar at his music store in Levelland TX.

Lonnie Joe’s CDs books, and DVDs are available on his store’s website: texasmusicsupply.com

and his songs can be streamed at: lonniejoehowell.hearnow.com

David Kachalon is a musician, songwriter, visual artist, and teacher who runs the Continuing Education Harmonica Program at both the Collage of DuPage and also at Harper Collage. In addition (since the beginning of the pandemic) he has been teaching at the online music school platform Tunelark. He has taught hundreds of players of all ages to successfully play music and have fun on the harmonica. Playing for over 20 years and teaching for around 12, David focuses primarily on the Filisko Tongue Block Method and the building of a solid foundation of techniques. He is fully authorized to use all Filisko Teaching Materials,  and has led workshops around the country as well as taught at the SPAH convention for the past several years. Now in addition he helps as a SPAH Seminar Coordinator.  David is also the person behind the SPAH Instagram account Official_Spah63.  He also helps as a Contributor and Content Facilitator for the SPAH magazine Harmonica Happenings

David starting out playing in bands during high school, and has played in such groups as  Spanish Blues Band Azul De Noche, the multi tournament winning Jug band Strictly Jug Nuts, the Muscovy Ducks Cajun Harmonica Enable and the Three Kings Harp trio. He also has an acoustic duo project called Hal and Dave, but mainly spends his time fronting The Frozen Ground Blues Band. They play covers of Chicago blues standards, as well as some original songs around the Chicagoland area. David chooses to play exclusively with only the Hohner Marine Band Crossover and Thunderbird harmonicas. 

Davidkachalon.com

https://frozengroundbluesband.com

Cod.edu 

https://www.harpercollege.edu

Tunelark.com

Jason Keene is a Chromatic Harmonica player who resides in Los Angeles, California.

His main interest has always been West Coast Jazz, influenced by melodic players like Chet Baker, Gerry Mulligan, Stan Getz, and is also a huge fan of Nat “King” Cole and other great vocalists from the 1940’s through the 1960’s.

Jason is also interested in Electronic music, and hopes to expand the role of Harmonica players in contemporary styles via the MIDI Harmonica recently invented.

Jason has been blessed to study with many wonderful harmonica players, Wim Dijkgraaf, Laurent Maur, Ron Kalina and most recently Los Angeles Woodwind legend Terry Harrington.

He has performed on stage and/or recorded with many Los Angeles players of note: Dean Parks, Jim Cox, Larry Goldings, David Jackson, Geoff Pearlman, George Doering, Dillon O’ Brian, and many others. He has toured the States and Europe extensively with the Kyle Gass Band.

With the invention of the Lekhoilm DM48 MIDI Harmonica, Jason has actively pursued the mastery of this amazing instrument as well, as it has opened up an entirely new world of options for Harmonica players that wish to use electronic sounds like Synthesizers, and instrument modeling apps like SWAM Horns and more.

His preferred Chromatic Harmonica Company is SEYDEL, and is proud to be an endorsee.

Jason Keene’s website is: Jasonkeeneharmonica.com

YouTube channel is: YouTube.com/Bluesbop

Paul Kerian, a native North Dakotan, has been playing harmonicas for 50 years. For the last 25 years he has played hands free (mouth alone) harmonica while walking, driving or riding his bicycle. Paul’s U.S. Patent No.: 11,657,785 B1 “Hands Free (mouth alone) Diatonic Harmonica and Improved Harmonica Microphone Housing” was granted on May 23rd, 2023. He hopes to digitally revolutionize harmonica play and music as did the electrification of the guitar. Paul enjoys writing lyrics and poetry and has played, recorded and produced 3 harmonica related musical albums “Harmonica Poems”, “The Compassionate Conservative Blues” and “Harmonica Americana”.

Paul hopes to get into manufacturing and licensing his mouth alone harmonicas. His ultimate goal and fervent hope is that he will be able to help provide hands free harmonicas to amputees and otherwise disabled military combat veterans. To this end Paul hereby agrees that he will undertake to NOT enforce his patent for the first year of his patent’s existence, to encourage experimental mouth alone harmonica manufacturing. Paul does so under the condition that those who build mouth alone harmonica’s and or his improved digital microphone during this year (manufactured before 23 May 2024) shall build less than 100 such harmonica’s and or digital microphones. Paul makes this commitment on condition that those building same provide half of any manufactured to amputee or otherwise disabled military combat veterans, free of charge. Paul will consider the kindness shown disabled veterans when deciding with whom he will license his patent(s). Paul feels mouth alone athletic harmonica play has played a huge role in his survival despite his PTSD, a heart attack and a looming aortic aneurysm. Paul retired from the US military after serving 32 years. His upcoming book, titled after his Epic poem Victim Of Style details some of his not so harmonic experiences in the military, and his recovery through harmonica and poetry.

Boaz Kim is a music teacher and studio musician from Philadelphia, PA. His middle school years were so heavily into learning how to play and bend on diatonic harmonica with very little learning resources available to him, that he was eventually able to obtain all of the available bends. He became frustrated that the harmonica was still missing several notes and he put the harmonicas away in high school. After taking a 7-year break from the diatonic harmonica, Boaz dug out all of his diatonics and relearned to play in the practice rooms of West Chester University while completing his music education degree. This time his focus was on a chromatic approach using bends and overbends largely from a combination of online sources like Howard Levy’s online school and the education he was receiving from his university’s music courses.

After graduating with a BM in Music Education, Boaz has been performing with different bands and recording in several studios in the tri-state area, while teaching in several music schools. He has added the chromatic, bass, 48 chord, and polyphonia harmonicas to his quiver which he has since gained proficiency on each type leading to music that goes outside of the classic harmonica trio sound. He currently maintains his own music studio teaching harmonica, voice, and piano. Boaz also repairs and customizes them for players all over the world and has collaborated with some of the world’s leading technicians. He has most recently taken on repairing the difficult Harmonetta repairs.

Boaz is endorsed by Hohner Music and uses their harmonicas exclusively.

Boaz’s website is: www.boazkimmusic.com

Instagram.com/boazkimmusic

Youtube.com/boazkimmusic

Dave Moore is a singer-songwriter, who plays guitar, button accordion, and harmonica. He was influenced by country blues and conjunto music. Dave lives in Iowa City, records for Red House Records, and was a frequent performer on “A Prairie Home Companion”. He has toured throughout the United States and Canada. The harmonica was his first instrument, and he continues to play it, mostly on a neck rack.

Todd Parrott has been called one of the freshest, most innovative and proficient harmonica players today.  “He’s got it all: great chops, killer tone, speed, finesse, and impeccable taste,” says Buddy Greene.  “He plays with a sensibility and maturity and never sacrifices musicality for mere technique.”  Adam Gussow adds, “I think he’s got the best chance of any harmonica player I’ve seen to cross over and become the public sound and image of what pure-D American blues harmonica is about.”  Todd began playing harmonica in January of 1990, after hearing the lively harmonica playing of a guest speaker who visited his church.  This inspired him to purchase his first harmonica, and what started as a fascination quickly became a lifelong passion.  Today, his soulful harmonica can be heard in churches and at harmonica events, both nationally and internationally, and on many studio recordings.  Todd is also a well-respected harmonica instructor, having taught at nearly every major harmonica workshop in the USA, and is a regular teacher and performer at the annual SPAH convention.  He is currently a faculty member at the Tomlin Leckie Harmonica School, and organizes his own annual harmonica event, The Carolina Harp Fest, offering harmonica players an additional, fun opportunity to learn, jam, collaborate and develop their skills.  Todd is an endorser of Hohner harmonicas.

I am a full-time working musician specializing in 10-hole diatonic harmonica. What sets me apart from other “HARP” players is my ability to play chromatically on the diatonic. This allows me to play jazz, blues, standards, country, including melody in addition to riffs. In 2009 I was the only diatonic player to be a finalist in the Arizona Best of the Blues competition held at the Rhythm Room in Phoenix. I just renewed my contract with Sun City Grand for the 2022/2023 season; this will be my 10th year of teaching there. I have done a fair amount of studio work in and around greater Phoenix, including the opportunity to work with Grammy winner Billy Williams who produces Lyle Lovett. This year I look forward to teaching at SPAH for my 5th time. Currently I perform about 70 shows a year in total with 3 different bands “Kate and the Dream Band” Lone Mountain Band Arizona” and Play Wilde. Performances are on You Tube and Facebook.

Multiple award-winning jazz, funk and blues harmonica player, singer, songwriter Jason Ricci has played with, toured and recorded with some of the world’s most esteemed blues, jazz, rock and New Orleans musical legends. Jason is included in nearly every top ten and top twenty lists of harmonica players in magazines and all over the internet. His fascinating career and life has led him up to the highest musical mountain tops such as performing at The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, recording a Grammy winning record with Johnny Winter, winning three Blues Music Awards and numerous nominations from The Blues Foundation only to fall all the way down to the lowest valleys of addiction, homelessness, jails and back up again. Today his sincere recordings, shows, songs and incendiary harmonica playing continue to tell the story of life and garner new fans to add to an emotionally devoted following of dedicated music lovers.

Today Ricci is busy playing locally and internationally with his band “The Bad Kind” and the Ricci/Krown Trio.  Jason Ricci is frequently a first call sideman/addition for the two-time Grammy nominated New Orleans Mardi Gras Indian funk band Cha Wa, Walter Wolfman Washington, Nick Moss, JP Soars, Damon Fowler, Lurrie Bell and the many others that call. He recently recorded on The Blues Music Award Nominated album by “The Altered Five Blues Bands”: “Holler if you hear me” and has performed with them as well.

He can be found often at home in New Orleans teaching music, harmonica, running his popular YouTube channel and playing with the best that New Orleans and the United States has to offer in the diverse styles of jazz, funk, blues, rock and jam band music. Jason Ricci is endorsed by Hohner Harmonicas, Blue Moon Harmonicas, Harp Gear Amplifiers and has his own line of signature pedals and a harmonica microphone from The Lone Wolf Blues Company.

Zaring “Zip” Robertson is a singer/songwriter from Kentucky, by way of South Florida, and most recently, western North Carolina. Besides solo performing, he cofounded an acoustic Americana and blues band, the Solar Dogs, which regularly performed in Coconut Grove, Florida for 15 years. Zip has additionally worked as a harmonica sideman for many other performers and bands.

Michael Rubin is from Austin, Texas and has been a regular at SPAH for close to 20 years. He has performed with such luminaries as Cyrille Neville and Ruthie Foster, on television, movies and was the original harmonica player for the Tony nominated Broadway musical The Civil War. He plays diatonic, chromatic, bass, harmonetta and chord harps.

Rubin is especially recognized for his work as a teacher. Charlie Musselwhite says, “I think your lessons are the best and when someone asks me about learning the harmonica, I send them to you.”

He is also a singer songwriter and his work can be heard on his new album “I’ll Worry If I Wanna” which features diatonic and chromatic harmonica.

Find information at michaelrubinharmonica.com

Grammy Award winner, Peter Madcat Ruth, has established an international reputation through his exhilarating, riveting virtuosity on the harmonica.  His expertise on this instrument has amazed audiences world-wide.  He is equally at home playing blues, folk music, jazz, country, or rock and roll.  Performance Magazine refers to him as “A harmonica virtuoso who is rapidly approaching legend status.”

Madcat’s music has been evolving for over 60 years.  It started in the Chicago area in the early 1960s, with Madcat playing folk/blues on guitar and harmonica.  By the late 60s he had immersed himself in the Chicago Blues and was studying harmonica with Big Walter Horton.  In the early 70s Madcat moved to Ann Arbor, Michigan where he was a key presence in two of Ann Arbor’s finest progressive rock bands.  By the mid 70s Madcat was touring the world with jazz pianist Dave Brubeck.  In the 80s, Madcat went solo infusing the folk/blues tradition with elements of rock and jazz. In 1990, Madcat teamed up with guitarist/singer Shari Kane to form the duo Madcat & Kane.  For twenty-four years they toured nationally and internationally.

In 2021 Madcat formed the C.A.R.Ma Quartet.

Madcat has been a member of SPAH since 1980. In 1997 Madcat received the Bernie Bray Harmonica Player of the Year award, and in 2014 he received the Pete Pedersen Special Lifetime Achievement Award.

Ronnie Schreiber can’t figure out if he’s an autodidactic polymath or a polytmathic autodidact. His CV includes being a postal carrier, majoring in Studies in Religion, working in a scrapyard, spending 22 years at a major automotive paint lab as a technician, manager of waste streams, and then IT management and troubleshooting, running a small custom embroidery shop including all digitizing and design work, patenting and selling an advanced bong, and for the past 15 years he’s been a credentialed automotive writer and historian, contributing to publications like Road & Track, Hemming’s Motor News, The Truth About Cars, and now for Hagerty.

A music lover his entire life, Ronnie has been interested in music technology and sound reproduction since he did a junior high science fair project on the Edison and Berliner gramophones. Leo Fender and Laurens Hammond are personal heroes to him, not the least because they really couldn’t play the instruments, they invented that changed the world of music. Ronnie can make a little noise in key on the harmonica but he’ll be the first to say the he’s not proficient enough to properly demonstrate his own instrument. As he likes to say, “I suppose that if I had spent the last nine years practicing instead of working on my gizmo I could do it justice, but then I wouldn’t have anything to demonstrate.”

Ronnie is the father of three rather remarkable children and five grandchildren (so far) who are cuter, smarter, and better behaved than anybody else’s grandkids.

Ronnie Shellist, Hohner endorsee and harmonica clinician, has been spreading the joy of learning and playing the harmonica for over 25 years. He spent several years on the road with the Hohner Roadshow where he detailed the Hohner line of harmonicas, performed and taught groups of folks around the U.S. how to get started playing the instrument. Ronnie offers online blues harmonica classes and guest artist classes each month via Harmonica123.com

In addition to teaching blues harmonica, Ronnie has been recording and touring with his newest musical project, The Dig 3. His dedication and passion to performing and teaching harmonica shines through in his performances and teaching.

Ronnie was recently featured in the Blues Blast publication. You can learn more about Ronnie by checking out the article here.

Richard Sleigh is well known in the harmonica community as a pioneer of high-performance customized harmonicas. He is also a high-octane performer who has played onstage with Paquito D’Rivera and the Wooster Symphony Orchestra, The Bridgeton Symphony Orchestra, Bo Diddely, Taj Mahal, and many others.

As a studio musician (guitar, slide guitar, harmonicas, and pennywhistles), he has done recording sessions for a variety of recordings including radio and TV spots, and film soundtracks.

Richard has recorded two solo albums, Steppin Out and Joliet Sessions and a collaboration with Jump Blues harmonica master Dennis Gruenling on Backbender Records.

He currently spends his time building custom harmonicas and performing and teaching music at festivals, concerts, and other musical events.

AJ Windmeyer first started playing chord after receiving his first chord harmonica as a Christmas gift in 2010 from Harmonica Hotshots Al and Judy Smith. Over the last 10 years, AJ has experimented with playing chord harmonica for several years under the influence of many great chord players including Tony Sgro, Al Smith, Eddie Gordon, AL Fiore, Harry Halicki (late chord player for the Philharmonica Trio), Manny Smith (late chord player for the Stagg McMann Trio), and Joe Mass Jr (late chord player of the Generation Gap) to create a style of playing that is both unique, but similar to those before his time. AJ has the unique ability to play both the familiar “modern” layout chord harmonica where C and F are in the middle of the chord, progressing F-C-G; as well as playing the “prewar” or “AL Fiore” layout chord harmonica, where the chords are offset and progressing backwards G-C-F”. AJ also regularly plays all the other styles of harmonicas; the chromatic, the bass harmonica, the Polyphonia, the Harmonetta, as well as diatonic as well. AJ has been both a state and national-level competitor in FFA, performing songs such as “Orange Blossom Special”, “William Tell Overture”, “Galloping Comedians”, “Harmonicat’s Boogie” and “Twelfth Street Rag”. His harmonica interests started at the age of 3 or 4 years old, watching his grandfather and grandmother play their harmonicas. AJ is also an endorsee of EastTop Harmonicas as a chord harmonica player.