Mark Hummel’s Blues Harmonica Blowout celebrates 30 years in January 2022. The Blowout started on a Sunday night in 1991 at Ashkenaz in Berkeley with four harmonica players – Rick Estrin, Mark Hummel, Dave Earl and Doug Jay. Throughout the years, the traveling blues show has featured many of the top Harp Blowers, including Huey Lewis, John Mayall, James Cotton, Charlie Musselwhite, John Hammond, Magic Dick, Lee Oskar, Jerry Portnoy, Corky Siegel, Jason Ricci, Howard Levy, Lazy Lester, Carey Bell, Snooky Pryor, Billy Boy Arnold, Rod Piazza, Kim Wilson, Rick Estrin, Sugar Ray Norris, James Harman, Paul DeLay, Sam Myers, Norton Buffalo, Curtis Salgado, Carlos Del Junco and Gary Primich.
The guitar chair is equally stunning with Elvin Bishop, Duke Robillard, Anson Funderburgh, Jr Watson, Steve Freund, Little Charlie Baty, Billy Flynn, Rusty Zinn, Bob Welsh, Charles Wheal…Blowout tours have covered thousands of miles to every part of the US and Canada, even a few Euro tours. Mark Hummel’s Blues Harmonica Blowouts have carried the Blues Torch to many blues fans everywhere!
2022’s 30th Annual Blues Harmonica Blowout is a Tribute to Big Walter “Shakey” Horton — one of the most revered Chicago Blues Blowers. Willie Dixon called him “THE GREATEST Harmonica Player I EVER HEARD IN BLUES!!!”…and Dixon recorded with Little Walter, Sonny Boy Williamson & Jimmy Reed. Big Walter is rumored to have schooled both Sonny Boy & Little Walter. He was known to have the deepest tone of them all, both amplified and acoustic. Charlie Musselwhite commented that “Shakey would be really Happy about this Blowout.”
Blowout Producer, Grammy nominee/Blues Award winner/author/podcaster/harp man Mark Hummel started playing harmonica in 1970 and has gone on to become one of the premier blues harmonica players of his generation. Hummel’s been featured on over thirty recordings since 1985, including the Grammy-nominated 2013 release Blind Pig recording Remembering Little Walter (a recording of a Hummel Blues Harp Blowout.)
The 30th Anniversary Blowout features Hummel, along with harpists Kim Wilson, Curtis Salgado, Sugar Ray Norcia, and Aki Kumar; guitarists Duke Robillard and Anson Funderburgh, bassist Bob Stoger; drummer Wes Starr; and keyboardist Bob Welsh.
Check out this video from 2019.
FRIDAY & SATURDAY, JANUARY 7 & 8, 2022 – Freight & Salvage (no Kim Wilson), Berkeley, CA
MONDAY, JANUARY 10 – Shed Institute, Eugene, OR
TUESDAY & WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 11 & 12 -Triple Door, Seattle, WA
THURSDAY, JANUARY 13 Seasons Ctr For The Arts, Yakima, WA
FRIDAY, JANUARY 14 – Tower Theatre, Bend, OR
SATURDAY, JANUARY 15 – Cascade Theatre, Redding, CA
SUNDAY, JANUARY 16 – Rio Theatre, Santa Cruz, CA
