The past two decades have seen the emergence of young harmonica-led blues bands. In California, groups that draw their inspiration from the Chicago school but add elements of Jump Blues and Rock 'n' Roll into the mix have come up with an exciting new style of West Coast Blues. In Oakland, the northern capital of California Blues, resides the incredibly powerful harmonica player and vocalist Mark Hummel, leader of The Blues Survivors, a major force in shaping and defining this musical genre. Mark Hummel is a road warrior, who has crafted his own trademark harmonica sound—a subtle combination of tone, phrasing and attack combined with a strong sense of swing.
Born in New Haven, Connecticut and raised in Los Angeles, California, Mark absorbed the music of such Chicago based harp blowers as Little Walter, James Cotton, and Sonny Boy Williamson, before settling in Berkeley, California in 1972. There he played with local bluesmen such as Cool Papa, Boogie Jake, Mississippi Johnny Waters and Sonny Lane. In 1980, he took the helm to lead the popular Blues Survivors Band.
In 1985, the Blues Survivors released Playing in Your Town, on Rockinitus Records, and immediately went out on the road. Earning their name, they toured virtually non-stop throughout the United States, Canada and Europe often playing alongside such blues greats as Charlie Musselwhite, Brownie McGhee, Lowell Fulson and Eddie Taylor. He released Hard Lovin' in 1992 on Double Trouble Records and has been on the road constantly since then, stopping only to record Feel Like Rockin' in 1994 and Married to the Blues in 1995 on Flying Fish Records. In 1998 Mark released Lowdown To Uptown, his 7th CD, a mix of Chicago blues & uptown jazz, and his most current CD is called Ain't Easy No More on the Electro Fi label.
“[Hummel's] got tremendous chops and great knowledge, not only of traditional blues harmonica but other music as well -- R&B and swing and big-band jazz.”
—Jerry Portnoy, harmonica player
Genre: blues
Mark Hummel, harmonica Rick Estrin, harmonica Lazy Lester, harmonica Lee Oskar, harmonica Charlie Baty, guitar Marty Dodson, drums R.W. Grisby, bass Bob Welsh, guitar, keyboards
