At SPAH 2018: You’ve probably heard of Charlie McCoy’s playing even though you might not know it. He’s one of the most recorded players in the world. Without him changing the diatonic harmonica world with his very fast and precise playing, utilizing all of the bends as ‘real’ notes, popularizing the, “Country Tuning,” and superior musicality I think the harmonica world would not be nearly the same. I first really listened to his playing on my first Dolly Parton album during a flight to S. Korea, and wondered who the player was. His playing and the album helped me get through a rut. And guess what. The playing on the song, “Tenessee Mountain Home,” is slow and lyrical without any of the flashy Bluegrass style playing. Extremely well played. That’s what drew me in. Thank you, Charlie for the inspiration.

At SPAH 2018: Filip Jers just finished his set on the main stage and he played a great show. I think Filip is one of the top players today and he has nearly equal control on diatonic and chromatic harmonicas. He’s the reason why I wanted to start playing a 64 chromatic for the lower notes. I think he has one of the smoothest sounds on chromatic harmonica when playing at fast speeds.

This was the first time I met Buddy Greene, one of my initial influences and still one of my favorite musicians. All thanks to SPAH 2018 (www.spah.org). He actually gave me a lesson on playing two tunes and then we jammed together. The second time I met him was at Todd Parrott’s first Carolina Harp Festival. Buddy is a legendary player who is so modest about their abilities and contributions.

Here is a mix of repairs and custom orders. The two Marine Bands are from the 1990’s and are HIGHLY sought after, simply because the customizer, now, only works for a handful of some of the top players. The two Crossovers were customized for all overblows and overdraws being bendable while still being able to use a hard attack on the natural notes.