

In 1967 the band switched focus, starting to play electric guitar and bass and recruiting drummer Stephen Jo Bladd and fast-talking ex-disc jockey singer Peter Wolf, born Peter Blankenfeld, both from Boston.

The band formed under the name Snoopy and the Sopwith Camels while Geils was attending Worcester Polytechnic Institute for a couple of semesters. Funk) and harpist Richard Salwitz (stage name Magic Dick). Geils (born Februdied April 10, 2017), bassist Danny Klein (Dr. The band started as an acoustic blues trio in the mid 1960s with singer and guitarist J. Geils Band was an American music group from Worcester, Massachusetts, USA that had a successful blues-rock/R&B-influenced sound in the 1970s, before moving towards a more pop-influenced sound in the 1980s, which brought them MTV airplay and their 1982 international hit single "Centerfold".

#Harmonica on whammer jammer full#
It is truly an evolution of the blues by a teen musical master whose future will no doubt be an exciting one full of interesting productions.The J. Bailey is a great presenter of the modern blues harp, and Memphis Grooves is layered with his groundbreaking ideas. Likewise, Ray Charles’s “Hit the Road, Jack” and Stevie Wonder’s “Superstition” are not merely covers of these famous songs, but showcase Bailey’s ability to reinterpret and transform them into his own style of blues.īrandon O. His harp-boxing interpretation of Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean” makes this famous song original again. Bill Withers’ “Grandma’s Hands” with Bailey’s smooth and deep vocals lets us feel the rural atmosphere of a blues groove. His attempts to incorporate signature pieces by African American musicians from different genres interestingly function as a means to create a unique flow. But it may be Bailey’s intention to reveal the continuity of African American musical elements by ignoring the boundaries imposed by a single genre. The varieties of songs on Memphis Grooves make it difficult to categorize the entire album as blues. For example, “Nine Below” and “Bye Bye Bird” are blues classics from Sonny Boy Williamson’s repertoire which Bailey successfully transforms into a modern blues idiom. Producer Adam Gussow states in his liner notes, “Brandon is equal parts historian and innovator.” He reflects the traditional blues forms in the depth of his harmonica sounds, while at the same time adds new flavors. C.īailey’s greatest influence is Son of Dave, the famous creator of the postmodern harp-boxing style, which employs blues riffs intertwined with beat-box rhythms. King’s Blues Club in Memphis and the Jefferson Awards in Washington D. He won the competition with his performance of “Whammer Jammer,” which is introduced as one of masterpieces on this album:Īlthough still a teenager, Bailey has already performed at places such as B.B. His astonishing skills-which involve simultaneously playing his harmonica while beat-boxing and producing rhythms with his stomping foot, shaker, and looping pedal-entertain the listener throughout the album.īailey first drew people’s attentions when he participated in the 2009 Orpheum Star Search competition in Memphis at the age of 16.

Born in Memphis, Tennessee, this young harmonica master creates every sound with his mouth, hands and feet. Bailey’s debut album, Memphis Grooves, offers a pleasant surprise and demonstrates the artist’s significant talent for the blues.
