It's always a pleasure to meet new people and hear their stories. And in this column, I am fortunate to be able to share tales of artists — whether singer, instrumentalist, writer, or dancer — and hear how the arts entered their lives and why they feel it's important.
For one man, it was a high school time when he picked up a simple instrument, learned to play, and had the sounds enter his soul in a big way.
The Tupelo Music Hall in Londonderry welcomes Mark Hummel's Blues Harmonica Blowout performance on Oct. 10 at 9 p.m. For Hummel, it was a time in his life where he felt needed something and not only did the harmonica fill a void, but those who sang and played the blues made a big impression, too.
Since 1991, Hummel has been producing and performing with Blues Harmonic Blowout shows, giving up his talents as an acclaimed blues harmonica ace, and joining forces with some of the best in the business who love this tiny instrument.
In an interview with the Derry News, Hummel said as a young man, he often felt like an outsider in school, and bringing the harmonica and its blues sounds made a tremendous difference in his life.
"For me, it was something about the sound of blues harmonica, it was very mysterious to me," Hummel recalled. "It really grabbed me ina big way."
Hummel was a big fan of the blues stars and listened to them constantly. He learned how to play the harmonica and now participates with some of the greats of the genre, including James Cotton, Lee Oskar, Huey Lewis, and Charlie Musselwhite.
"I was really taken with the blues," Hummel said, adding he was a big fan of the rockers who took many of their influences from blues, including Jimi Hendrix and Cream.
And putting his talents into the harmonica just added spice to his blues mix, giving him a chance to perfect an instrument he grew to love.
"It's really a challenge to play," he said. "The mouth is doing everything to make the notes. I would spend hours practicing. I was really taken with it."
Hummel said those attending the show at the Tupelo Music Hall will see a stage full of great blues artists, including Lee Oskar, Billy Branch, Sugar Ray Norica and special guest Rusty Zinn. Hummel said nothing enters the soul quite like a blues number, and he invites everyone to come and see and hear for themselves.
"Blues is really heartfelt and sincere," Hummel said. "It's from your soul. That's all there is to it."
Tickets for Mark Hummel's Blues Harmonica Blowout concert at the Tupelo Music Hall are available by calling 437-5100 or visit the Tupelo online at www.tupelohall.com. The music venue is located at 2 Young Road in Londonderry.
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If one seeks something a little different, why not check out a performance featuring traditional and innovative Celtic blues artists Roy Johnstone and Steve Sharratt, appearing in concert on Oct. 9 at 7:30 p.m. at First Parish Church in East Derry? The concert is part of the duo's "twisted fiddle" tour of New England this fall.
Johnstone and Sharratt hail from Prince Edward Island and bring their unique fiddle sounds to the local area. This is their fourth appearance in this region.
"We've met some great people on our visits and hope to see some familiar faces and look forward to meeting some new ones on this tour," Sharratt said.
Tickets are available by calling 434-0628. First Parish is located at 47 East Derry Road in East Derry.
And on Oct. 10 at 7 p.m. St. Mark's Knights of Columbus hosts a concert to benefit the Rosemarie R. Cox Scholarship Fund and other charities. Londonderry musician Brian Templeton and his band of brothers, Straggler's Plea, will perform. The show begins at 8 p.m. at Pinkerton Academy's Stockbridge Theatre in Derry. For tickets, more information and free downloads, visit www.KofCconcert.com or call the theater ticket office at 437-5210.
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Julie Huss is a staff writer for the Derry News. Her entertainment/arts column appears weekly. To contact her, e-mail at jhuss@derrynews.com, or call 421-3847.
