Hohner News

My jams at the Rumboogie on Beale Street in Memphis during the Blues Foundation's events attract fine musicians from all over the world. I try to give everyone what they want while making the best possible music for the audience. Trying to juggle who plays when, what, and for how long takes a lot of intuition and luck, and occasionally I get a solid tip I can trust.

A few years ago, Blues master Rich DelGrosso advised me to bring up California harp player Gary Allegretto, "He's really great..." I know Rich and the company he keeps and I looked over to his table to see a handsome man with a friendly smile. After a few promised sit-ins, I called Gary up and he was ready to fit in however he could - he brought his voice, some harmonicas, stage experience, common sense, and social grace. Gary listened to what we were playing, took strong solos, and led songs with easy authority. The audience loved him. Rich don't endorse no slackers.

This year, Gary sent his latest album, Many Shades of Blue. I expected it to be top shelf, but it stayed in my iPhone's iPod a very long time - I listened to it often for musical and spiritual pleasure. Gary's Blues tells stories of soul, wit, and humanity and I got to know him real well because he gives everything he is to his music. When he sat in with me in Long Beach, California, at The Cellar last summer, I kept him up on the bandstand a long time, both featuring his own songs and jamming with our friends.

I know that BluesWax's readers will enjoy getting to know Gary Allegretto too...

Bob Margolin for BluesWax: From listening, it seems you value both tradition and originality. You tell your own stories in the language of the music you carry on. What is the relationship of your life experiences to your Blues music?

Gary Allegretto: In a word they are "close... like spots on dice" as Sonny Boy Williamson once said. One of the things I love most about the Blues tradition is its storytelling - so the long answer involves stories from my life.

To start with, my life experience had everything to do with me becoming a musician. My first exposure to live harmonica music was my grandfather, Fiore Allegretto, playing for me as a child. Soon thereafter he gave me that same harmonica when he could no longer play it, having suffered a debilitating stroke in the lumberyard where he worked - loading pulp logs onto trains by hand. I idolized him. Though I was very young and he was unable to speak, I fully understood the significance of the gift. It's still a prized possession of mine.

Later in my childhood I was held spellbound by a couple musicians that shaped the genre of music I chose. I saw Piedmont Bluesman John Jackson performing in a hayfield in walking distance to my home and Chicago Bluesman Big Walter Horton blowing electric harp at a cultural festival. Thus, I fell in love with both acoustic and electric Blues at an early age. It was a sound that both possessed me and I had to possess. Hungry to learn, I bicycled regularly to a local record store to collect vinyl recordings of the Blues masters that became my teachers on the family turntable.

Coincidentally Bob, one of my early musically influential life experiences involved you. I saw you play with Muddy Waters Band at the Tower Theater during the Hard Again Tour in 1977, the year I graduated from high school. It was a show that had a deep effect on me musically. I'll never forget the energy of the band and power that Muddy commanded on stage. Thirty years later I'm thrilled that some of the exact same live recordings from that night are featured on the recent live release Breakin' It Up, Breakin' It Down, that won a Blues Music Award for Historical Album of the Year. Congratulations on that and also your award for Best Instrumentalist.

I feel lucky to have had a deep well of life experience to tap into for writing. I left home for the first time on foot, hitchhiking, at 15 and have traveled ever since. Along the road, the harmonica has been my great ambassador, opening doors to meet and play with many diverse folks worldwide. Not surprisingly, my writing contains a lot of traveling themes. I've had work broadly ranging from rafting guide, lifeguard, forest ranger, forest firefighter, city firefighter, ranch hand, street musician, band leader, and more. Occupational diversity gives life insights that can become great material for songs. Further, in my early twenties I was a bouncer in a rowdy bar in Santa Fe that booked a variety of music, including Blues greats like Buddy Guy, Junior Wells, Gatemouth Brown, John Hammond, James Cotton, Charlie Musselwhite, and Albert Collins. Thus, I got to study masters up close, delivering their craft on stage at the top of their game. At the end of the night I'd offer to help load their gear so I could to listen to their stories - I'll call that my night school. On top of all this, I guess I've known a few women - never underestimate the amount of Blues inspiration and material you can draw from that! I'd best stop there... but to answer your question; yes, I feel my life experience has made me a wealthy man. Much of my music has been an outlet to carry on the Blues tradition of telling my personal stories in song.

Gary Allegretto's Many Shades Of Blue
Click Cover For More Info

BW: Many Shades of Blue features acoustic and electric Blues styles and some of your songs would fit in a more general Americana category as well. How do you decide what to do with a song idea when you conceive it? What creative process did you go through, perhaps using an example from his album?

GA: As the title suggests, my CD is a reflection of my appreciation of the broad nature of the Blues genre. I didn't feel pressured or limited to make all of my songs fit into one category. Nor did I try to appease anyone's expectations or definition of the Blues. I just trusted my instincts and made my album, both electric and acoustic. I think some labels second-guess what folks will enjoy, making for many predictable records. Interestingly, I had one major Blues label say they loved my CD, but some of my material was, too Americana for them and another actually told me it was too Bluesy for them! That made me figure I was probably in about the right place. I am proud that both Blues and Americana fans are embracing it - charting on both Blues and Roots radio. I feel that Blues audiences are getting more savvy to the history of the music and its influences, which breeds more open-mindedness. I've always felt that Blues isn't limited to one color or one side of the tracks and I am fond of its many styles and influences...its many shades if you will.

A creative process? Truthfully, there is no single way I conceive a song idea. Maybe the closest thing I have to a process is simply changing my scenery. Songs often come to me on the road. Maybe it's a combination of the landscape and the forward motion, but whenever I'm driving my pickup in wide-open spaces, with no strong agenda, song ideas flow. Inspiration often may come from a personal experience, memory, humorous anecdote or pure imagination. It can be as simple as something funny someone said that caught my ear or as complicated as love. Generally it comes from an emotional place. In each song I attempt to choose a style, arrangement, and instrumentation best suited to deliver and tell the story.

Here are some examples from MSOB:

"She Speaks to Me" is a simple love song... to my harmonica. I wrote it in one sitting. It needed a sexy, slinky kind of arrangement so I chose a grinder with my harp speaking in sort of a Sonny Boy Williamson-meets-Jimmy Reed style.

"Settle Down Blues" is a travel song that I conceived on the road using my "pickup truck method" mentioned earlier. I came up with the first line: "Ain't but two things make me nervous about the term 'settle down'; that first word is settle and the second one is down." The rest of the song practically wrote itself in defiant answers to the judgments and pressure that others can project on a freewheeling man... or so I've heard.

"Never the Same" developed as a tribute to those whose music mesmerized me when I saw them play as a kid, from my grandfather Fiore to John Jackson to Bill Monroe to Big Walter. The diversity of these musicians led me to choose what might be called an Americana/Blues arrangement and instrumentation to capture the mood. The title of the CD came from the last line; "These were the blessings of my youth, when I learned that there were many shades of blue, and I knew that I was never gonna be the same."

"Four Days Late" came to me as I watched the government's lack of response to the Katrina Disaster in New Orleans on the TV news. Initially, I simply wrote the words of the title on a piece of paper as a way to express my sadness and bewilderment. The rest of the song unraveled with my sense of outrage to those three words. After months of fighting bureaucratic red tape to bring Harmonikids to the same folks in a FEMA trailer village, I finished it. I had never written a song like it before. I feel the reactions to the lyrics I've gotten from the people down there who continue to suffer make it credible. When we recorded in New Orleans, Ivan Neville agreed. I feel his and Janiva's [Magness] vocals, combined with my Blues/Gospel arrangement, deliver it effectively.

I don't want to give the impression that my songs are serious or heavy...that's definitely not the case. There's quite a broad range here in the 14 tracks. On the other end of the spectrum I wrote "Tattoo of Truth" as a break-up gift to a gal. Admittedly it started out as a healthy way to disperse some aggravation. After all, from my point of view, she had confused possessing the truth with tattooing the word on her body. The hook started out angrily... "She wouldn't know the truth if it was tattooed on her ass." However, as it progressed I began to see the humor in my predicament and gradually changed my tone. It ended up as a way to rhyme "aw shucks" with "buttocks." To my knowledge that's a first - I'm proud of that. I don't think she was though - haven't heard from her since.

Allegretto and Rich DelGrosso At The Big Easy in Houston, Texas
Photo by Lisa DelGrosso

Bob Margolin for BluesWax: You sure have a lot of my favorite musicians working with you on this album (Many Shades Of Blue). Would you like to talk about them, or tell stories from the sessions?

Gary Allegretto: Absolutely! They are some of my favorite musicians, too. I feel lucky to have them on my recording and even luckier to call many of them my good friends. At the risk of leaving someone out, I'll speak of them briefly.

The first recordings I did for this project were with National Heritage Fellowship Award-winning Bluesman John Cephas. I had written some Piedmont duo-style songs that I kept "hearing" him on. I am not only a huge fan of John's, but I am proud to have called him my friend for many years. When I phoned him he invited me to his home in the Virginia countryside saying he would be "honored" to play on my project. Of course the honor was all mine. We went over the songs in his kitchen once or twice and then spent a fun afternoon in the studio. I think you can really hear the fun we had in those four recordings. I only hope that on my next visit we'll take out his fishing boat as promised.

Rich DelGrosso is like a brother, a big brother with big talent and heart. We have taught Blues workshops and done a lot of stage shows together in band and duo settings, so studio work together was easy. Among his many impressive credentials, Rich was twice nominated for a BMA as best instrumentalist. I was proud when he asked me to record on his fine CD and he was a very strong asset to mine.

I had known Doug Macleod for years, playing many of the same venues around the Los Angeles area. I've always enjoyed his National guitar work and musical sensibilities. Doug's a nice guy who's a real pleasure to work with.

Similarly, I've crossed paths with Janiva Magness in Los Angeles for years. I appreciate her friendship, encouragement, and support. She is a very lovely and talented woman who's a dynamo, both in person and in the studio. I pretty much just tried to stay out of her way. When she arrived at the studio she first hugged and thanked me for writing "Four Days Late."

I tried for months to get the same song to Ivan Neville. I wanted his B3 organ and voice on the song - the voice of New Orleans - but he is a busy man. When he finally heard it, his response was immediate. Not only did he want to do it, he invited me to record it at the Neville Brothers' home studio on Canal Street in New Orleans. I was floored by the honor. His work was magic. While in New Orleans for the session I brought harmonicas and lessons to kids in the still ravaged Lower Ninth Ward and St. Bernard Parish, giving even more purpose to the song. I'll never forget the emotion I felt at the sound of them sweetly playing "This Land is Your Land" together.

The core band members on the project are renowned Los Angeles musicians whom I've enjoyed playing with for years at my stage shows. Tommy Kay, Ian Espinosa, Paul Eckman, Steve F'dor, and David Kida are all veterans from bands such as Roomful of Blues, William Clarke, and the Mighty Flyers. They're great friends and masterful players. They are also studio aces and much of their fine work on the album was first-take. I always feel fortunate to have them on board. I also want to mention my friend Lenise Bent for her highly acclaimed and heartfelt engineering and production work. Finally, Grammy Award winning Gavin Lurssen (John Lee Hooker, Johnny Cash, etc.) mastered the project.

Bob Margolin and Gary Allegretto at the Rum Boogie
Photo courtesy of Lisa DelGrosso

BW: Your good reviews and airplay have made you much more recognized in the Blues World recently. Have you felt a push from this album yet, and where would you like to go with your career?

GA: As a friend of mine says... "My CD is a 'million cellar' - I've got a million of 'em in my cellar."

But seriously... It is doing well and I am honored to get the good reviews, recognition, and praise, especially from many fellow artists, DJs, and writers for Blues publications who I've admired for a long time. Many Shades of Blue debuted at number 11 on the Living Blues Radio charts, so obviously I am getting airplay and many new fans around the country and overseas. I am flattered that so many new and old listeners are buying and enjoying my songs. Recently I was also prominently featured alongside some folks I'd call "harmonica royalty" in a harmonica documentary film called Pocket Full of Soul. I humbly welcome the attention, but as I recently heard in a Jackie Payne song: if I'm am overnight sensation, it's been a mighty long night!

To accompany this "push" I welcome inquiry from those in the industry who are interested in furthering my career. So far I've been navigating the music business primarily by myself and as an artist I'm probably not the ideal guy for that job. A manager, booking agent, and publicist team would free me up to do what I feel I do best; travel, perform, and create music. I'm single with no kids and there's no place I'd rather be than on the road playing music for folks. So ideally the recent recognition will open up opportunities to perform at more gigs and festivals both across America and overseas, especially Europe and Australia.

In another direction, this week I got a surprise check in the mail from BMI for use of my music on NPR and a PBS TV show. I like that. I'd like to continue to get this kind of work and my music into more film projects as well.

I also love to teach as a way to share my passion for the music. I've enjoyed the opportunity to both perform and teach harmonica at many Blues festivals and camps around the country. This summer I was invited to teach and perform at the prestigious Augusta Heritage Center's Blues Week and the Riverfront Blues Festival for my sixth consecutive year. I'd like this new attention to provide more opportunities to give my harmonica workshops to aspiring players. Also, the more I travel to play gigs and festivals the more kids I can reach through Harmonikids and Blues in the Schools while on the road.

Allegretto With Two Of His Harmonikids
Martin Luther King School, New Orleans Ninth Ward
Photo courtesy of Travis Dunlap

BW: It's exciting that you're using your music and its storytelling to inspire young folks. Tell us about Harmonikids - it sounds like a wonderful way for kids to get into the Blues, into the harmonica, and most important, the filling and soothing of the soul that music can bring.

GA: I am involved with two wonderful ways to teach children that often overlap. One is the Blues in the Schools (BITS) program that readers can read about in the Blues Foundation's website. The other is my organization, Harmonikids.

Back in the late Eighties I was living and playing Blues in New York City. My friend Chris Neuhoff, a fellow Blues player, was the director of the kid's playroom at the Sloan Kettering Cancer Hospital. He invited me there to do a Blues jam with him and the children. The uplifting therapeutic effect the music had on these extremely ill kids deeply touched me. I especially noted their enthusiasm for the harmonica. It was a perfect fit; a small, simple portable instrument that can be played by patients on IV's or in hospital beds. The harp has a fascinating, voice-like tone that made the kids smile and giggle. My Hohner endorsement made the harps affordable. I developed a simple method to both entertain and teach them simple songs. Harmonkids was born.

Since then it's become a 501(c)3 tax-deductible nonprofit organization. I've visited many facilities worldwide ranging from children's hospitals, Ronald McDonald Houses, burn recovery centers, cerebral palsy centers, juvenile homes, gang-risk centers, underprivileged, orphanages, evacuee facilities, and refugee camps. I took 1,000 harmonicas and lessons to severely traumatized children in the refugee camps and orphanages of North Sumatra after the Tsunami. I provided the same aid to the traumatized kids evacuated from New Orleans immediately following Hurricane Katrina, and again this year, at the only school to reopen in the Ninth Ward.

Along these lines, I am also actively involved in the Blues Foundation's BITS program. This year [2008] during the IBCs, the Blues Foundation invited me to Memphis to provide my sessions to low-income kids in seven middle schools. I've also worked with kids in Houston twice this year by invitation of the Houston Blues Society and recently taught 300 kids at once at the Levitt Pavilion's children's series in Pasadena.

The sessions have proven to be much more than just an educational and entertaining diversion for challenged kids. I have seen the universal power of music relieve stress, manage pain, and replenish self-esteem, confidence, hope, and joy into children's lives. In return, I am profoundly grateful. The children I work with are a constant inspiration to me. Harmonikids brings great joy and purpose to my life.

I could fill a book with stories. Instead, I'll direct interested readers to Harmonikids website www.harmonikids.org and mine at www.garyallegretto.com.

Gary Allegretto's Many Shades Of Blue
Click Cover For More Info

Bob, turning to you: It's interesting to me that Gary was inspired by the liveliness of the show he saw me do with Muddy Waters more than thirty years ago. I've seen some videos of Muddy's band where we looked like blank-faced zombies, though the music had passion in it at its best. But Gary saw shows that featured Johnny Winter and James Cotton who bring a lot of excitement to the musical experience, beyond what's heard.

I'm glad Gary saw one of those lively shows and was inspired by it, because his life story, personality, stories, and music demand to be expressed with fire. He fulfills that. You've just read how well Gary understands himself and his own interesting journey. You'll find his Many Shades of Blues to be engaging in the same way.

Bob Margolin is a senior contributing editor at BluesWax. You may contact Bob at blueswax@visant.com.