Longtime East Bay blues harmonica performer Mark Hummel and his Blues Survivors will headline this Sunday’s Blues, Brews & BBQ festival in Washington Park on Alameda’s West End. Hummel says it’s the perfect mix.
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“The great thing is it’s blues and barbecue, and those two things go together like bread and water,” he says.
Hummel says he fell in love with the blues growing up in Los Angeles as a high schooler in the 1960s. He recalls that his first influences were rock musicians playing the blues but that he was hooked once he got a taste of the real thing from originators like Muddy Waters and Sonny Boy Williamson at nearby clubs.
He says in a three-month period he saw legends of the art form whom he would later work with, including Brownie McGhee, James Cotton and the undisputed heavyweight champ of harmonica playing, Charles Musselwhite, a good buddy of Hummel’s to this day.
Seeking a place to hone his skills where the music was taken more seriously, Hummel moved up to Berkeley in 1970 at age 18. By 1977, he had formed the first incarnation of the Blues Survivors with Mississippi Johnny Waters, and by 1984 he had begun a grueling touring schedule that finds him on the road about 100 venues a year to this day.
Along the way the Grammy-nominated artist has developed his own sound that’s been described as a subtle combination of tone, phrasing and attack combined with a strong sense of swing.
“I play amplified blues harmonica,” as Hummel likes to call it. “That’s really the best description. I’m holding an old radio mic, and I’m playing it through a guitar amplifier, and it sounds almost like something from an electronic saxophone. The way I play it, it doesn’t sound like Bob Dylan.”
Self-taught, Hummel describes his musical career as being like the leader of a “a one-man band.” He’s not kidding either. Though he used to be a with record label, today Hummel puts out his own CDs and finds time to act as his own agent and publicist.
“I’m an expert at multitasking,” says Hummel, whose new CD is called “True Believer.” His advice for budding harmonica players? “Get a day job.” Hummel estimates that he is one of just about 50 people in the country who actually make a living playing the harmonica.
“It’s kind of a weird world. It’s almost like you gotta be rich to play the blues.”
Through it all, though, the 69-year-old survivor says he realizes how fortunate he is.
“I’m a very lucky son of a gun. I’ve made my career now for 45 years playing the harmonica. It really requires just a pretty unrelenting ambition. Fortunately for me, I’ve had the drive to do it, and I love the music so much. That’s really what I would say keeps me going year-after-year because it’s far from easy.”
Rounding out Hummel’s Blues Survivors are pianist Bob Welsh, who performs with Elvin Bishop, Kim Wilson’s bassist Kedar Roy and Earl Mann on drums.
Hummel describes his band’s sound as like being at a Civil War campfire where someone’s playing the harmonica.
“We are the Civil War campfire band of the Blues. The kind of music that we play, it’s so rare at blues festivals, and you wouldn’t expect it to be — playing all these songs by the icons of the blues. People like Muddy Waters and Little Walter and Sonny Boy Williamson and BB King, we’re playing all that music, but nobody plays it at blues festivals.”
Also performing at the festival will be The Dynamic Faye Carol & Her Sextet. A “living legend,” the Berkeley vocalist promises to deliver a seamless blend of soul, gospel, R&B and the blues.
Attendees will not only be in for a good time but will also be supporting “the rest of the arts programs West End Arts District produces throughout the year. These vary from murals to visual art exhibits, dance performances and more,” says Tara Pilbrow, the executive director of the West End Arts District, which is sponsoring the festival. This year will be the festival seventh’s in a row.
Of course, bopping out to the blues is bound to work up an appetite. To satisfy these cravings look for vendors such as Speer Family BBQ and Evergood Sausage serving up not only their beef hot links and bratwurst but smoked ribs and chicken.
To wash down all that delicious barbecued fare, a selection of craft brews from Alameda Brewing and others will be on hand. Hard kombucha, cider, cocktails and non-alcoholic drinks will also be available.
For more details online about the festival’s music, barbecue, beer and other vendors, visit westendartsdistrict.org/blues-brews-and-bbq.
Paul Kilduff is a San Francisco-based writer who also draws cartoons. He can be reached at pkilduff350@gmail.com.