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Happy Hour Harmonica Podcast

Mike Turk interview

February 14, 2024 Neil Warren Season 1 Episode 104

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Now living in Boston, originally from New York

Mike got involved in the great music scene in Boston, playing with many of the great players there, including Bonnie Raitt and Hound Dog Taylor

Was working as a janitor at a Cambridge, Massachusetts blues music club called Joe’s Place (which had a lot of brawls) and he sat in with a lot of bands

Sat in a lot with Hound Dog Taylor and thought he would get hired to play with them but there was a big fight so Hound Dog Taylor never went back

Mike’s father was a professional jazz vocalist and bass player, although Mike wasn’t that aware of this until later

Lost half his little finger at age four, limiting his ability to play some instruments, and hence he choose the harmonica later

Learnt saxophone when younger, but missing part of finger inhibited his playing, so he picked up the harmonica

Discovered Paul Butterfield in the late 1960s

Father had a music store, where Mike was able to obtain free harmonica

Left New York and started playing in the coffee houses of Cambridge and Boston

Met John Kolstadt and that’s when Mike started concentrating on the harmonica

Was given a Paul Butterfield album at a dance, which is where he first discovered harmonica

Started learning the harmonica by playing along with records

When Mike started to play chromatic and how he made sense of it initially

The moment of revelation for understanding the chromatic was listening to James Cotton play I’m Ready

Then heard Little Walter playing a C chromatic in the key of G, opening up the idea that you can play different keys beyond D minor on the chromatic

Playing blues on chromatic is a good entry point for diatonic players

The influence of Toots on Mike after his father insisted he listen to one of his recordings

First recording on a non-blues harmonica, using a Koch, was with Richard Johnson, Old Man Adams, which Richard Hunter included in his Jazz Harp book

Released an album with John Kolstadt in 1975, Beans Taste Fine

Joined a Country and Western band who had a violinist who was into jazz, and encouraged Mike in that direction

Attended the Berklee School of Music from 1978-1980, where he had to play saxophone as they wouldn’t allow chromatic harmonica

Had to transpose the Alto saxophone parts to the chromatic, which wasn’t easy

Would join in music activities at Berklee playing the chromatic

Anthology of recordings through the 1970s and early 1980s: The Mouth That Roared, when was doing sessions in New York

Had to sight reading in the New York scene, with some intense competition, such as Robert Bonfiglio

Donny Brooks was the really successful studio harmonica player in New York

Donny Brooks was instrumental in creating the score for the musical Big River, which Mike later played in a Boston production

Mike improved his sight reading abilities by studying with a saxophone educator

Harmonica Salad, released in 1991, is the first collection of Mike’s solo work, including tracks with Ronnie Earl

Turk’s Works was released in 1996, with a letter from Toots Thielemans as part of the album liner notes, who Mike got to know and hung out with him

Toots gave Mike some general tips on playing the chromatic, but no actual lessons

Recorded some albums in Europe after the success of the Harmonica Salad album over there and Mike toured with the band in Italy and Germany

Reached a high-level in his jazz chromatic playing

Very satisfied with The Italian Job album, which Mike produced himself

Includes some diatonic on the later jazz albums, and how his jazz playing has influenced his approach to the diatonic

Tin Sandwich Swing song (from Harmonica Salad album) sees Mike playing in the key of each chord, including use of overblows

Mike started using overblows in the 1970s, having originally learnt about them from Richard Hunter, although Mike wouldn’t describe himself as an accomplished overblow player

Use of overblows brings the diatonic closer to how the chromatic functions

Charlie Musselwhite book which described how all the chromatic notes can be achieved on the diatonic

Played a classical piece with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, although doesn’t consider himself a classical musician

Mike used a Polyphonia to play the glissando part for the orchestra

Has recorded two movie soundtracks

10 minute question

Pandemic has limited playing abilities somewhat, although still has a monthly residency in Cambridge, which is broadcast on Facebook

Diatonic of choice

Joe Filisko used to maintain Mike’s chromatics

Played the Hohner Toots model chromatics, and two of Joe Filisko’s custom Marine Bands

Recently been playing the Hohner Crossover, which he likes

How Mike started playing the Renaissance chromatic, created by Douglas Tate and his partner Bobby Giordano

Douglas lent Mike a Renaissance to try at a SPH convention

Can use any chromatic reed plate on the Renaissance, with Mike using Toots Hard Bopper or Mellow Tone plates on his

Seydel manufactured the Renaissance for a few years, but this ended after their craftsman stopped making them by hand

Fifty Renaissance chromatics were made by Douglas Tate

Contact the podcast if own a Renaissance, or know someone who does

Mike lost one of his Renaissance chromatics, which turned up on eBay, and he managed to retrieve it

Amp of choice is a Gallien-Krueger studio monitor amplifier with an analogue Nanoverb pedal

Uses a Peavey PVM45 microphone

Experimented with the DM48 MIDI chromatic for a while

Uses the Nanoverb for effects

Likes to use his own equipment, as he knows how that sounds, and works

Embouchre is mostly pucker, but uses some tongue blocking

Info

Happy Hour Harmonica Podcast

Mike Turk interview

Feb 14, 2024 Season 1 Episode 104

Neil Warren

Mike Turk joins me on episode 104.

Mike is a Boston-based player who started out playing blues harmonica, inspired by the great Paul Butterfield, before becoming interested in playing jazz on the chromatic. He recorded some session work in New York and recorded through the 1970s with various artists, with many of those tracks available on anthology albums Mike has put out. He released his first solo album, Harmonica Salad, in 1991. Mike went on to record several more albums, with a letter from Toots Thielemans included in the liner notes for Turk’s Works. He also toured Europe and recorded some albums with the Italian band he was working with while in Europe.

Links:
Mike’s website:
https://www.tinsandwichmusic.com/

Toots Thielmans testimonial on Mike’s website:
https://www.tinsandwichmusic.com/?page_id=265

Polyphonia harmonica:
https://americanhistory.si.edu/collections/nmah_1306456

Great interview with Mike:
https://blues.gr/profiles/blogs/harmonica-virtuoso-mike-turk-talks-about-jazz-blues-lowel-fulsom

Videos:

Don Brooks session recordings:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HDGSb5NxtJY&list=PLGbKWi5veb_nwSHBWYjEgDPtHfYbFFufY&index=4

Honeydripper film opening credits:
https://youtu.be/BO5eP6XsF9M

Douglas Tate playing at the NHL Festival in 1988 (not on a Renaissance):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=th1PbXWfoY8

Mike trio gig from March 2022:
https://www.facebook.com/themadmonkfish/videos/1593252841059782

Podcast website:
https://www.harmonicahappyhour.com

Donations:
If you want to make a voluntary donation to help support the running costs of the podcast then please use this link (or visit the podcast website link above):
https://paypal.me/harmonicahappyhour?locale.x=en_GB

or sign-up to a monthly subscription to the podcast:
https://www.buzzsprout.com/995536/support

Spotify Playlist:
Also check out the Spotify Playlist, which contains most of the songs discussed in the podcast:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5QC6RF2VTfs4iPuasJBqwT?si=M-j3IkiISeefhR7ybm9qIQ

Podcast sponsors:
This podcast is sponsored by SEYDEL harmonicas - visit the oldest harmonica factory in the world at www.seydel1847.com or on Facebook or Instagram at SEYDEL HARMONICAS
AND
The Harmonica Company. Use promo code: 'happyhour7'.
Email Jonathan at: sales@theharmonicacompany.com

Support the Show.

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Starting at $3/month

Mike Turk joins me on episode 104.

Mike is a Boston-based player who started out playing blues harmonica, inspired by the great Paul Butterfield, before becoming interested in playing jazz on the chromatic. He recorded some session work in New York and recorded through the 1970s with various artists, with many of those tracks available on anthology albums Mike has put out. He released his first solo album, Harmonica Salad, in 1991. Mike went on to record several more albums, with a letter from Toots Thielemans included in the liner notes for Turk’s Works. He also toured Europe and recorded some albums with the Italian band he was working with while in Europe.

Links:
Mike’s website:
https://www.tinsandwichmusic.com/

Toots Thielmans testimonial on Mike’s website:
https://www.tinsandwichmusic.com/?page_id=265

Polyphonia harmonica:
https://americanhistory.si.edu/collections/nmah_1306456

Great interview with Mike:
https://blues.gr/profiles/blogs/harmonica-virtuoso-mike-turk-talks-about-jazz-blues-lowel-fulsom

Videos:

Don Brooks session recordings:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HDGSb5NxtJY&list=PLGbKWi5veb_nwSHBWYjEgDPtHfYbFFufY&index=4

Honeydripper film opening credits:
https://youtu.be/BO5eP6XsF9M

Douglas Tate playing at the NHL Festival in 1988 (not on a Renaissance):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=th1PbXWfoY8

Mike trio gig from March 2022:
https://www.facebook.com/themadmonkfish/videos/1593252841059782

Podcast website:
https://www.harmonicahappyhour.com

Donations:
If you want to make a voluntary donation to help support the running costs of the podcast then please use this link (or visit the podcast website link above):
https://paypal.me/harmonicahappyhour?locale.x=en_GB

or sign-up to a monthly subscription to the podcast:
https://www.buzzsprout.com/995536/support

Spotify Playlist:
Also check out the Spotify Playlist, which contains most of the songs discussed in the podcast:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5QC6RF2VTfs4iPuasJBqwT?si=M-j3IkiISeefhR7ybm9qIQ

Podcast sponsors:
This podcast is sponsored by SEYDEL harmonicas - visit the oldest harmonica factory in the world at www.seydel1847.com or on Facebook or Instagram at SEYDEL HARMONICAS
AND
The Harmonica Company. Use promo code: 'happyhour7'.
Email Jonathan at: sales@theharmonicacompany.com

Support the Show.

Now living in Boston, originally from New York

Mike got involved in the great music scene in Boston, playing with many of the great players there, including Bonnie Raitt and Hound Dog Taylor

Was working as a janitor at a Cambridge, Massachusetts blues music club called Joe’s Place (which had a lot of brawls) and he sat in with a lot of bands

Sat in a lot with Hound Dog Taylor and thought he would get hired to play with them but there was a big fight so Hound Dog Taylor never went back

Mike’s father was a professional jazz vocalist and bass player, although Mike wasn’t that aware of this until later

Lost half his little finger at age four, limiting his ability to play some instruments, and hence he choose the harmonica later

Learnt saxophone when younger, but missing part of finger inhibited his playing, so he picked up the harmonica

Discovered Paul Butterfield in the late 1960s

Father had a music store, where Mike was able to obtain free harmonica

Left New York and started playing in the coffee houses of Cambridge and Boston

Met John Kolstadt and that’s when Mike started concentrating on the harmonica

Was given a Paul Butterfield album at a dance, which is where he first discovered harmonica

Started learning the harmonica by playing along with records

When Mike started to play chromatic and how he made sense of it initially

The moment of revelation for understanding the chromatic was listening to James Cotton play I’m Ready

Then heard Little Walter playing a C chromatic in the key of G, opening up the idea that you can play different keys beyond D minor on the chromatic

Playing blues on chromatic is a good entry point for diatonic players

The influence of Toots on Mike after his father insisted he listen to one of his recordings

First recording on a non-blues harmonica, using a Koch, was with Richard Johnson, Old Man Adams, which Richard Hunter included in his Jazz Harp book

Released an album with John Kolstadt in 1975, Beans Taste Fine

Joined a Country and Western band who had a violinist who was into jazz, and encouraged Mike in that direction

Attended the Berklee School of Music from 1978-1980, where he had to play saxophone as they wouldn’t allow chromatic harmonica

Had to transpose the Alto saxophone parts to the chromatic, which wasn’t easy

Would join in music activities at Berklee playing the chromatic

Anthology of recordings through the 1970s and early 1980s: The Mouth That Roared, when was doing sessions in New York

Had to sight reading in the New York scene, with some intense competition, such as Robert Bonfiglio

Donny Brooks was the really successful studio harmonica player in New York

Donny Brooks was instrumental in creating the score for the musical Big River, which Mike later played in a Boston production

Mike improved his sight reading abilities by studying with a saxophone educator

Harmonica Salad, released in 1991, is the first collection of Mike’s solo work, including tracks with Ronnie Earl

Turk’s Works was released in 1996, with a letter from Toots Thielemans as part of the album liner notes, who Mike got to know and hung out with him

Toots gave Mike some general tips on playing the chromatic, but no actual lessons

Recorded some albums in Europe after the success of the Harmonica Salad album over there and Mike toured with the band in Italy and Germany

Reached a high-level in his jazz chromatic playing

Very satisfied with The Italian Job album, which Mike produced himself

Includes some diatonic on the later jazz albums, and how his jazz playing has influenced his approach to the diatonic

Tin Sandwich Swing song (from Harmonica Salad album) sees Mike playing in the key of each chord, including use of overblows

Mike started using overblows in the 1970s, having originally learnt about them from Richard Hunter, although Mike wouldn’t describe himself as an accomplished overblow player

Use of overblows brings the diatonic closer to how the chromatic functions

Charlie Musselwhite book which described how all the chromatic notes can be achieved on the diatonic

Played a classical piece with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, although doesn’t consider himself a classical musician

Mike used a Polyphonia to play the glissando part for the orchestra

Has recorded two movie soundtracks

10 minute question

Pandemic has limited playing abilities somewhat, although still has a monthly residency in Cambridge, which is broadcast on Facebook

Diatonic of choice

Joe Filisko used to maintain Mike’s chromatics

Played the Hohner Toots model chromatics, and two of Joe Filisko’s custom Marine Bands

Recently been playing the Hohner Crossover, which he likes

How Mike started playing the Renaissance chromatic, created by Douglas Tate and his partner Bobby Giordano

Douglas lent Mike a Renaissance to try at a SPH convention

Can use any chromatic reed plate on the Renaissance, with Mike using Toots Hard Bopper or Mellow Tone plates on his

Seydel manufactured the Renaissance for a few years, but this ended after their craftsman stopped making them by hand

Fifty Renaissance chromatics were made by Douglas Tate

Contact the podcast if own a Renaissance, or know someone who does

Mike lost one of his Renaissance chromatics, which turned up on eBay, and he managed to retrieve it

Amp of choice is a Gallien-Krueger studio monitor amplifier with an analogue Nanoverb pedal

Uses a Peavey PVM45 microphone

Experimented with the DM48 MIDI chromatic for a while

Uses the Nanoverb for effects

Likes to use his own equipment, as he knows how that sounds, and works

Embouchre is mostly pucker, but uses some tongue blocking