Wade Schuman interview

Wade Schuman joins me on episode 60.

Wade is the singer / songwriter and leader, and of course harmonica player, of the New York based 8-piece band, Hazmat Modine, with the harmonica playing a pivotal role in the sound of such a big band. In fact, there is often a second harmonica player in the band.

Wade absorbed many musical genres from a young age, which helped shape the eclectic styles of music played by Hazmat Modine, from African, Asian, Klezmer, Caribbean, all with an American roots core. The band has released five albums, with another in the pipeline.

Wade started out learning pre-war harmonica, an approach he has integrated so well into the big band line-up. And he was a central part of the New York harmonica scene in the early 1990s, mixing with many of players who have gone on to establish themselves as the leading players in the harmonica community of today.

Links:
http://www.hazmatmodine.com/

Yazoo album of 1920s & 30s harmonica:
https://www.downhomemusic.com/product/harmonica-blues-great-harmonica-performances-of-the-1920s-and-30s/

Harmonicas, Harps and Heavy Breathers book by Kim Field:
https://www.kimfield.com/new-page-2

Pat. Missin website:
https://www.patmissin.com

Hog2 Octave pedal:
https://www.ehx.com/products/hog2/

European tour 2022:
http://www.hazmatmodine.com/tour-summer22.html

Videos:
Wade playing with Hog 2 octave pedal:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NjEgH7YAmEw

Live at the BBC:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JeiWUMpVdpQ

Outdoor concert filmed for the Nobel Laureate Committee:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=llL5v5PL9dA

Solo piece at Stockholm Jazz festival:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UwgN8IgLNI4&t=13s

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

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 Blows Me Away Productions: http://www.blowsmeaway.com/

Chapters

• 1:26 Origins of Wade’s name
• 2:15 Now lives in New York, where in settled in the 1990s. Originally from Michigan
• 2:33 Influence’s on Wade’s music
• 3:32 Enjoys music from all different cultures and styles
• 4:18 Started playing harmonica around age 10 and first harmonicas owned
• 4:43 Hohner made some of their harmonicas in Ireland
• 5:28 What drew Wade to playing the harmonica
• 6:18 Wade’s generation of players learnt to play by ear and were self-taught
• 6:59 Where blues music originated from and why Wade writes his own music
• 9:26 Harmonica was part of the immigrant culture of the USA
• 10:34 Wade’s approach to playing the harmonica
• 12:14 Harmonica is usually self-taught, with few structured lessons and why that is
• 13:09 What Wade sees as the strengths of the harmonica
• 13:59 Is the singer in Hazmat Modine
• 14:47 Started the band with another harmonica player, Randy Weinstein
• 15:08 After playing harmonica from 10, stopped playing for a few years due to quality issues with the instrument
• 15:59 Got back into playing harmonica in the late 80s and discovered minor key harmonicas
• 16:26 A group of US harmonica players discovered each other in the early 90s, including Joe Filisko, Kim Field, Howard Levy and Pat Missin
• 17:57 Wade’s strengths on the harmonica
• 18:47 Discovered overblows and incorporated some into his playing
• 20:31 Some of the younger players have great technique now, helped by online resources
• 21:01 When became a bandleader became really interested in songwriting
• 22:12 The origin of the name Hazmat Modine
• 23:14 A group of harmonica players started meeting in New York: The New York Reedsters Club
• 24:12 The harmonica group is where he met Randy Weinstein, and they formed Hazmat Modine
• 24:43 Other instruments were added to the band, eventually making eight members
• 25:22 The role of the harmonica in such a big band and having two harmonicas in the band
• 27:25 Wade is now the only harmonica player in the band
• 28:10 The different genres played by the band and where Wade drew inspiration for that
• 29:11 First album from the band is Bahamut, crafted over seven years at great expense
• 32:49 About to record a new album
• 34:19 Lots of virtuoso playing now, but it’s niche
• 35:51 Songwriting is the primary goal of music for Wade
• 36:11 Second album is Cicada and then a live album was released
• 37:23 Box Of Breathe album is the most recent, with Extra Deluxe Supreme released before that
• 37:48 Extra Deluxe Supreme song
• 38:36 Song with Son of Dave
• 40:13 Harmonica players obsession with gear
• 40:37 Dark River song uses a cheap karaoke mic with the harmonica
• 41:50 Has used a wireless mic from the beginning
• 42:07 Uses octave pedal and being a forerunner of using pedals
• 43:08 Jason Ricci has encouraged more harmonica players to use effects
• 43:36 Uses clean microphone and sound
• 44:07 The sort of sound favoured by the other harmonica players in band
• 45:13 Lost Fox Train song dedicated to Joe Filisko
• 46:43 The harmonica community is very supportive of each other
• 47:21 Steve Baker book revolutionised the harmonica scene
• 47:41 Doesn’t do much session work, but has done a little
• 48:42 More on the collaborations Hazmat Modine have done
• 50:06 Ten minute question
• 50:30 Amp taking on tour and autowah pedal
• 51:28 Harmonicas of choice: plays Filisko customised harmonicas
• 51:49 Off-the-shelf harmonicas are such good quality now
• 52:10 Influence Steve Baker has had on harmonicas community
• 52:30 Using low tuned harmonicas recently
• 52:42 Used Seydel harmonicas for a time and likes them
• 53:07 Still uses a lot of minor tuned harmonicas
• 53:52 Strengths of Wade’s harmonica playing
• 54:09 Embouchre and over emphasis on technique these days
• 56:25 Touring Europe in June / July 22 and plans for new album