Joe Powers interview

Joe Powers joins me on episode 65. 

Joe started out playing diatonic harmonica along with blues records as a teenager, before deciding to study music composition at college, taking up the chromatic there.

Joe’s passion for dancing led him to Argentina and tango music, where he has become the current leading exponent on harmonica. He believes the chromatic harmonica is the perfect instrument for tango music, and talks us through how to play this captivating genre.

Although known as the ‘tango harmonica guy’, Joe also loves to play many other styles of music on the harmonica, as demonstrated across his albums and live performances, including classical pieces with full orchestras. And other the pandemic Joe has put together his very own teaching platform.

Links:
Joe’s website:
https://www.joepowers.com

Email Joe at:  
joe@joepowers.com

Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/Joepowersmusic/

Buy Joe’s music here:
https://www.joepowers.com/music

Harmonica Path teaching:
https://www.joepowers.com/the-harmonica-path

Suzuki Bass Chromatic:
https://suzukimusic-global.com/products_single.php?parent_cate_cd=1&products_cate_cd=3&products_cd=119

Sennheiser Wireless system:
https://en-uk.sennheiser.com/wireless-microphone-system-voice-vocal-instrument-presentation

TC Helicon Mic Mechanic 2 pedal:
https://www.tc-helicon.com/product.html?modelCode=P0DDW

Videos:

Joe’s YouTube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/user/joepowersmusic/videos

Takes a dance while playing with the orchestra:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7RZg5oACUiE

Threnody from Gordon Jacob harmonica Suite, performed in Japan:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBf31rvIKGs

With Jamie Cullum in Tokyo:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJL3ewLnpaI

Playing diatonic overblows with Japense guitarist Yosuke Onuma:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2PJjqDA9gL4

Quarantine session with Mexican violinist Arianda Lozano:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1cE1hRRXhQQ

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.

Chapters

• 1:26 Currently touring Europe and speaking from the US
• 1:34 Joe is from Portland, Oregon, US, and the music scene there
• 1:50 Joe has played harmonica his whole life and had first lessons age 13-14
• 2:49 Grew up playing blues and rock music, mostly by ear, on the diatonic
• 3:19 Played in bands as a teenager before deciding to study music at the University of Oregon
• 3:35 Was given a chromatic when starting at college
• 4:16 Plays more chromatic than diatonic
• 4:41 Received first harmonica when just 19 months old
• 5:16 Joined first band as a teenager as the singer, adding some harmonica
• 6:14 Still sings now
• 6:37 Studied Music Composition at college, studying piano for a year before starting the course
• 7:32 Started playing chromatic seriously on this course
• 8:01 Auditioned to get onto the course by singing, they didn’t have a harmonica programme
• 8:18 Went back a few years later and played a concert where he had auditioned for college and they had said he couldn’t play harmonica on the course
• 8:58 Used piano mainly for music composition, but doesn’t play piano to perform on
• 9:36 After completing music composition course moved to Argentina and discovered tango dancing
• 11:19 Discovered the harmonica tango playing of Hugo Diaz
• 12:03 When went back to Portland he started a tango band
• 12:11 Other Argentine harmonica tango players and modern tango harmonica players
• 13:18 Joe is the only professional tango harmonica player in the US (as far as he’s aware)
• 13:52 Does play many styles of harmonica as well as tango
• 14:04 Similarity of playing tango music on the harmonica and bandoneon
• 16:37 How to make the chromatic sound reminiscent of the bandoneon
• 17:12 Harmonica can merge sound of traditional tango instruments: bandoneon, violin and vocals
• 17:47 Scales used in tango music
• 18:27 How to get started playing tango music on the harmonica: rubato, button embellishments, octaves, vibrato
• 20:51 Doesn’t use diatonic for playing tangos, although is experimenting with a blues / tango fusion on diatonic
• 21:21 Uses standard tuned chromatics to play tango
• 21:57 How is the chromatic received by tango purists
• 22:47 Has played with some renowned tango musicians
• 23:24 Tango allows Joe to travel all around the world because there’s tango everywhere
• 24:05 Playing tango means people dance to the music
• 24:21 Joe still loves to dance and will dance between his music sets
• 24:59 The advantages of being able to dance the tango in being able to play the tango on harmonica
• 26:03 Plays different genres in addition to tango music, and how much do you need to know a genre to play it
• 28:30 First album released in 2005: World of Songs
• 30:00 Just Duets album from 2012 has different performer and instrument on each song
• 32:54 Amor de Tango album from 2007
• 35:47 2011 album Nostalgie, recorded with British new age pianist Michael Hoppe
• 36:39 Another tango album released in 2015: Apasionado
• 38:46 2019 album Con Ojos Nuevos
• 40:01 Recording albums in a day is the only way to do it and self-produced albums
• 41:10 Plans for a new album
• 41:38 Has played all around the world with some great live performances, including with orchestras
• 42:19 Studied with Robert Bonfiglio a couple of times
• 42:32 Playing challenging classical pieces
• 42:54 How to get a gig with an orchestra
• 43:40 Got some gigs with Jamie Cullum after Joe jammed along while part of the audience
• 45:28 Joe’s teaching platform: The Harmonica Path, focusing on teaching reading music
• 46:31 Also teaches online with one-to-one sessions
• 46:59 Took part in the Trossingen competition in 2005
• 47:28 Won the Belgian Crystal Harmonica Award/Classical Division in 2008 and classical technique and reading music
• 48:33 10 minute question
• 49:25 Suzuki endorser
• 49:29 Plays 16 hole Sirius model of chromatic
• 49:44 The Suzuki Bass Chromatic
• 50:06 Benefit of playing 16 hole chromatic
• 50:42 Diatonic plays the Suzuki MR-550, which is good for overblows
• 50:53 Uses overblows a lot on the diatonic and playing overblows on diatonic instead of using chromatic harmonica
• 52:50 Embouchre
• 53:23 Uses tongue switching on the chromatic
• 54:06 Likes to travel light
• 54:37 Uses BlowsMeAway SM57 mic with volume control, and connects a Sennheiser XSW wireless system
• 54:55 Moves around a lot when playing so mainly uses a wireless mic
• 55:33 Why prefers SM57 over 58
• 55:53 Effects pedals: only uses TC Helicon Mic Mechanic 2
• 56:30 Always uses a PA
• 56:43 How does Joe fit everything into his backpack when he travels?
• 57:12 Just finishing off a tour of Europe
• 58:11 Developed the teaching platform over the pandemic as well as some online quarantine concerts