Phil Wiggins interview

Phil Wiggins joins me on episode 41.

Phil  was one half of one of the best known blues duos around, Cephas and Wiggins, playing with John Cephas for over thirty years. They progressed from their early recordings in Germany to go on to tour the world, and even played at the White House to the Clintons. They played in the Piedmont blues style, Phil being one of its rare masters on harmonica, picked up from the guitar players who developed this approach.

A native of Washington D.C., Phil wrote a book about the blues scene in the city, and went on to use his music to steer some of the troubled youth of the city onto a better path.

Since John Cephas passed in 2009, Phil has continued his musical career by playing with various artists. Always sticking to his philosophy to play music for people to dance to.

Links:
Website: https://www.philwiggins.com/ 

Washington DC blues scene book:
https://sweetbitterblues.com/

Music & conversation with Joe Filisko and Eric Norden:
https://34lounge.com/

Videos:
National Folk Festival 2020:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=POEo8vxU2e8

With Ben Hunter:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n4f-9OMLmOA

Chesapeake Sheiks: Struttin’ With Some Barbeque
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KjqIVZoCQ2g


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

• 0:57 Phil is a native of Washington D.C. although was in a military family so moved around, including to Germany for four years
• 1:26 First picked up the harmonica age 17 or 18
• 1:44 Phil started playing with a woman singer on the streets of Virginia, called Flora Molton
• 2:06 Main early influence came from church music, which he heard a lot of blues in
• 3:57 Saw a lot of blues greats at the Smithsonian Festival in Washington D.C.
• 5:12 Wasn’t aware of that many harmonica players early on, only Sonny Terry, and learned more from horn and piano players
• 6:11 Style of playing developed by accompanying Flora, where he learned to listen
• 7:31 Where first met John Cephas at a music festival
• 8:12 It was in a band that Cephas and Wiggins first played together
• 11:20 How the Cephas and Wiggins duo came into being
• 12:52 The duo went on to great success and played all around the world
• 13:37 Germany record company did some recordings of the duo in the USA and invited them over to tour Germany in early 1980s
• 14:56 The duo were initially better known in Europe
• 16:07 Cephas and Wiggins played in the White House, along with BB King
• 18:30 Phil plays harmonica in the Piedmont style
• 20:40 The blues styles of music were all made to dance to
• 21:29 How Phil approached the style of Piedmont harmonica, and playing as an accompanist
• 24:09 Has written a book about Washington D.C. music scene, called Sweet Bitter Blues
• 26:53 Recording output with John Cephas
• 29:48 Phil wrote the song Cool Down, about violence in D.C. Phil worked as a musical director to help troubled youth in the city
• 34:01 Burn Your Bridges song
• 35:09 Discovered Little Walter later in his development
• 36:21 John Cephas passed away in 2009
• 37:27 Phil continued his music career after the Cephas and Wiggins duo
• 38:01 Played with Australian Dom Turner
• 40:11 Performed with Ben Hunter
• 40:39 Taking part in an online concert with Joe Filisko and Eric Norden on June 17 2021
• 41:06 Phil has won numerous music awards, including two WC Handy blues awards
• 41:18 Has provided lots of harmonica teaching, including at Euro Blues week in UK alongside Michael Roach
• 42:28 Also teaches at Augusta Heritage workshop in West Virginia
• 42:56 10 minute question
• 44:02 Phil has sung more since the duo ended, and has developed his voice in recent years, telling the story being key
• 46:59 Plays Hohner Marine band diatonics
• 47:53 Doesn’t play much chromatic
• 48:11 Uses Melody Maker tuning with current band, The Chesapeake Sheiks
• 50:07 Overblows
• 50:19 Embouchre
• 51:43 Amplification used
• 52:57 Likes Electro Voice RE20 mic
• 54:44 Has tried using tube amps but loses the dynamics of his hand technique
• 55:23 Doesn’t use any effects
• 55:48 Future plans
• 56:46 Phil plays music for people to dance to