Happy Hour Harmonica Podcast

Episode 149 is the third compilation of the ten minute question answers from episode 112 to episode 148. Not every episode had a ten minute question, as there’s been quite a lot of retrospective episodes in this batch. So there are 27 episodes covered here. I hope you enjoy listening back to this collection as much as I did putting it together. And if you if you missed any of the episodes included then be sure to check them out. I’ll introduce each person before they respond to the ques...

Hank Shreve joins me on episode 148. Hank started playing harmonica at age eight, and that has remained his true love despite learning various other instruments. He explains how his drumming background shapes the rhythmic feel of his harmonica playing, and how blues opened the door to everything from Latin influences to funk. Hank reflects on opening for Paul DeLay, working with Curtis Salgado, leading The Hank Shreve Band with his father Bill on bass, and broadening his musical output across...

Santiago Alvarez joins me on episode 147. Santiago is a chromatic player from Buenos Aires, who has dedicated himself to the folk traditions of Argentina, including writing a thesis on the history of the Argentine chromatic harmonica under the guidance of his mentor Franco Luciani. Specialising in tango, he explores the close musical relationship between the chromatic harmonica and the bandoneon. Santiago has recorded with numerous Argentine artists, released his own album in 2019, performs w...

Ryan Hartt joins me on episode 146. Ryan is a harmonica player, vocalist and songwriter from New England. After completing musical studies, he headed to Los Angeles in the late 1990s to immerse himself in the blues scene, learning from West Coast swing heavyweights, including sitting in with Rod Piazza. He returned to the East Coast in 2000 to form his long-running band Ryan Hartt and the Blue Hearts, releasing three albums along the way. Ryan has now put out his first solo record, Be About I...

Josh King joins me on episode 145. Josh hails from Charlotte, North Carolina, and picked up his first harmonica at just six years old. By the time he was eight, he’d found an incredible mentor in the legendary James Cotton, after boldly sneaking into Cotton’s dressing room at a show. That chance encounter turned into a lasting mentorship, with Josh joining Cotton on stage numerous times during his teens. In 2025, Josh brought his talents to a national audience as a contestant on American Idol...