21 years come October 2006. I’m 36 and I started playing right before I turned 16.
How did you get started?
At 15 I worked as a camp counselor. My boss, Eric Guthertz, had a harp he let me borrow. Instead of looking at it for a minute, I went to a corner and jammed for a half an hour. 6 months later I was with a friend at a bookstore. There was Jon Gindicks’ Harmonica for the Musically Hopeless that was a book that came with a tape and a harp for $14. My friend said "there’s something flaky you would do." I had the money, which at 15 years old was a minor miracle. "You’ll never get anywhere with that." He said. The moment I played, I knew it was my thing. I was gigging a year later.
Where are you from?
I was conceived in Memphis. I was born in Livingston, New Jersey
0-8 years old West Orange, New Jersey
8-12 years old Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
12-17 years old Larkspur, Marin County, California
17-21 years old Rohnert Park, Sonoma County, California with summers in the Malibu mountains.
21-22 years old New Orleans, Louisiana
22-23 years old, Santa Rosa, California and ½ year busking in Europe
23-28 years old, Austin, Texas
28-30 years old Houston, Texas, New Haven Connecticut, New York, New York playing in the orchestra of a pre Broadway and Broadway show, the Tony nominated "The Civil War"
30-36 years old, South Austin, TX 78704
What was your musical training?
I listened to lots of recordings and live shows and played at jams and gigs. I’ve talked to most of the famous harp players and gotten advice, most notably from Rick Estrin, Gary Primich, Eugene Huggins and Andy J. Forest. I’ve taken a few official harmonica lessons. I’ve gone to a bunch of harmonica conventions. I took 3 jazz improv semesters in college, Sonoma State University, on chromatic. A couple of years back I took another semester’s worth at ACC playing one diatonic harmonica fully chromatically.
In college I also took chorus and ear training. I’ve taken a couple of piano and electric bass lessons and a lot of vocal and mandolin lessons.
What instruments do you play?
The diatonic harp (10 hole blues harp) played fully chromatically, the chromatic harp, the bassharp, mandolin, vocals, electric bass, keyboards, melodica, kazoo, various flutelike things and percussion.
What does it mean to play the diatonic harmonica fully chromatically?
Diatonic means referring to one key. Chromatic means referring to all keys. When the diatonic harp was invented, it did not include many of the notes on the keyboard. It could be played in only a few keys and even then with limitations. Blues players discovered that you could lower pitches to another note. This is called bending. Bending occurs on the draw notes (sucking notes) in holes 1-6 and on the blow notes holes 7 –10. This added many notes but still many were missing. Then players discovered you could sharpen pitches to another note. This is called overblowing, which can be done on the blow notes from holes 1- 6 and the draw notes from holes 7-10. Do not be confused, if you are lowering pitches by blowing on holes 7-10 this is not overblowing, it is high note blow bending. With bending and overblowing it is possible to play all the notes a keyboard has, therefore allowing the player to play any style in any key. Click here for example
In this YouTube clip, I play chromatically in all 12 keys on a single Bb Hohner Special 20 diatonic harp...
What do you like better, the diatonic or the chromatic?
I love both, but the diatonic feels like home to me. However I will rarely play a show without bringing out the big harp. It’s beautiful, like a songbird.
What chromatics do you play?
I own a Tenor CX 12, but never perform with it. I use the Hohner Super Chromonica 270 in the key of C. I have never tried the other keys, probably due to my lack of funds. I play in all 12 keys on the C harp, so except for the tone and chords and double stops, I do not need the others. I will admit to having a quickness in a couple of keys’ positions so I probably would do well to have the others, but my facility in all the positions is pretty good.
I have tried both the Toots Mellowtone and Hard Bopper and liked both.
What diatonics do you play?
I use stock Hohner Special 20’s and Marine Bands. I set up the low harps, G’s thru C’s for overblows on the Special 20’s. I rarely overblow on a harp higher than a C. I do not set up Marine Bands. I like the compromised just tuning and the action I get. I do not like equal tuning such as on a Lee Oskar or a Golden Melody. Maybe it is more on pitch but it does not sound like a harp to me. I own a couple of Special 20 Country tuned harps and Lee Oskar minor tuned, just to check them out. Except for the chords and double stops, it does not do much for me. I do have a "D" Lee Oskar because they never break and Hohner D’s seem to often break for me. I try and keep the Lee Oskar only as a back up harp. I have owned some low tuned harps, but I don’t have any right now. My fantasy would be a Harmonetta (The typewriter harp.)
Do you tongue block, pucker or U-block?
I kind of do all three. Instead of U blocking, I do the same thing but I do not curl my tongue. I put the tip of my tongue under the hole I want and blow over the center. I do this for my main embouchure on the chromatic and on the diatonic’s high notes. If you hear me play the chromatic with a bendy sound or if I am on the low end of the diatonic and not using tongue slaps, pulls or octave-type double stops I am puckering. If you hear the slaps and double stops, I am tongue blocking. I will play single note runs without slaps in the tongue blocked style if I am continuing to play a lick after a run of slapping. I can bend while tongue blocking but often will quickly switch to a pucker, especially if the bend is on a different hole. I also tongue switch, so if you hear quick jumps from high to low, I’m tongue blocking.
What’s your gear?
Boom stand, 57 vocal mic and PA system (you or the club provide the PA system) for my acoustic sound. Shure Green Bullet mic with no volume control but me and a ’59 Reissue Fender Bassman for my electric sound. I never got obsessed with gear. I like it functional.
.
What kind of music do you play?
I play all kinds. I like to play with friends mostly. Luckily I have lots of friends who are professional musicians. I will play any style of music with anyone who is respectful. I have done gigs just for money or recognition or artistic value alone and I probably would do it again. But it is always a little weird if friendship and or respect is missing.
What kind of music do you listen to?
I listen to all kinds of music, but I lean towards blues, jazz, folk and garage rock. I prefer high feeling and low production values.
Yeah and I sing too. I’m a showman. I intend to put out a CD in the next year featuring that side of me.
Do you do sideman work?
Yes, I enjoy being a sideman to all types of singers. I play harp well, they sing well. It’s a good combination.
Where can we hear your work?
Besides live performances, check out my new CD "Call of my Harp" which is a collection of live and studio cuts of me backing up 15 of Austin’s best players. To join my gig mailing list, email me at rubin@michaelrubinharmonica.com with "subscribe to gig list" in the header.
How would you describe your style?
It’s a bit of Jekkyl and Hyde. I can play the most appropriate music for backing up a song or a singer, be it pretty, bluesy, rocking or whatever. But I also have a mad scientist side where I am exploring techniques and styles unique to my vision. When playing with bands where the focus is on technical or musical innovation, I can show off that side of me. Even when keeping my music appropriate to the song, I will often play something in a way not normally associated with harmonica. I like to keep ‘em guessing.
How can I get involved with harmonica on a worldwide basis? I heartily recommend The Society for the Preservation and Advancement of The Harmonica at www.SPAH.org
What else do you like to do? I like to read classic literature, see all types of movies, do ecstatic dance, travel, go to the Kerrville Folk Festival, eat pasta and shrimp and some other things, drink coffee, agonize about theology, and be with my friends, family and my girlfriend.
