Harmonica Fats

[BassHarper@xxxxxxx]

I noted a query in the early August posts regarding Harmonica Fats, so I am
posting the following.  I have not made it thru all the August posts yet, so
if the answer has already been addressed, I apologize.  Bernie Pearl just
gave
me the following promo material last Saturday night when I went to see him
and
the 10-year old blues harper, Brody Buster at Jack's Sugar Shack, Los
Angeles.  They did an excellent show - Brody is playing great, and gaining
more
confidence and polish each time I see him.  He recently moved to L.A., and
has
been exposed to a lot of the clubs and artists already, and is more and more
in demand with the club owners.

HARMONICA FATS - Born Harvey Blackston in McDade, Louisiana in 1927, the
first-born son of 13 children was raised on his grandparents' farm.  Every
Fall he'd receive a new pair of shoes, and he'd save the box because his
Christmas presents would be put in that box.  From the age of four he
received an Xmas harmonica every year.  He'd play it everywhere, even at work
in the cotton fields, and he'd
play the blues, for his gradparents were blues lovers who had records by
Peetie Wheatstraw, Blind Lemon Jefferson, and Fats' favorite, Sonny Terry.
 Moving to L.A.'s Watts neighborhood to work outside music in 1946, playing
and writing casually at home, he was hurt in an auto wreck in 1954.  Part of
his
self-prescribed therapy was to practice the "harp" until he mastered it.  And
master it he did, going public in 1956, performing throughout black L.A.
under
the name "Heavy Juice".  He often engaged in mock "battles of the blues" with
the amplified harpmaster George "Harmonica" Smith, who showed him lots of
tricks of playing and performing.  Still, Fats' style remained down home, and
unamplified.  His original songbag grew prodigiously.  In 1961 he had an R&B
chartmaker with "Tore Up", changing his stage name to Harmonica Fats.  This
led to touring and recording throughout the 1960's, often with artists like
Sam Cooke, Wolfman Jack, Lou Rawls, and even Ringo Starr.  When touring
slowed, he went to work for the Chlorox Bleach Co. (documented in his
"Downtime Blues") to support his family, where he stayed until leg problems
forced an early retirement in 1988.  Much in demand, Harmonica Fats performed
nights throughout Southern California, continued writing, recording, and
polishing his musical skills.  He began working regularly with the Bernie
Pearl Blues Band in 1986, logging over a thousand shows to date.  In 1991
they co-produced Fats' first CD, "I Had To Get Nasty" (Bee Bump Records).
 Its unique sound and original material received blues raves and airplay
across the U.S. & Europe.  Bernie and Fats have also had much occasion to
perform as an acoustic duo, leading to the release of "Two Heads Are Better"
(Bee Bump
Records) in the Fall of 1994.  Harmonica Fats has been funded by the
California Arts Council/Folk Arts Program.

"And that's about the size of it: crowd-pleasing blues at its best!
 Harmonica
Fats is 320 pounds of pure, authentic, gut-belly blues, and Bernie Pearl
plays
one of the finest traditional blues guitars anywhere.  Their material ranges
from tried and true club favorites to Fats' vast catalogue of originals  all
delivered with verve, humor, and an understanding of the blues derived from
decades of experience.  Fats and Bernie treat the audience to fresh
interpretations of blues of all types: slow drags, Delta stomps, lively jumps
all geared to sharing their unique blues story."

For info on Fats' and Bernie's recordings, write Pearl Productions, 2256
Magnolia Ave, Long Beach, CA 90806, or call (310) 426-0761, fax (310)
595-0283.