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.
