I love it when my friends get out to hear great blues. Even better is when they write down their experiences and send them to me. That is exactly what my good friend and studio owner Brian Zeb www.brianzebstudios.com did.
Here’s the article:
HARPS….BLUES, AND THE FABULOUS THUNDERBIRDS
Was anybody there?
I’m talking about this Summer’s Blues Fest at Big Boulder Ski Resort in the Pocono Mountains of Pa. Every year, as usual, no matter what the weather, I still get chills absorbing all that pure bread blues comin “straight at ya” from the heart and soul of some of the world’s finest bands and entertainers.
Kudos to the live sound company and the tech who “mixed it all up” for the main stage…..that live, unmistakable sound brewing from within the Pocono mountains is unmatched and what better music to have flowing down the ski slopes than that of the Blues.
I was fortunate to have caught Kim Wilson and the Thunderbirds as they kicked some major butt with their show….what a band, what a set. As an audio engineer myself, I often pay close attention to some of the finer details of a performer’s act….like what amps, microphones, and instruments they all use. I couldn’t get close enough to see the mic that Kim was using for his harp, but I will say this, between him and the live sound tech, that mid-range, honky-tonkin harmonica vibe pouring out from the speaker columns was enough excitement to rock anyone’s boat!
The band left the stage somewhere in the middle of their set, only to leave Kim alone with just his harp and a mic. It was pure pleasure to hear Kim’s heart flowing through that little instrument…what a big sound. He performed solo for what seemed to be 5 minutes or more, but who was counting…. For such a small instrument, that harmonica sounded larger than life!
Play on!
Brian Zebertavage