Profile
Name:
Håkan Ehn
Channel Views:
158,799
Total Upload Views:
4,031,695
Age:
46
Joined:
Dec 30, 2007
Website:
*******Harmonica boogie, blues & rocknroll*******
About Me:
I started buying albums and learning to know the music and also had the opportunity to watch real blues musicians like Magic Slim, Johnny Copeland, Luther Allison and Charlie Musselwhite when they came to Sweden in the 80s. I liked Little Walters harmonica playing on Muddys albums and at that time there was also a guy in my class who played the harmonica. It sounded very cool, so I had to buy a harp. That was probably in 1984.
Copying solos from albums and trying to understand what Paul Butterfield and the other harp guys were doing, has been my way of learning, which means that I am 100% self-taught. I also constantly try to come up with my own ideas and the last 10 years I have also listened to jazz and classical music. I remember the first time I was able to blow and bend a high note in hole 10. Earlier that year, in 1988, I had been to London where I watched the harp player Johnny Mars and I was impressed by his fast and high notes. I practised copying that and I finally got the blow-and-bend high note one evening while I was driving my car with one hand and playing the harp with the other. Harping and driving is of course nothing I can recommend and I have not done that since I got a little older and wiser.
The first time I played in front of an audience was, I think, in 1989. I visited a harp jam session in a pub in London where I thought I was going to listen to good music. I did not realize that people were supposed to sit in with the band. I knew I had to try this, so I signed the list and borrowed a harmonica from someone, which was no problem since the place was full of harp players. As soon as I signed the list my heart began to rush at full speed. I tried to adjust that feeling with a lot of beer but it did not help. I tried harder. When it was my time the harp player in the house band, Paul Lamb, left the stage, and I entered. I cannot remember what I was playing but I do remember the positive and warm response, so it was a very nice experience. I also remember that something from the harmonica, probably old dirt, came into my mouth while I was playing. It did not matter right then but nowadays I try to avoid sharing harps with other people.
I have seen so many great harp players with different styles (rock, blues, jazz, folk) and I try to learn from them all. Since July 2007 I have listened to music on YouTube and MySpace and I uploaded my first YouTube video in December, 2007.
Band Members:
Every now and then I make youtube projects with my friend Markku Sainmaa. Great fun!
Hometown:
Stockholm
Country:
Sweden
Occupation:
Engineer. For the last 15 years I have worked with quality assurance and quality improvements in many different companies.
Movies:
Seven Samurai (Akira Kurosawa)
Music:
Muddy Waters, Little Walter, Paul Butterfield, Charlie Musselwhite, R.L. Burnside, Johnny Winter, Markku Sainmaa, Kim Wilson & Fabulous Thunderbirds, Mark Feltham & Nine Below Zero, Paul Jones & The Blues Band, Johnny Mars, Sugar Blue, Jason Ricci, Adam Gussow, John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins, J.J. Cale, Rolf Wikström, Louise Hoffsten, Sven Zetterberg, Clas Yngström, J.S. Bach, Dmitry Shostakovich
Books:
Can't Be Satisfied - the life and times of Muddy Waters (Robert Gordon)
Thanks a lot and keep it up ... you rock ...
Renzo.
****Merry Christmas And Swingin' New Year 2012 !!!!