Modern Blues Harmonica 119: Billy Gibson

Arguably the best contemporary player out of Mississippi, now a legend on Beale Street. Gussow talks about one of Gibson's cool licks.

Check out Billy's website:

http://www.billygibson.com

For a skill-graded series of video tutorials and harp tabs, please visit:

http://www.modernbluesharmonica.com

Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• Billy
• Gibson
• blues
• harmonica
• Mississippi
• Beale
• Street
• Memphis
• Adam
• Gussow

[brettsbluesharp]

One of the things I like about you Adam is that not only are you a great player and teacher, you're a huge fan and champion of other great harp players you admire. A class act and role model for the rest of us!

[KudzuRunner]

Thanks, Brett. Well, I love being inspired--charged up--by good harp playing. It reminds me of why I started. I'm glad you picked up on that!

[deadhornetblues]

I was wondering when you were going to do something with Billy Gibson, Adam- I saw him last July at the North Atlantic Blues Festival in Rockland, ME- one of my favorite performances of the day. I met him after the show, and, in addition to being a fantastic guy, I told him I play a little harp and he told me to come to youtube and check out your videos. There are some videos of that gig here on the Tube- everybody should check them out. Oh, and he told me he plays a Golden Melody.

[KudzuRunner]

Thanks for the reference. I've favorited a few videos featuring BG.

[harpmonkey]

as a horn player I can tell you, circular breathing, is when you use the mouth (including puffed cheeks) as a reservoir (think bagpipes or accordion) to maintain the air stream into the instrument as you breath in through the nose. It is not really inhaling through the nose while exhaling through the mouth, although many state it that way. But it does take effort to learn to do it. Almost any wind instrument player can use it.

[KudzuRunner]

You're absolutely right. My descriptive skills occasionally falter.

[strawwoodclaw]

A gussow is priceless - thank god for gussow

[sodafixer2]

@sgoldcoast I have just reloaded the video Billy Gibson Polk Salad (I have to go fix my spelling on the vid title now)

[ArtofDreaming1]

superb and tasty

[ArtofDreaming1]

superb and tastey

[trottleskeeze]

Hi Adam,

I bought this album and I'm totally amazed. Billy has a strong sense of rhythm. I 'm trying to figure out what his doing in this song with the help of "Transcribe"; a cool software. I think he is blowing air trough his nose for this lick but I'm not sure. Great.

[blancafasano]

I WILL TELL YOU A STORY..... BILLY IS JUST BILLY.... AS ALWAYS BETTER THAN THE LAST PERFORMANCE...& HE COULD BLOW YOUR MIND ON A FLUTE.....FOR YOUR INFO HE IS FROM CLINTON MISSISSIPPI AND I AM PROUD TO CALL HIM MY BROTHER.....HE IS TRULY ONE OF A KIND AND YOU ARE A SMART MAN TO SEE THIS IN HIM. I HAVE A FEELING YOU BLOW A MEAN HARP AS WELL.... SEND "WILD BILL" A MESSAGE FOR ME AND TELL HIM JON FASANO SAID.............."FANDANGO"

[blancafasano]

I WILL TELL YOU A STORY..... BILLY IS JUST BILLY.... AS ALWAYS BETTER THAN THE LAST PERFORMANCE...& HE COULD BLOW YOUR MIND ON A FLUTE.....FOR YOUR INFO HE IS FROM CLINTON MISSISSIPPI AND I AM PROUD TO CALL HIM MY BROTHER.....HE IS TRULY ONE OF A KIND AND YOU ARE A SMART MAN TO SEE THIS IN HIM. I HAVE A FEELING YOU BLOW A MEAN HARP AS WELL.... SEND "WILD BILL" A MESSAGE FOR ME AND TELL HIM JON FASANO SAID.............."FANDANGO"

[sgoldcoast]

2 years later and I am back for another visit. Love it, love the explanations, love the playing. Now I am saving all the others you have made for when I pick up my first harp and blow! The only problem I have is that the Billy Gibson vid of Polk Salad Annie is no longer there and that is a shame because he is seriously wild. Never mind, I do have the Rum Boogie Cafe CD to listen to. Cheers

[surrealIdeal]

not yet....not yet... not yet... :p

[Ledvolta]

@strawwoodclaw amen

[AndyKing101]

hey adam

circular breathing is optaining more air in whilst breathing out (through the nose) i can do this and im pretty sure that it can't be used to get rid of air. Cheers for the videos though!