He’s also arguably one of the
best teachers on the planet, but he can
sure put you in your place should you mistakenly think that you might
be better than you really are.
The interview began with Tall Richard describing his similar Jerry
Portnoy experience:
TR: The first time I went to see Jerry he had me sit down and asked
me to play my best chops. I played what I thought was my best chops
and he said, “Hold on a minute. We’re going to have to
go back to the beginning. We’re going to have to start all
over again."
DTB: Did he make you play the scales?
TR: Well, he taught me just about everything I know…
DTB: The reason I ask that question is that you are the only other
person I know who took lessons from him. My first session he told
me to play my best chops and I played something that probably sounded
like a donkey hee hawin’ to him. He said that I didn’t
know shit and that we were going to have to go back to the beginning.
TR: <animated> That’s what he said to me, too!! I took
lessons from him for a couple of years after that. Ya know, he was
right, too. When I was growing up back in suburbia (Marshfield, MA)
back in the 70’s I didn’t know anybody who played the
harmonica, let alone gave lessons. If you lived in the city, Boston,
you could probably find someone who could show you some stuff, but
that wasn’t me. I was self-taught. I had the good fortune to
meet Jerry Portnoy and he said, “You’re doin’ it
all wrong. You’re going to have to go back to the beginning."
Man, was I let down. I thought I was going to go in the corner and
die.
DTB: How long had you been playing before you met him?
TR: I had been playing for about 3 or 4 years. I was playing in
bands.
DTB: You got off easy. I had been playing for 35 years when I met
Jerry and he told me the same thing. I was crushed. But like you
said, he was right. The truth hurts sometimes, eh?
TR: <laughing> And here all this time I thought I was the
only one he said that to. Maybe he says that to every one of his
students. We should considering starting a support group for students
of Jerry who have had their egos crushed <laughing>. The fact
is that he has “The Tone."
DTB: You can’t argue with what he does; with the results that
he gets out of a simple Marine Band. He’s got some of the best
tone-ation of any harmonica player out there.
OK, so let’s go back. Where are you from?
TR: I was born in Annapolis, Maryland and lived there for nine years.
We moved to Marshfield, MA, when I was nine. I don’t live
there now, but I went to high school there and spent much of my younger
days in this town.
DTB: Where are you now?
TR: Now I live in Virginia.
DTB: What do you do when you’re not playing harp?
TR: I’m an environmental consultant. I played full-time for
six years before my daughter got older. Then I had to get steady
work. The music paid a lot, but was not consistent work. It’s
all about my daughter right now. I have do right by her. I’m
still doing music, but I’m more of a weekend warrior than a
full-time touring musician.
I still do some big festivals once in a while. I did one up in Canada
last year. I was on the same bill with Bette Lavette, Coco Montoya
and Johnny Winter. We all had our own dressing rooms <laughs>.
We were all hangin’; well, except for Johnny. He kept to himself.
Bette came over and gave me a kiss and a hug. I thought that was
pretty awesome. I would have been thrilled with a handshake.
DTB: So are you playing in Virginia?
TR: Actually, I play up here. I have a band up here that’s
been together for about 11 years.
DTB: You live in Virginia and have a band in Marshfield?
TR: Yeah, I just work in Virginia. I drive 500 miles to come here
and play and then turn around and drive right back to Virginia to
go to work. I’m up here most every weekend. I’ll be driving
back down right after this interview.
DTB: I thought my life was crazy. How far is it again?
TR: It’s 530 miles from my house to their house (the band).
I can tell you right now I may not be a traveling musician, I’m
a traveler. I can certainly relate to Charlie Musselwhite who’s
playing here tonight, getting in the car and driving 300 miles to
his next gig. I do that. I just go home and go to work at a day job. <laughing>
DTB: That’s real dedication. Let me ask you a question that
I ask most folks I interview. It’s about this genre; the Blues.
Li’l Ed Williams is playing here today. About 27 years ago
I was introduced to him, because I heard him on the radio. I went
to see him in Albany, NY and I’ve been a fan ever since.
Trying to find Blues on the radio today is almost impossible. What
are your thoughts on the genre? Is it stickin’ around? Here
to stay? Goin’ away? What do you think?
TR: Just look around. There are a number of us out there who are
still playing and working hard to keep it going. There are many young
players coming up. I’m excited about that. Right now, though
I do think that the Blues has the Blues. The market has become over-saturated.
No, that might not be right. People took chances on bands that might
not have been true to the core Blues bands. People got disappointed
with that stuff. Having the economy tank didn’t help matters
much, but that’s not the main issue.
I’ve been playing professionally for 25 years and have been
into the Blues since I was 14. Everyone that’s playing here
today I’ve known for a long time and these guys are all still
working to keep this music alive. Like anything else, Blues is cyclical.
Even the big name Blues guys of today at some point in their careers
had to work day jobs. They all did what they had to do to keep their
family fed. Hey, Muddy Waters worked in a steel mill. These guys
would work day jobs and play for fun on the weekends. They got noticed
and next thing you know it became a career.
DTB: Same thing you’re doing. <laughs>
TR: Yeah. That’s right.
DTB: They probably lived closer to the clubs they played than you
though, ya think? <laughing>
TR: No doubt. Once it became a career and these guys started selling
records, then it became a business. Then it became huge back in the ‘90’s.
I was playing 5 to 6 nights a week, year-round in the ‘90’s,
but then I began to notice that it was coming back around.
I was seeing big name acts playing in these smaller clubs. I could
see it was changing right before my eyes. I could see that with these
bigger acts coming into the smaller clubs that some of us were going
to get squeezed out. I was able to survive by cutting back to doing
duo and trio gigs. You’ll note that most of the bands have
cut back these days. Duos were great for me because I would get to
do acoustic stuff that I normally wouldn’t do. My first influence
on the harmonica was Sonny Terry. I used to travel around four states
to see them (with Brownie McGhee) and get to talk with them when
I could. It was so much fun. Those guys were the real deal. I used
to say to myself, “when I get older I’m going to do this."
Now I’ve got my electric band which is good for getting people
up dancing, but I like acoustic playing. The subtleties begin to
come out when you play acoustically. I was told a long time ago that
you have to learn to play acoustically first. That’s what the
harmonica is all about. All amplifying does is make it louder. If
you aren’t a good acoustic player you won’t be any better
just because you’re louder.
When I’m at home I work my stuff out acoustically. I never
use my amp at home.
DTB: How often do you play?
TR: I practice every day. Every single day. I’ve been practicing
every day for over 25 years. Gotta keep on top of your game.
DTB: You have harps in your car?
TR: I have harps everywhere, Man. They’re in the bathroom,
on the floor, in my car. I find harps in places where I left them
long ago…
DTB: Like a dog and a bone… You have any material out now?
TR: I have a CD out, yeah. My website is www.tallrichard.com My
CD was produced by Duke Robillard.
DTB: Is Duke on it?
TR: Yeah, he plays on three cuts and sings backup on one song.
DTB: How’d you hook up with Duke?
TR: I’ve known him for a long time. Back when I was getting
married, years ago, back in the ‘80’s, I was taking lessons
from Jerry and mentioned that I was looking for a wedding band. Jerry
said, “I bet I can get Duke Robillard to do it." I said, “You
gotta be kidding me. That’d be unbelievable." Jerry said, “Come
by the next gig I’m doing at some club and I’ll introduce
you." Sure enough we met and I asked him if he did weddings.
He said sure, I’d do a wedding.
DTB: I’m having a hard time thinking of Duke Robillard as
a wedding band, but hey, why not?
TR: He used to do them all the time. Hey, the money I paid him back
then was big money. Today, for him, it would just be a drop in the
bucket, but back then it was a good gig for him. My brother and I
sat in with his band when he played my wedding. After my recording
was finished he got married and I got invited to the wedding. Sure
enough I got to sit in with his band while he and his new bride were
out on the floor dancing. Pretty cool, huh?
DTB: Very.
TR: The wedding was at Chan’s in Rhode Island. We partied.
Ate Chinese food. It was great fun.
DTB: What’s the name of the CD?
TR: “Hot for a Woman." That’s the title track
of a song written by an old friend of mine, Rock Bottom (David York),
who’s since passed away. He had a band called Rock Bottom and
the Cutaways for years in Florida. I met him up here. He hooked me
up with some gigs in Florida and I hooked him up with gigs up here.
He did this song, “Hot for a Woman." I asked him if I
could do his song and he said, “Sure." I asked him if
I could record his song and he said OK as long as I paid him royalties.
During his lifetime I was playing his song and introducing people
to him.
He had a great band. Lucky Peterson reportedly got his start in
that band. Anybody who played in Florida probably played with him.
The great Norwegian guitarist Vidar Busk worked with him - Rock was
his mentor and later Vidar won a European grammy for a CD featuring
Rock Bottom songs. Sean Costello also worked with Rock.
He had a heart attack a few years back and passed on and I thought
it would be nice to dedicate my album to him and name it after his
song.
DTB: Nice.
TR: So I called Duke up and asked about doing my album at his studio
and he said, “Of course you can,” and then told me how
much he charged. I went ahead with it anyway <laughing> . There
are only a couple of overdubs. Most of it’s all live. Great
thing about doing this with Duke is that he came up with some great
ideas along the way. He also has all kinds of vintage equipment at
his place. It was a great experience. He has the sound and he knew
what sound I was looking for. I’m scheduled to go back this
fall to begin work on album #2 with him.
DTB: You ever get asked to cover other people’s stuff?
TR: I always get asked to do “Whammer Jammer." I ask
them did they come here to hear Magic Dick or me? I can see covering
other people’s trademark stuff maybe after they’ve left,
but it’s somewhat disrespectful to do so while they’re
still alive. Although lately I have thought about paying tribute
to Charlie Musselwhite and incorporating a few of his songs into
a set. He writes great songs.
I have a piece I wrote called Richard’s Boogie. It sounds
a little like Whammer Jammer, but it’s mine. I’ll play
that one, thanks.
DTB: That works for me. |
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