![]() ![]() Dick Salwitz continued to master his art, and play the harmonica for fans everywhere. But that wasn’t quite the end of the road for Magic Dick. The band eventually parted ways, and in 1985 after a successful 20-year run together, dissolved the band. Their aesthetic was hard rock, while keeping the roots of the blues scene alive and well in their music. They toured incessantly and developed a reputation for being wild on stage during performances, and could easily amp up any audience their Blues and Rock & Roll. The band moved to Boston where they eventually added Peter Wolf, Stephen Jo Bladd, and Seth Justman to the mix, and in 1970 the band recorded their first of nine albums together. Geils and Klein shared his passion for music, jazz, and rock, and in 1965, formed the J. There, he met two fellow musicians and life-long friends, John “J” Geils, and Danny Klein. ![]() Salwitz was born in New London, Connecticut and attended Worcester Polytechnic Institute in nearby Worcester. Starting at the age of only 9 years old, Dick Salwitz picked up his first harmonica and quickly fell in love, but that was only the start to a very long and successful career in music. The rest of the album includes harp playing to this degree, and the bands intricate music style. His performance is a perfect mix of jazz and rock, and his harmonica playing is unlike any other musician, even to this day. This video is a live performance of Magic Dick in 1979 is Essen, Germany on one of the bands European tours. Particularly noted was his performance of “Whammer Jammer” on the J. In fact, Dave Marsh, music critic of the Rolling Stone Record Guide, said that Magic Dick was possibly one of the greatest modern musicians to ever play blues harmonica. In the hard-rocking 70’s music scene, Magic Dick became especially known for the distinctive element he added to the J. While many great leaders have paved the way for musicians like Magic Dick, Dick Salwitz continues to keep both tradition and innovation alive in his harmonica playing, respecting the road the got him here, but also creating a new path for himself and the future of harmonica playing. ![]() Taking the stage nickname “Magic Dick and his Lickin’ Stick” he lives up to the name by performing intricate harmonica solos and harmonies, rocking the stage every time ( 2). ![]() In the recording industry the harmonica is one of many instruments employed, and a minor one at that, so I'm not sure that this would fall unde "harmonica industry.Dick Salwitz is one of the most internationally renowned American harp players of the modern times ( 1). There are clubs and organizations such as SPAH that promote the harmonica. There is a cottage industry of people making products to service harmonica players - upgrade parts and customization services, repair tools, microphones, amplifiers, and other accessories. There are, of course, importation (from Germany, China and Japan) and the resultant wholesale and retail distribution. Originally published in the 1990s, it may or may not cover your still-undefined period of "modern," but then, that may also be true of the responses you've received here thus far.īy the way, I'm also curious about your use of the phrase "harmonica industry in the USA." There has never been significant harmonica manufacturing in the US aside from a few desultory attempts, so there has never been a US harmonica industry in that sense. Might I recommend that you read the book Harmonicas, Harps and Heavy Breathers: The Evolution of the People's Instrument by Kim Field? This well-researched book will give you a deeper and broader insight into your question than the random observations of people citing their own favorites within their own specific area of interest. ![]()
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