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Grammy-nominated Harmonica man/singer/songwriter/bandleader/author/impresario MARK HUMMEL was born in New Haven, CT but moved to Los Angeles as a newborn. Hummel took up an interest in blues harp & rock-blues music in high school but soon discovered the originators like Muddy Waters, Sonny Boy Williamson & Little Walter. Soon after, Hummel frequented the Ash Grove club on Melrose Ave. in LA where he saw (in a three-month period) three blues legends he would later work with on a regular basis; Charlie Musselwhite, Brownie McGhee (w/Sonny Terry) & James Cotton. By 1985 Mark Hummel’s Blues Survivors hit the road full time & continued till the present (Hummel’s memoir, “Big Road Blues: 12 Bars on I-80” recounts many road exploits). Hummel’s been featured on over thirty recordings since 1985 including his 2014 Blind Pig Records, Remembering Little Walter (a recording of a Hummel Blues Harp Blowout.) The CD was nominated for a Grammy Award and won two Blues Music Awards. Hummel’s most recent release, True Believer, is a vocal/harmonica album that redefines the scope and beauty of what the instrument is capable of in the right hands.JUNIOR WATSON
With influences as diverse as Tiny Grimes, Oscar Moore, Bill Jennings, Rene Hall, Robert Jr. Lockwood, Jimmy Rogers, Eddie Taylor, Guitar Slim, Earl Hooker and others, Junior Watson he has truly created one of the most unique and original guitar voices to come along in years. A founding member of The Mighty Flyers, he stayed with the band for ten years. He then left to join Canned Heat for ten years. He then toured for a while with LA-based harmonica player/vocalist Lynwood Slim. All along the way he has backed up and recorded with a who's-who of the blues. His list of musical endeavors include backing up and recording with Big Mama Thorton, George Smith, Jimmy Rogers, Shakey Jake, Luther Tucker, Charlie Musselwhite, Kim Wilson, William Clark and many more.
ANSON FUNDERBURGH
Born and raised in Plano, Texas, Blues Music Award winner Anson Funderburgh's musical journey began at an early age. When he was eight or nine years old, Funderburgh received his first guitar. A box of 45s accompanied it - Jimmy Reed, T-Bone Walker, B.B. King, Albert Collins, Freddie King and Ray Sharpe - singles that pointed him on his musical path. Funderburgh taught himself to play the guitar and went on to make a living doing what he loved with that set of strings. In 1978, he formed the iconic blues band Anson Funderburgh & The Rockets, who continue to define the sound of modern-day Texas blues. Throughout his career, Funderburgh has had the privilege of sharing the stage, and working and recording with many of the biggest names in blues, including Delbert McClinton and Jimmie Vaughan, along with countless others. His unmistakable style, tone and sensibility has made him one of contemporary blues music’s most important guitar players. Anson has developed into a legacy artist and his influence on innumerable guitarists is immeasurable. With each performance, Funderburgh reaffirms his status as a true legend of the blues.
WES STARR is on drums. Wes has performed with Asleep at the Wheel, Delbert McClinton, Marsha Ball, Omar and the Howlers, Anson & The Rockets, Willie Nelson.
On bass is BMA-winning bassist RODRIGO MANTOVANI (Nick Moss, Jontavious Willis).
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Event Venue & Nearby Stays
The Orange Blossom Opry, 16405 S Highway 25, Weirsdale, FL 32195, United States
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