One of my first goals was to get good enough to play live at open blues jams at the clubs in the area. Do that on a fairly regular basis now, which has taught me a lot of the dynamics of playing in a band vs. woodshedding alone at home. I also sit in with local bands once in a while as well.

I play Hohner Special 20s mostly, using either a Green Bullet mike with a controlled magnetic element, or a vintage JT-30 with a crystal element. Started out with the tiny Pignose as a practice amp, fooled around a while with a Behringer X V-amp, which does some credible tube amp simulations, and now I primarily use either a sweet vintage Kalamazoo Model 2 tube amp scored from eBay, or my big 30 watt Peavey Delta Blues, a modern tube amp, another eBay score.

Influences include the usual suspects: the two Walters, the two Sonny Boys, and then the living masters like Kim Wilson. I live near Boston, and we have some harp legends right in our backyard, like Jerry Portnoy, Annie Raines, and Magic Dick.

I take occasional lessons from Annie, and belong to a harmonica club she started called the Boston Harmonica Innovation Project (B-HIP). Were working on some of her group arrangements of blues classics to do some future public performances.

Reviews:

I Live Near Boston
''just kidding about the accent Brett, good track, funny lyrics''
   --dmb

I Live Near Boston
''Brett, you may have an accent, but I definately understood what you were putting donw. Really liked your tone.''
   --Kennyboy

I Live Near Boston
''@dmb: If my accent was hard to understand, I've succeeded on one level! Visitors to Boston sometimes have a "hahd" time understanding some of us in person - LOL.''
   --Brett

I Live Near Boston
''Great job, made me laugh and that ain't easy. BT a big hit, obviously.''
   --BeelzeBob

I Live Near Boston
''Crack me up lyrics, with the proper flavoring of harp. Good bt''
   --Eric Stahl

I Live Near Boston
''great tone, excellent playing style, had trouble understanding lyrics because of accent''
   --dmb

I Live Near Boston
''Good mix job here.''
   --Lonesome Harpman

I Live Near Boston
''Bear is the name of the beer I just opened!''
   --Frosty

I Live Near Boston
''Hilarious song. Made my day after a heavy working week. Let's have a bear!''
   --Frosty

I Live Near Boston
''great take Brett - the whole package - lyrics, vox and harp!! - all in synch with groove - you sure don't play funny "but have a beah??" - ;-)''
   --htrain

I Live Near Boston
''Hmmm ... whers Boston :-) ... seems one could get good musical vibes there... love your feel with it Brett, fine singing and you got some of that tone''
   --TeeJay

I Live Near Boston
''Yeah...I heah ya paisan. If Bretts cah is rahkin, don't bather knahcking. Thanks for the dedication too man! Too funny Brett''
   --Lips Angelo

I Live Near Boston
''For inspiration: http://www.last.fm/music/The+Paul+Butterfield+Blues+Band/_/Born+In+Chicago?autostart''
   --BlueInGreen

I Live Near Boston
''Great production, hugely fun. Lived in Boston area 'til '59 then moved to California where folks made fun of my accent! Thanks for the payback. Two thumbs up! (Now where's my beer?)''
   --Gorfalamu

I Live Near Boston
''You have good taste in BT's Brett, and dam fine harp playing there, love it''
   --Lindy Harper

I Live Near Boston
''tell me all about that that ,.baby ..you rock!!''
   --floppy lips

I Live Near Boston
''Missed my opportunity to write "Mista Butta Lips"''
   --BlueInGreen

I Live Near Boston
''Ok Mister Butter Lips - love it!''
   --BlueInGreen

Juniors Funky Blues
''Funky! Vocal seemed a bit out of key, but the jive factor was definitely there. Solid harpin on the F...''
   --Mark Wilson

Juniors Funky Blues
''nice in-character playing''
   --dmb

Juniors Funky Blues
''super job on the vocals and harp - cool crunch on the tone - style is bang on!! - good one!!''
   --htrain

Juniors Funky Blues
''Very wells done Brett. Your best one so far with both vocals and harp. You have had a great progress lately.''
   --Frosty

Juniors Funky Blues
''Cool funky harp and vox! Like these tunes you've been doing in different styles. BTW,listen to Hoodoo Man Blues album here: http://www.last.fm/music/Junior+Wells/Hoodoo+Man+Blues''
   --BlueInGreen

Juniors Funky Blues
''Yeah Paisan you got that beeotch down cold :) Good ballsy effort all around!''
   --Lips Angelo

Juniors Funky Blues
''Junior has to be proud of that Funky Blues, that you put on that one.''
   --Htmn007

Juniors Funky Blues
''surprised me double party!''
   --floppy lips

Juniors Funky Blues
''You have a unique sound enyoyed all the way through.''
   --Larry Genius

Juniors Funky Blues
''Okay, now this sounds REAL close to Junior Wells. We need a "Who can sound the most like Junior Wells?" contest.''
   --BeelzeBob

Juniors Funky Blues
''An outstanding tribute to one of the greatest bluesmen ever, dynamite backtrack, great (and authentic) vocals and killer harp. Somewhere Junior is smiling. I know I am. Two thumbs up!''
   --Gorfalamu

Juniors Funky Blues
''How do you guys find time to post so quick LOL good stuff Brett, harp is smokin!''
   --Lindy Harper