HarmonicaJam.com

Rick

Welcome to the Online Jam! I have been running the harmonica jam online since 2001. I will do a spasm of programming, and then a spasm of writing and playing music. I have been doing the music spasm for the last few months, mostly working on creating backing tracks. It takes me a long time to create a new one, because I am new to slide guitar and I am playing all my BTracks on slide. This is really just a practice site, the goal is to make practice fun since you know that someone will be listening to your output, but wow, the guys sure do output some great music!

A little about myself I have played off and on, mostly off, since I was 16. I think my early instrument choices were driven a lot by cost. I got pretty good on the Jews Harp. I next progressed to a Hohner harmonica which cost about $5 at the time. That was the Cadillac of instruments for me. In college I tried to learn piano and guitar but I was a terrible self teacher and it never occurred to me to take lessons. I remember spending hours practicing piano while reading a book. I thought music was purely a motor skill and I could save time and do two things at once. I actually learned to play a couple of complex songs that way, Beale Street Blues comes to mind. But it was not much of a learning strategy. At any rate, I did eventually become a pretty good guitar strummer, although everything I did was a variation of one particular strum. But man, I had that strum down! I put my trusty harmonica in a rack and it was like playing piano again, doing two things at once. I wrote a bunch of bad music. And then the internet hit, and I decided to blend my musical and programming interests and create a site. After quite a few incarnations and language changes, here we are!

Reviews:

Start a Revolution
'' tell me about g-t father''
--floppy lips

Start a Revolution
''Just brought me back to those 60's memories.''
--Ringer

Start a Revolution
''That's how it should be done....a story...a melody....a solid idea you can get into.....and a great mix to boot! Another complete package Rick. How come it takes you so long though between posts?''
--P-J

Start a Revolution
''Tried explaining to my kids why "Revolution for the Hell of it" by Abbie Hoffamn was a classic must read at a past point in my life. Might have a better chance discussing with you. Great song.''
--Brown Ale Guy

Start a Revolution
''You'll find this one on Vocaljam.com (only kidding). Very "Dylanish" lyrics. Think you're gonna start a revolution!!!!!''
--Phil C

Start a Revolution
''Sung like a true revolutionary Rick. Intelligent lyrics telling a good story man! Worked the harp nicely off the git line too. Nice man!!!''
--Lips Angelo

Start a Revolution
''Hey Rick, Great song. Not much harp there but it works.''
--harpletunnel

Start a Revolution
''Dynamic vocals and harping.''
--Marks Harp

Start a Revolution
''Congratulations on this one Rick - your work on it shows through - liked it all the way !!''
--htrain

Start a Revolution
''Great lyrics. Big brother may be watching you. Where do I sign up? More music is what we need.''
--warbeak

Start a Revolution
''WOW, what a story telling performance. Fantastic piece.''
--Mc7

Start a Revolution
''Rick, you painted such a vivid picture of that scene with your words and music, bravo! I can see you singing this in a hipster coffee house with your guitar, playing rack harp, getting the tip jar filled by old hippies waxing nostalgic for those days!''
--Brett

Babys Gone
''thx for that package ... opened it and played and played ... harp could be a lil stronger, but great song and singing Rick''
--TeeJay

Babys Gone
''I really enjoy the work you put into this Rick, really rich stuff with you doing it all! Those opening moans sound like Charley Patton with a canned heat hangover!''
--Brett

Babys Gone
''Very nice BT Rick. I enjoyed your take on the vocals and the harp as well.''
--Appleman Ed

Babys Gone
''Your thumper worked out well. Harp could have been stronger. Love the BT. Haven't done a take on this on yet because I can't stop crying. C Ya''
--Marks Harp

Babys Gone
''Very Creative vocals and may i say sounds pro. Harp is a little thin/harsh after listing to the other version's on here But that is just nit picking, over all i am very impressed and very much enjoyed.''
--Lindy Harper

Babys Gone
''There's no one that can groan as good as you!!''
--Ringer

Babys Gone
''Sounds very cool to me. Harp and vocals.''
--Magic Martian

Babys Gone
''Hey Rick, at least, the best part of the site still work... We would miss some very good music.''
--Bluesie

Babys Gone
''Nice one Rick.. went together well.. singing and harp.. So all i have too do is moan a little huh? :P''
--Harpn4fun

Babys Gone
''Cool one Rick.Really like your bt and the vocals. Could use a little more drive/soul on the harp to bring it to life more but it fits in pretty well as a piece of the whole.''
--BlueInGreen

Babys Gone
''True blues - lying face down in the Detroit drains? Excellent mixing and interaction between all the different tracks. Thank goodness you still have your harp with you!''
--tonedeft

Babys Gone
''Moaning and groaning and you don't even sound like Morrison this time : ) Cool bt with a touch of Rick. Cool harpin and the git is sounding sweet.''
--Lips Angelo

Babys Gone
''Yup.....as they say on AI....this ones the Bomb Rick. Complete package and well put together.''
--P-J

Babys Gone
''I'm going for a 5. Great all around package!''
--Mc7

Babys Gone
''Well its about time. Great complete package. Moanin', vocals, reminds me some of old Koerner Ray and Glover.''
--Brown Ale Guy

Tell Me That You Love Me
''Wow, Rick, I never get around to listenin' in the Gold room, but glad I did. Great garage band stompin harp playin'!''
--Brown Ale Guy

Tell Me That You Love Me
''I'm with Bro.Bob, I think you did a good job of cutting that harp in there where needed without overpowering the bt. It's a great overall package now. Throw a 5 in for me! :)''
--Mc7

Tell Me That You Love Me
''Not sure but I think that is the first time I heard you play the harp. Nice to know your more well rounded that a strict computer geek. Sounded great by the way''
--Ringer

Tell Me That You Love Me
''Great parcel with an very interesting mix.''
--Midnight

Tell Me That You Love Me
''Hey you, noise maker! Well done noise in fact. Who did that noisy BT?''
--Bluesie

Tell Me That You Love Me
''Yes I love you Rick, lol. You surely got the gat player swettin,some grunty harpin sound in this one nice vibrato in parts, likes the lyrics I could hear too, if I could only hear them all ! over that dam loud guitar!!!.''
--DaveyG

Tell Me That You Love Me
''Stacking up the points on this one early, bro. Would have loved hearing your harp on my set up with some overdrive to match the 11 guitar. I am just dying to get my recording stuff back together so I can submit a post with this BT. It rocks. It moves me.''
--Marks Harp

Tell Me That You Love Me
''All over his face - too cool. Great vocals, solid D&D harp playing. Glad you got into the posting mood again!''
--htrain

Tell Me That You Love Me
''You stepped all over that gt. But i believe he was playing an old piece of junk anyway. Super vox, and the over the top harp playing sounds just right here (though a bit repetitive maybe).''
--Magic Martian

Tell Me That You Love Me
''Classic package straight from your greatest hits vinyl. Should rerelease on Itunes.''
--Brown Ale Guy

Tell Me That You Love Me
''Hey Rick...your not paying that singer enough...I might steal him from ya. Some great harpin...missed it. Great package as it should be done....''
--P-J

Tell Me That You Love Me
''I think that the military phrase for that is "balanced response" :-) I had to try this one too, for Open Mic.''
--Eric Stahl

Tell Me That You Love Me
''Excellent job Rick, love the BT as well A whole package here.''
--Lindy Harper

Tell Me That You Love Me
''Thats the stuff, great song; fine harp-licks in there, maybe sometimes out of groove a little, but played with that feel and sound going with that (damned good) BT of yours; love your vocals, love that whole thing, ... Hey Rick, good one ...''
--TeeJay

Tell Me That You Love Me
''Have not heard from you in a while. S0ounded good.''
--Blueshiner

Tell Me That You Love Me
''Yeah...that's the way this one needed to be played. Show that band what for man! What's this about pushing her down the stairs. Angry lyrics by Mr. Morrison. Good to hear you harp some Rick.''
--Lips Angelo

Tell Me That You Love Me
''Way cool, Rick, this sounds like an unreleased cut from a Canned Heat album!''
--Brett

Tell Me That You Love Me
''Hay that was just fine to me,it worked well with that loud guitar player I don't think you stepped on him or the vocals!''
--Bro.Bob