Mark Hummel & Anson Funderburgh -- Tribute to Little Walter

Mark Hummel and Anson Funderburgh bring their all-star West Coast blues band to Charlotte’s Speakeasy for a Tribute to Little Walter!

ABOUT LITTLE WALTER: Little Walter, born Marion Walter Jacobs on May 1, 1930, was a pioneering blues harmonica player and singer who significantly influenced the evolution of blues harp. His innovative techniques and expressive playing style have easily earned him the title of greatest blues harmonica player of all time.

Moving to Chicago in the early 1940s, Little Walter quickly immersed himself in the vibrant blues scene. He gained attention for his extraordinary harmonica skills, incorporating amplification to create a distinctive sound that became his trademark. Walter's playing was characterized by powerful amplification, virtuosic technique, and an emotive, improvisational approach. His recordings, including hits like "Juke" and "My Babe," showcased his talent and pushed the boundaries of harmonica playing in blues music. He was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2008 as a sideman and received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2008. Little Walter's innovative harmonica techniques and passionate playing continue to inspire and resonate with musicians and blues enthusiasts worldwide.

CHARLOTTE’S SPEAKEASY is located at 294 Main St, Farmingdale, NY 11735. It’s a small, intimate venue that was a real speakeasy back in the day.

Charlotte’s Speakeasy is easy to get to, and only blocks from the Farmingdale LIRR station. Farmingdale has plenty of parking. There are multiple municipal lots on either side of Main Street.

There are three types of tickets for this show:

· Tables and booths, seats are $35.

· The seats by the sofa on the side of the band are $30.

· Bar area tickets (standing room) are $25.

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Mark and Anson's all-star West Coast blues band:

ANSON FUNDERBURGH (guitar), the Texas guitar legend, knows the blues inside and out. He's fronted Anson Funderburgh & The Rockets for decades and played with every blues legend you can think of. Master of tasteful playing and killer tone,

CLAY SWAFFORD (piano) has played with such legends as James Cotton, Pinetop Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis.

BILL STUVE (bass) is a legend of the West Coast blues scene, having toured with Rod Piazza & Mighty Flyers, William Clarke, Jimmy Rogers, George ‘Harmonica’ Smith, Junior Watson, and more.

WES STARR (drums) has played with Asleep At The Wheel, Delbert McClinton, Marcia Ball, Omar & The Howlers, Anson Funderburgh & the Rockets, Hal Katcham, Jimmy Vaughn, Willie Nelson, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, and many others.

MARK HUMMEL (harmonica, vocals) is a Grammy Award nominee and winner of two Blues Music Awards. Mark Hummel started playing harmonica in 1970 and is considered one of the premier blues harmonica players of his generation. He’s made over thirty recordings since 1985, including the 2013 Grammy nominated Blind Pig recording ‘Remembering Little Walter’ (part of his Blues Harmonica Blowout CD series).

"Hummel plays the harmonica with the fat, full sound that made Little Walter sound almost like a saxophonist rather than a harp man.” - Chicago Sun-Times

“Mark Hummel is a Harmonica Virtuoso. He is one of a handful of the Best Players ever on the Instrument.” - Blues Revue Magazine