I've never seen Mitch Kashmar live, but of all the players currently out there, he's the guy I'd like most to see. He reminds me of William Clarke: he's coming from an old-school direction, but he blows with a jazzman's freedom. He has style, but he's not stylized, if that distinction makes any sense. He's going to take me places in his solos and some of them are places I haven't been. Plus he works the upper octave very hard. Watch this one all the way through:
Mitch is a great top drawer player. He was very good friends with William Clarke and recorded with him as well. He is the natural successor to big Bills crown to me.
Mitch's work on the top end of the harp is some of the best out there. Very jazzy player (check out "Live at Labatts"), yet firmly based in the blues. He is also a 100% tongue blocker (not that it makes any difference).
He has been playing with War for quite a while as well (a chair made famous by Lee Oskar). His vocals are excellent too. I have three CD's by Mitch and they are all great.
He is one of those people who is bringing new stuff into the classic blues repertoire and mixing it seamlessly to make it seem like it was always there.
If I'm not mistaken, he also works with War these days as well. ---------- Sincerely, Barbeque Bob Maglinte Boston, MA http://www.barbequebob.com CD available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bbmaglinte
I was down Alantic City and saw a sign WAR was there for that night. I got a complimentery ticket.I heard of Mitch but he was the best part of the band. ---------- Fred HARP (Harmonica Assn 'Round Philly)
