Deak Harp and Arthur Williams"Deak is one of the best up and coming harp players on the road today." James Cotton

NEW REVIEW -- GATEWAY TO THE BLUES --
Written by Don Crow
Friday, 16 May 2008

ABOUT DEAK --

Deak started playing harmonica at age 12 When he heard a schoolmate playing blues on a harmonica. Deak listened to British blues untill his brother Bob told him about a harp master named James Cotton.

After years following Cotton around, Cotton asked Deak to drive for him on the east coast tours... February of 1992 Asbury park press writer Robert Santelli reviewed a showat the Berkeley Carteret Hotel in Asbury Park, New Jersey where Deak and Cotton were two of the featured harp players.

Santelli wrote "Deak jumped into the Audience and ran down the main aisles at lease twice, playing his harmonica like a man possessed". In 1993 Deak had a the good fortune and Opportunity to drive for the James Cotton Band from Chicago to Miami, Florida and back.

Harmonica BlowoutDeak later drove for the James Cotton special acoustic trio featuring James Cotton, Dave Maxwell and Luther Tucker; who was Little Walter's guitar player back in the 60s on the tour. Deak learned directly from James Cotton, who helped him with his tone on the harp and taught him how to be a band leader"

"Deak is from the old school of blues.He realy knows the harmonica . And it shows in his playing"
John Primer

Deak Harp is one of the hardest working Bluesmen out there today. Just back from playing down south in legenadary blues towns like Clarksdale Ms., Deak is a master of the harmonica - STLBlues.net

Deak on MySpace TV - click here

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ILLNOIS CENTRAL BLUES CLUB
This past Monday turned out to be really great. We were hosting The Deak Harp Blues Band (CD reviewed by James Walker on Blues Blast today - go to www.illinoisblues.com and click on "current issue" to read the review). That was the day that THE FOG CAME DOWN. There were multi-car pileups all around us - we canceled our scheduled board meeting planned for 7pm that night - and at 7:30, THE FOG LIFTED! Unfortunately, many people didn't notice that the fog lifted, and about 8:30 the thunderstorms started. I made it to The Alamo "in the eye of the storm", and was pleased to find that Deak and his band had arrived on time in spite of the horrible weather. I talked to some blues fans who had come in from Champaign (half the band was from the Champaign area and half from the Charleston area) in the dense fog as well. Gradually the room filled. Deak and Company didn't hold back. They couldn't have been more enthusiastic, or more into giving their audience the best performance possible. Deak's harp playing is strongly influenced by James Cotton, who he traveled with and studied with for years. His energy level is really something. I'm reminded somewhat of our own "Bad Bill". It would be fun to watch those two playing dueling harmonicas!! What do you say Bill and Deak?