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"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.
Deak
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?
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