Yeah he is! He's very musical. He just puts everything together well! He's a pretty good singer too. Or atleast he has a great voice and cool songs. For my money that is the best One Man Band on you tube!
We sometimes see Juzzie perform at markets near us on the Sunshine Coast. He always draws a large crowd and has a better/bigger set up than does most buskers.
I know Juzzie busks at Australias largest music festival in Tamworth. This Country Music Festival attracts a huge number of buskers and annually has the Australian Busking championships. Juzzie also has won this competition as Australias best busker. I also believe Juzzie has previously won the Hohner Golden Harmonica Australian championships which is also held in conjunction with the festival?
I reckon he is pretty successful for a harp player but he certainly works hard at it.
As an aside I understand that John Butler (the guitarist) could be in for a windfall due to the illegal use of some of his music by a yoghurt advertiser at the US superbowl competition. ---------- HARPOLDIE’S YOUTUBE
Last Edited by on Feb 08, 2012 6:57 PM
yeah juzzie is good, see him a bit round bris and bro beach blues fest which doesn't have a big harmonica scene. but does Australia have any pro level players if juzzie is the best "winning the hohner golden harmonica award" what does this say for the rest of us. nothing against juzzie himself as ive met him and talked a bit about harp with him, he also played at the Halifax buskers thing where satan and adam played many many moons ago, I guess I feel like the harp scene in aus is not that big or ignorant to the playing of other international pros. just saying. show me otherwise. hate it or love it. ot what is this bump I also saw on some other posts?
I agree with you Dennis.b there's not a big pro harp scene here as far as I know. We've got Big Blind Ray, but I'd be hard pressed to think of many other top players. ---------- Lucky Lester
Here am I, busking at the Tamworth Country Music Festival, scraping together my normal $15 and hour. Down the road Juzzie has his setup, with a large crowd always and a constant line at his CD table, with a someone employed just to handle the sales.
He is by far the the most successful busker I've ever seen.
He combines slide guitar, Didgeridoo, vocals, stompbox and harmonica into an act which seems irresistable.
Music has an elusive "I like this" element to it, which we all seek. Juzzie's got it. He is no virtuoso on any specific instrument, however his combination delights every crowd I've seen him with.
Like I said, he makes me ill ---------- Tony Eyers Australia www.HarmonicaAcademy.com everyone plays...
@ harmonica tunes yes I agree he does pull a good crowd busking which is what any one would really want.
@ Komuso I have heard of ian collard from the show spicks and specks. but what about modern players as you no longer live in the country you might not know, cause I don't and I do live here. ps that was the funniest shit ive seen in ages where you joking?
Don't forget Continental Robert Susz. There's a few regular gigging players around Sydney and Central Coast of NSW. Jim's pretty much retired from gigging although he still teaches. I went to get critiqued by him the other day.
Hmm. Aussie players. There is the awesome Christian Marsh, living somewhat north of Sydney. Details at ChristianMarsh.com
Scratching my head after that. There is a Sydney based harmonica group, however word is that they've fallen out. Details here ---------- Tony Eyers Australia www.HarmonicaAcademy.com everyone plays...
Does anyone not realise that Australia has had a very rich and noble Harmonica history?
In fact - one thing that urks me to no end is the lack of international recognition of Australian players who are endorsed by Hohner through Kurt Jacobs. they get go coverage on any of the Hohner websites. It is total bullshit.
Here are some noteworthy names.
Robert Susz Jim Conway Ian Collard Snooks LaVie Chris Maunders Christian Marsh Justin Brady Jamie Symons David Blight Doc Span Mitch Grainger Percy Spouse Brett Hunt Michael Diamond John Cupit Dorothy Jane Gosper Victor Polyk Declan Kenrick Greg Baker Ian Giddey Peter Harper Rick Dempster Lawrie Minson Lindy Rooney
Christian Marsh - Who has had an endorsement with Hohner longer than most people on MBH and still gets absolutely no international recognition from them on their website.
Chris Maunders from the Lalibelas. He is the only person I know of who is a dedicated chromatic harp play who has gone through tertiary jazz studies here in Australia at the Victorian College of the Arts. He has a bright future ahead of him.
thanks bbr good stuff mate , I have heard a few of these names but cheers for getting them out there , I was also lucky enough to sit in with the walters at a bar in west end a couple of months back.
Good stuff Ray, I look forward to listening to all the stuff you posted. I knew that Oz has had a long history with the harp since the earlies, and that at one stage it was almost considered our national instrument (Check out 'Band in a Waistcoat Pocket' for details). Just wasn't aware of who was out there; the awesome players you list are hardly household names. ---------- Lucky Lester
True didjcripey - hardly household names. I wills ay this though, Seydel is the only manufacturer who has Aussie endorsers on their roster with whom they recognise on their website - can't say the same for Hohner though and that's a real shame. ---------- - BigBlindRay
Who is a household name playing harp? I could mention current top players from USA and Europe to my friends and very few would know any of the names. Even the musicians would recognise few names. Only the harp players would know, and even then it's quite patchy. Re Australian players, there was a time the harp featured more, but then, there was a time people went out to pubs and bands played...folks like Matt Taylor and Brod Smith sort of had careers...playing harp in bands. A fellow from WA, Scott Wise I saw a few years ago playing some nice old style harp. There was a bloke called Peter Harper...just went by 'harper'..relocated to North America I think. And I remember Anthony Harkin although that was also a long time ago...
Ray! Good on you. How could I have missed so many great names.
Let's throw yours into the mix. You're the most active guy in Sydney, as far as I can see. ---------- Tony Eyers Australia www.HarmonicaAcademy.com everyone plays...
Regardless of what I perceive to be an Aussie or harp player pissing contest, Juzzie strikes me as an A-1 entertainer. If I was a passerby on my way to an important meeting I'd be late.
