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Dirty-South Blues Harp forum: wail on! >
Bob Shatkin collection @ Ole Miss Blues Archive
Bob Shatkin collection @ Ole Miss Blues Archive
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kudzurunner
4230 posts
Aug 31, 2013
10:44 AM
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Bob Shatkin was an important figure in NYC blues harmonica circles in the 1970 and 1980s. His day gig was at the Brooklyn Public Library. He wasn't just a powerful and influential player, but he was an historian of the instrument--a real master, fully the equal of Joe Filisko and Pat Missin on that count. There are only a few guys in the world like that. Bob was one of them.
His goal was to create the definitive history of the blues harmonica. He did most of the needed research; like Joe, he knew not just the major and secondary players, but the truly obscure players.
After he died in 2001, his widow hoped that I might be able to pick up where he left off. I couldn't, but I helped her transfer all Bob's materials to the Blues Archive here at Ole Miss. Just today, researching something else, I stumbled across the collection, now fully inventoried by blues archivist Greg Johnson.
Take a look. If somebody is interested in writing the book that Bob never wrote, this is the place to start:
http://www.olemiss.edu/depts/general_library/archives/finding_aids/MUM01756.html
Last Edited by kudzurunner on Aug 31, 2013 10:46 AM
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Larrystick
37 posts
Sep 09, 2013
4:57 PM
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I had the great fortune to study under Bob for two years in New York. He taught blues harp evenings at the New School for Social Research in Greenwich Village. I guess it was around 1990 when I met him and took his classes.
The dude really knew his history, and even after two years with him he'd drop the name and play a riff from yet another obscure, and awesome, player.
Bob was a teacher in the classic harmonica style. Listen and then play back. I don't think there were more than two sheets of paper handed out in two years. He was a hard teacher too, rough around the edges, and didn't baby you if you weren't keeping up. But I have to say that he was totally responsible for introducing me to the solid basics of playing. Before meeting him I had no idea that tongue blocking even existed, never mind first, second, and fourth position.
Stickman
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Stickman from walkthatwalk.org
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nacoran
7118 posts
Sep 10, 2013
11:58 AM
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On the topic of archives... what ever became of those pictures?
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Nate
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