MAGIC DICK

THIS IS A TRIBUTE PAGE TO MAGIC DICK. I AS A HUGE FAN ONLY WANTED TO ADDRESS A GLARING ABSENCE ON MYSPACE OF A PROPER PAGE AND TRIBUTE TO THIS GENIUS OF THE BLUES HARP. I'M THRILLED TO REPORT THAT MAGIC KNOWS ABOUT THE PAGE AND CHECKS IN FROM TIME TO TIME SO KEEP THOSE COMMENTS COMING! IN THE MEANTIME, SPREAD THE WORD, MORE PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY YOUNG HARP PLAYERS NEED TO KNOW ABOUT HIM. THANKS-PAT ************************************************************ ************************************************Richard "Magic Dick" Salwitz was the harmonica player for The J. Geils Band. In addition to the harmonica, Salwitz plays the trumpet (the first instrument he learned) and saxophone. He attended Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Worcester, Massachusetts, where he met Jerome "J" Geils and Danny Klein and became a founding member of the J. Geils Blues Band in 1968. After the J. Geils Band parted ways in 1985, Salwitz spent time working on a harmonica design of his own, which he labled the "Magic Harmonica", a co-invention with Pierre Beauregard.In 1992, Salwitz re-united with his old friend and bandmate J. Geils and formed the band "Bluestime". Bluestime featured Steve Ramsey on drums, Jerry Miller on guitar, and Roy McCloud on bass. McCloud was later replaced by Michael "Mudcat" Ward, who played with the band for several years before leaving to pursue other interests. Ward was subsequently replaced by bassist John Turner. The band was a fusion of Chicago blues and classic jazz. Magic dick is considered by many to be one of the greatest blues harpists of all time, his signature sound, combining incredible rhythmic sensibility, beautiful tone and fluid phrasing and just an amazing groove is unlike any other. A true innovator in the genre of "rock harp" which he virtually owned, and with "Whammer jammer" he created a new standard for advanced technical and rhythmic playing that challenges harp players to this day.