Harmonica Steve McNenly

In the late '70's I began getting in to bars to see live bands, usually in Halifax, N.S. At that time, there were many excellent bands playing in Halifax, including a couple of my preferred choices.... Dutch Mason and The Minglewood Band. Both bands sported smokin' harp players...Rick Jeffery with Dutchie, and Enver Sampson Jr. with Minglewood. It was also around this time that I first heard George Thoroughgood and the Delaware Destroyers, a band that really sounded different from most of the stuff I'd heard. Through them, I began to backtrack into the older players who's tunes they were doing, and the rest is history.....rich Blues history. In the summer of '81, I saw the late, great Muddy Waters perform at The Misty Moon in Halifax. For me, it was very much like a religious experience.....I had never recognized The Blues as a particular style of music, and Muddy was definitely the master of combining both Blues and style. That was also the year that I won a bet that resulted in me obtaining my first harmonica, and that I first heard The Fabulous Thunderbirds. Over the next few years I began learning to play by listening to the likes of James Cotton, Taj Mahal, John Mayall, The T-Birds, J.Geils Band, Paul Butterfield, etc. as well the local bands Dutchie and Minglewood.

In 1987 I performed on a stage for the first time, at a Saturday afternoon jam session hosted by the late Jeff Healey. What a thrill !!!....both to play with Jeff, and to perform in a bar filled with people. 3 years later, I played in a band for the first time...a blues based -Top 40 mix band. In '91 I began sitting in at a weekly jam session in Sydney, N.S., with a group that eventually took "The Blues Merchants" as their name. This band included many of Cape Breton's best Blues musicians, many of whom I'd been a fan for many years. I sat in and played at least a few tunes at almost every gig that the Merchants played (exceptions being about 3 or 4 times I was away on a sailboat) between '91 and '95, and it was during this time that I began to acquire an education in playing the Blues with a band.

In '95, in response to a request by a local Blues appreciation society, The Blues Crusaders, I assembled a group to host a weekly jam session. The band became "Makin' Excuses" with Glen Parker MacNeil on guitar and vocals, Gerard Wilson on bass and vocals, Keith McInnis on drums and vocals, and myself on harp. We had a great time playing together for 5 years, and gathering a very loyal and supportive following...for which we'll be forever grateful. It was also around this time that I had the good fortune to often share the stage with Matt Minglewood, both with his band, and with Matt alone. When introducing me to the audience, Matt would often say "I just call him Harmonica Steve"...and for many, the name has stuck. In 2000, both Gerard and I moved to Calgary, Ab. chasing work....something we Cape Bretoners have been doing for years. On our first day in town, we were both hired to play in a band, following a jam at the "King Eddy" Hotel, Calgary's home of The Blues (at the time it was......it's since been condemned). I played with that band, "Drivin' Sideways", for the 2 years that I remained in Calgary.

After returning to the east coast, I spent a few years in which I played very little, but I'm now playing occasionally with a very talented guitarist/singer/song writer named Terry Edmunds. Terry is an amazing player who's been playing professionally since his mid teens when he was hired by The Minglewood Band. Most of the guitar on the first two Minglewood Band albums was performed by Terry. He also spent 4 years playing with the late Dutch Mason (through the time when Dutch's health forced him to give up playing guitar), before moving to Vancouver, B.C., where he lived for many years, establishing himself as one of west coast Canada's top Blues performers. The pictures below are from a recent gig that we played together

****UPDATE Jan.1, '09**** Terry has moved again...hopefully to a place with more venues that employ Blues performers. Good Luck to him.

Over the years I've had the good fortune to share the stage with many of east coast Canada's best blues players. This list includes the late Dutch Mason, the late Jeff Healey, Terry Edmunds, Minglewood Band, Joe Murphy & the Water St. Blues Band, Roger Howse, John Campbelljohn, Theresa Malenfant, Carson Downey Band, The Blues Merchants, the late Carlo Spinazzola, etc. Some of the players of other styles that I've been lucky enough to accompany include Valdy, Russell deCarle and Keith Glass (of Prairie Oyster), J.P. Cormier, Bruce Guthro, & Gordie Sampson. In recent years I've become a serious collector of vintage microphones and low powered tube amps...a subject I always enjoy discussing. Some of my favourite Blues players include Johnny Winter, Muddy, Delbert McClinton, Norton Buffalo, James "Mr Superharp" Cotton, Sugar Blue, the "Walters.....Big and Little", love Charlie Musselwhite, the 3 "Kings"...Freddie, B.B., and Albert, Paul Butterfield, Sonny & Brownie, etc.