Slow Blues Instrumental - Gary Smith, David Barrett, Aki Kumar

Front man and harp player for the San Francisco Bay Area band Tip of the Top, Akarsha Aki Kumar is an ardent student of the blues and a master of the amplified Chicago blues sound.

Kumar derives his style mainly from American harp masters Little Walter, Sonny Boy Williamson, Big Walter Horton and George Smith, among others. His own playing reflects elements of these players, blended in with a signature sound of his own.

Gary Smith has been a huge influence on numerous harmonica players in the San Francisco Bay Area. He has largely influenced harmonica players Mark Hummel, David Barrett, Byrde Hale, Andy Just, and untold others. He currently has two CD's and a new instruction video just released by Mountain Top Video. Being in the San Jose and San Francisco Area in the sixties he was present when Paul Butterfield made his imprint on the harmonica world.

David Barrett is the world's most published author of blues harmonica lesson material (over 60 book/CD sets and videos published through Mel Bay Publications). Having played saxophone and trumpet for many years, David already had a solid musical background before playing the harmonica at age fourteen. By age sixteen he was already performing in blues jam sessions and harmonica shows in the California Bay Area. By age eighteen he was studying music theory in college and started teaching harmonica at local music institutes. By age twenty he released Building Harmonica Technique (Mel Bay Publications), the first serious blues harmonica method to be released in the market.
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Instrumental #1 - David Barrett

David Barrett is the world's most published author of blues harmonica lesson material (over 60 book/CD sets and videos published through Mel Bay Publications). Having played saxophone and trumpet for many years, David already had a solid musical background before playing the harmonica at age fourteen. By age sixteen he was already performing in blues jam sessions and harmonica shows in the California Bay Area. By age eighteen he was studying music theory in college and started teaching harmonica at local music institutes. By age twenty he released Building Harmonica Technique (Mel Bay Publications), the first serious blues harmonica method to be released in the market.

David is the founder and owner of the Harmonica Masterclass Company (HMC). HMC specializes in educational workshops held around the world for blues harmonica. David is the program director and master instructor of these classes. For a single class 20 to 250 participants attend depending on program type and location. David also teaches, judges and performs at other prestigious events, such as Hohner's World Harmonica Festival and Steve Baker's Harmonica Masters Workshop in Trossingen, Germany.

David is also the founder of School of the Blues in San Jose, California, the first school in the world for the specific study of blues music. David and his instructors (Guitar, Bass, Organ, Keyboard, Piano, Vocals, and Drums) teach private lessons and workshops as well as fly-in lessons. David teaches on average 60 private students a month as well as home correspondence courses. He is also active in working with local hospitals teaching his Harmonica for Fun & Health classes to people with COPD (commonly Emphysema), asthma and heart disease.
David is a Grammy Nominated harmonica player (for his work on John Lee Hooker Jr's recent release) and performs regularly in the California Bay Area (San Francisco Blues Festival, Monterey Bay Blues Festival, etc.) and abroad (Chicago, Germany, etc.). Recently David played in the Mark Hummel Blues Harmonica Blowouts featuring James Cotton, Charlie Musselwhite, Kim Wilson, Mark Hummel and David. Through the years David has worked or played with Charlie Musselwhite, Mark Hummel, Lee Oskar, Rod Piazza, James Harman, James Cotton, Gary Smith, Andy Just, Mark Ford, Billy Boy Arnold, Jason Ricci, Rick Estrin, Paul deLay, Jerry Portnoy, Gary Primich, Howard Levy, Magic Dick, Tom Ball, Sonny Jr., John Mayall, Annie Raines, Paul Oscher, Phil Wiggins, Brendan Power, Sam Myers, Snooky Pryor, Rob Paparozzi, Dennis Gruenling, Carlos del Junco, Mitch Kashmar, Joe Filisko, Lazy Lester, Kenny Neal, Jr. Watson, Nick Moss, Steve Freund, Johnny Cat and John Garcia. He now fronts the School of the Blues All-star Band featuring John Garcia on guitar and vocals. His latest CD is Serious Fun and We Are The Blues.
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