Never Easy to Say Goodbye

With a heavy heart, I'm sad to say that Steve Harper, my blues partner in crime, has decided to leave Kuwait and take up residence at the home of the blues, Chicago.

In the short time we played together (starting Nov. 2015) Steve has been an integral part of the Ali Sleeq Blues Band. He not only felt and lived the blues, he was a damn good harp player. Probably the best harpist I will ever play with. He knew his sound, he knew his equipment, was a professional, and he also knew the blues. He was also a dear friend.

While it is sad to see him go, I wish him the best of luck in the future, and that one day we will meet again for a blues jam. He's already taken Chicago by storm (played House of Blues, the Chicago Blues Fest, met Muddy Waters' son and Willie Dixons' grandson etc).

Here's the last song we performed together, which is very fitting.

'Poor Boy / London Session' - Howlin' Wolf

In 1971, Chess Records released an album recorded the year prior, called 'The London Howlin' Wolf Sessions'. This album featured Eric Clapton, Steve Winwood, Bill Wyman and Charlie Watts (the latter two from The Rolling Stones) alongside Howlin' Wolf and his guitarist Hubert Sumlin.

The result was a blues with a rock twist, where Wolf would sing traditional blues with Sumlin on Chicago guitar embellishes over British blues rock grooves.

Here's a song from that album, called 'Poor Boy', a blues standard: