Skip's Harp Site: My Music News

Where do you find the music of Patsy Cline, Bob Dylan, Ray Charles, and Fats Waller, all in one place?

These greats come together in the music of Patent Medicine, the Chicago band that has headlined at the Midwest Outsiders Art Fair every summer since 1996. The band is named for a type of medicinal products sold by traveling musical troupes during the 19th and early 20th centry.

Until now, to hear this sound you had to catch us live. Now that's changed. We've just received copies of "Good for what Ails 'Ya!", our first CD.

We've included a little of everything: blues, country, folk, and standards. Tracks: No One Knows My Name, Bright Lights/Big City, You're Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go, Good Mornin' Blues, Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out, Careless Love, Empty Pocket Blues, CC Rider, Louisiana Fairytale, Fields of Gold, Is You Is or Is You Ain't (My Baby), and She's Got You.

I'm featured on harp with Garth Taylor (lead guitar, vocals), MK Nessler (vocals, guitar), and Matt Dressler (bass, harp). Matt and I team up on Bright Lights/Big City, with me taking the lead through most of the song. But the heart of the band is MK's vocals. (While you can hear her only on the CD, we get to practice with her every week!)

"Good for What Ails 'Ya" is available at the Different Strummer (part of the Old Town School), 4544 N. Lincoln Avenue for $15.
(For mail orders, see the product section on this site).

Got time during the day?

We've just had the first program in a series of Wednesday afternoon concerts at Oakton Community College. Susan and Luis Alban gave us a wonderful afternoon of music from the Andes. They'll soon be moving to Equador, where they met, to operate a bread-and-breakfast. For those who travel, this will be a wonderful destination:
they'll be in the cloud forest, and directly in the migration path of more than 500 species of birds.

The next concert will be on Wednesday, September 27th, at 3:30. Admission is $15. Interested? Let me know and I'll get you more info. skiplandt@sbcglobal.net.
(my site email is still dicey).

Patent Medicine will be playing at the Speakeasy Supper Club, 1401 W. Devon, on Thursday, August 24th. This is a nice place, great for hearing music. Cover charge: $7.

Today we had the final concert in our four-part blues series. Joe Filisko gave an amazing presentation on the history of the harmonica in American music. His program included Joe himself playing versions of pieces from the earliest recordings up to the greats in Chicago blues. His program was an outstanding conclusion to the Oakton blues series, which had also featured Chris Walz, Eric Noden, and Mark Dvorak.

Welcome back! Andy David (guitar) and Erik Sennet (bass) are again the informal band that plays for Harp Forever on Tuesday nights. Look for Andy in local coffee houses and other venues;
he's a songwriter who knows how to express feelings and ideas in songs that you won't forget.

And welcome to Stan Johnson, who is accompanying my Friday morning class. We're having a great time.

Again this term I'm using "Skips Tips" in each class most weeks to focus on some aspect of what we're doing, and suggestions on how to improve. I'm getting very good comments on it. I owe thanks to my friend and former student Wayne for getting me thinking in this direction.

The fourth session of 2006 classes at Old Town begin Monday, June 19th. On Tuesdays I'll have a Harp 1 at 6 p.m. and a Harp Forever at 8 p.m. There will also be a continuing harmonica class on Fridays at 10 a.m. The Harp Forever class will have, at minimum, a guitar player and bass player accompanying student solos -- it's like playing with a band behind you.

What fun! This summer both Fran and I are playing with the Hump-Night Thumpers jug band; she's playing kazoo and washboard, I'm playing harp, jug, and mandolin. Every month or so the band opens for Don't Spit the Water, a comedy gameshow review at the Playground Improv Theater. Check the calendar for the next date for this and other Thumper activiities.

Patent Medicine is again scheduled for our annual Labor Day weekend program in Harbert, Michigan, with the Outsider's Art Fair. That's always a blast. If you don't want to browse the art, you can sit just outside the fence and see us at no cost!

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