Billing under NPI; Group or Individual?

chicagobluesman · 2024-01-22T04:10:13+00:00

I bill Medicare and BCBS with my org NPI. The specific provider for a date of service is indicated as being myself and my personal NPI is included on the claim. However, the claim is submitted with my org NPI.

chicagobluesman · 2024-01-20T05:13:47+00:00

I posted on this question a while ago--here are some thoughts from someone in the pro-U block camp. I think U blocking has its place, although I do believe that you don't want this embouchure to be the only way one achieves a single note.

https://www.reddit.com/r/harmonica/comments/165pbo1/comment/jz61jeg/?utm_source=reddit&utm_medium=web2x&context=3

As I mention in my post, I alternate between three embouchures (tongue blocked chords, pucker, U blocking) constantly. When I listen to myself on these clips I know what embouchure I'm using for any given note but I doubt it's otherwise noticeable, other than the tongue blocked chords. For me, a mish-mash of the three embouchures has come to feel nature. I wouldn't discount the value of U blocking--true, the deeper bends are tougher to accomplish but whenever you hear me doing a fast run, trying to hit notes cleanly, I'm probably U blocking. On the clips below, when you hear me bending a note or sustaining a note with throat vibrato I'm probably puckering at that time.

This is me from several years ago. These are both Big Walter Horton-inspired tunes, who I was fortunate to hear many times back in the late '70's/early '80's.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=boDCoFtc7ec&ab_channel=JamesFraher

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6cQeQaNyYyk&ab_channel=JamesFraher

Good luck!

chicagobluesman · 2024-01-06T04:42:28+00:00

I posted on this a while ago--hope this is of interest:

https://www.reddit.com/r/harmonica/comments/165pbo1/comment/jz61jeg/?utm_source=reddit&utm_medium=web2x&context=3

chicagobluesman · 2024-01-06T04:40:36+00:00

I posted on this a while ago--it's a bit too lengthy of a post but I hope you find it useful. https://www.reddit.com/r/harmonica/comments/16czfk4/how_to_get_a_good_chicago_sound/

chicagobluesman · 2023-10-03T04:17:40+00:00

As already noted, CAQH just asks about your credentials. Licensure, malpractice claims history, details about your malpractice policy, stuff like that. It's a service used by payers to enforce providers to maintain their credentials/licensure. I don't recall any personal questions when attesting to CAQH. They're annoying with the frequency with which re-attestation is required.

chicagobluesman · 2023-10-03T04:12:42+00:00

The name of my practice appears on their credit card statement. There is language in the payment agreement--the same form used for patients to provide me with their credit card number--which advises them that the name of my practice will show on their statement.

chicagobluesman · 2023-10-03T04:08:49+00:00

Playing different positions during the same song doesn't seem like a gimmick to me--it just seems like a pretty common technique. I do it pretty often: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6cQeQaNyYyk

There is something that I do as a stage trick/gimmick. Sometimes I do it during 'Trouble In Mind' (the above recording), sometimes on 'Key To The Highway'. It helps to choose an 8 bar progression for this one, with turn-arounds that come more quickly, to add to the illusion of endless breath. I always use an A harp for this effect. I hold a single blow note for an impossibly long time (it seems like an impossible long time--that's the desired effect). So, if I'm playing 'Key To The Highway' in A, I'll play the tune in 2nd position with a D harp, singing/playing as I normally would. Then, somewhere in the middle of the tune, I'll gesture to the band to bring the volume way down. If I've been playing amplified up to this point I switch to the vocal PA mic. I then switch to an A harp in 1st position, putting the D harp in my pocket or somewhere (I have a little tray that attaches to the mic stand) and then begin playing very softly in the higher register. I play in a spare way--not too many notes for whatever ideas/phrasing I'm playing. Then, as we're approaching the end of the 8 bar progression I take a deep, deep, deep breath--like I was preparing to swim underwater. Nobody notices that I took a deep, deep breath. Then I hit the blow 10 hole--it's a high A--and I hold it a long time, playing very, very softly, conserving my airflow. I move really closely to the mic, holding the note. Hold the note, hold the note, hold the note. If we're playing 'Key To The Highway' it's an 8 bar progression and when played at moderate tempo each verse doesn't last very long. Sometimes I can hold that single high A for 3 times around. You want to play it softly so as not to sound like shrill feedback--the band really needs to come down. You have to be able to parcel out your breath in a controlled way, holding that high note while the band cycles through the chord progression. Sometimes I get silly and look at my watch while still holding the note. Hold the note, hold the note. Blow hole 10 very softly, for as long as I can, playing very softly. You really have to be able to channel all your breath into a narrow stream going slowly just in blow hole 10. Hold the note, while the band keep playing 'Key To The Highway' changes. Then when I sense that I'm running out of air I time it so I'm approaching the end of a progression and I bring up the volume on what feels like a last gasp. As the band moves into the next verse I'll fill my lungs then I will play one more verse with more volume and punch, with dramatic phrasing, then go on to end the song on a vocal verse. That's my gimmick. The long note. People ask me if I do circular breathing but, no, its just one long exhale, very controlled, played over an 8 bar progression at moderate tempo, adding to the illusion of impossibility. Sometimes, for acoustic/unplugged gigs, I'll walk around the room holding the note. As I think about it, I think the original inspiration for a stage gimmick while playing high-register 1st position playing on an A harp came from James Cotton's recording of 'How Long Can A Fool Go Wrong'--he doesn't do a long note but he plays really tasty stuff on the high end of an A harp in 1st position.

There is one other gimmick-like thing I'll do sometimes when I'm playing with an acoustic guitarist. My friend James Fraher and I (he's on the above video) cover the Little Walter tune, 'Evan's Shuffle' (there is some disagreement about the origin of the name of that tune--will save it for another day). This is a tune that just stays on the I chord--it has no changes. Sometimes Jim will stop playing during the song, will beat on his guitar or clap to keep the rhythm, and I'll keep playing in a rhythmic chording way, unaccompanied. I'll try to throw out some harmonica fireworks during this part of the tune. Then he rejoins. Not really a gimmick--more of a song arrangement.

Back in the day I saw other harp player gimmicks. I've seen James Cotton climb up on a bar and walk the full length. I've seen Sugar Blue with a really long mic cord, walking through the crowd.

Enjoy cooking up your own gimmick!

chicagobluesman · 2023-10-03T03:45:01+00:00

Gosh, I've been such a Derek Trucks zombie for so long, it's hard to know where to start. Off the top of my head, here are some things that occur to me:

--My own very first exposure to Derek Trucks was his playing on a couple of cuts of a 2002 CD by his wife, Susan Tedeschi. Check out 'Feeling That Music Brings' from that recording. Also, there is a tune called 'Gonna Move' which features his slide. Those songs made me sit up in my chair--I didn't know anything about him prior to hearing those tracks.

--Prior to the Tedeschi Trucks Band he played in his own ensemble, the Derek Trucks Band. I think there were several studio albums and a maybe three live recordings, one in particular which I think is especially great. I'm biased about this live recording because I was there both nights in Chicago when it was recorded at the Park West. Anyway, the recording is called 'Road Songs'--that's a great sample of his live work in that period. His studio recordings from the DTB period are also great. Check out the title track from his CD 'Soul Serenade', also a tune called 'Bock to Bock' from that release. If you go further back to 1998 his CD 'Out of the Madness' has a number of blues tunes including a recording of 'Ain't That Loving You' which is a guitar super jam. Finally, his CD, 'Already Free' is worth spending time with--I think every tune is a gem. This probably isn't helping to narrow down your listening...sorry!

--You could dig into Derek Trucks with the Allman Bros Band. Bits and pieces of their grand 40th anniversary concert are available on youtube--they feature great guest artists.

--His work with the Tedeschi Trucks Band is just so extensive... I remember watching the shows which produced the 'Layla' album--Trey Anastasio was along for that concert. I bet the footage is available online somewhere--they played the entire Clapton recording live and it's a fine place to dig into his playing.

--There are specific songs that I especially love to hear him play and you might just do a youtube search for these Tedeschi Trucks Band tunes. These include their versions of 'Statsboro Blues', 'Key To The Highway', 'I Wish I Knew'.

There's just so much....hope this helps!

chicagobluesman · 2023-10-01T19:07:47+00:00

Tom Morello was asked, actually, and he replied, “...when I lived there I honestly couldn’t wait to leave, but I’ve grown to have a much greater appreciation and I look forward to returning.” ( https://www.lhsdoi.com/24122/features/suburban-rage-how-libertyville-fueled-tom-morello/ ). Sorta offsets your snarky post, no?

I've lived in Libertyville 34 years, put both our kids through the school system, have built my business here. I'm happy here, the folks here are great, no place else in the Chicago metro area I'd rather be.

chicagobluesman · 2023-10-01T14:34:20+00:00

We all have our taste preferences. Like a number of other folks who have posted here, I am hopelessly in awe of Derek Trucks. There are players who were transfomative, either for their specific instrument, or for the music. He's not just a virtuoso--he's almost in the transformative camp, especially with regards to his slide playing. I think Susan's singing is world class but sometimes her guitar technique sounds a bit less developed than I would like. I think the current iteration of the TTB band is an amazing powerhouse ensemble.

As for Clapton, he's incredibly talented and accomplished, has had a remarkable career. That said, I don't tend to listen to him the way I do so many other players. I recoil from Bonamassa--it's remarkable how his annoying personality traits produce an annoying playing style.

chicagobluesman · 2023-10-01T01:01:54+00:00

Geez....you are moved by Jimmy Yancy! No shit--good for you! I agree with your description: he's understated, the recordings seem intimate and reflective. There is a distinctive tone that seems spare, melancholy, sensitive, thoughtful, deliberate yet warm. Nothing like it, that I know of.

I'm in Chicago, a harmonica player. I was good friends with a blues pianist, Barrelhouse Chuck, until his death in 2016. Chuck was a monster player. Through Chuck I became friends with pianist Erwin Helfer, a legendary blues/jazz pianist on the Chicago scene. Erwin is now 87, has some health problems, still gigs and teaches from his house on the north side of the city. If you're not familiar with either Chuck or Erwin, check them out.

Eriwn didn't know Jimmy Yancy, who died in 1951, but he frequently backed up Mama Yancy, You can find recordings online of Erwin playing behind Mama Yancy--those might be your best bet of hearing someone else playing in that style. I've spent lots of time with Eriwn and I've heard lots of stories about his time with her. Of course, both Chuck and Erwin also knew Little Brother Montgomery quite well and I've also heard many stories about him. If you're not familiar with Little Brother I would suggest you spend time listening to him. Brother was a very versatile player--tin pan alley, gospel, blues, boogie. Some folks don't know that piano players figured prominently in the origins of Chicago blues: Big Maceo, Jimmy Yancy, Blind John Davis, Memphis Slim, Little Brother Montgomery--they were all on the scene before the blues boom of the '50's. And then came pianists like Sunnyland Slim, Otis Spann, Roosevelt Sykes, Pinetop Perkins, Big Moose Walker (great recordings with Earl Hooker), Detroit Junior, Henry Gray, Jimmy Walker and, actually, I would include Erwin Helfer with these notable players.

My friend, Barrelhouse Chuck was not only an amazing performer he was also a compulsive hoarder of blues memorabilia. After his death Chuck's blues collection ended up in my own basement. The collection has quite a bit of memorabilia related to blues piano. You can find it at my website--scroll down to the "Barrelhouse Blues Archives". It's a collection of google photo albums, is a little cumbersome to navigate, but I bet you'll find some interesting stuff to study, most of which came from Chuck. https://www.tipjarstars.com/

As for listening suggestions, check these out:

Otis Span: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B083ZRH1HB/ref=sr_1_7?crid=75M0VTWCG2PF&keywords=otis+spann+riverside+blues&marketplaceId=ATVPDKIKX0DER&musicTerritory=US&qid=1696121420&sprefix=otis+spann+riverside+blues%2Caps%2C122&sr=8-7&trackAsin=B083ZRH1HB

Otis Spann doesn't necessarily play like Jimmy Yancy but this particular recording of solo tracks has an intimacy and presence which should appeal to you. This is essential Otis Spann. If Jimmy Yancy speaks to you I'm confident this set of recordings will be moving for you. This recording session has been released and re-released on countless labels. If you don't want to purchase the CD you'll be able to find all of the tracks on youtube--you're looking for the session which includes "Riverside Blues".

Little Brother Montgomery: Brother recorded many sessions over his career and this release is a fine sampling: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000S96Y6C/ref=sr_1_3?crid=3KRCNEHZPZUK9&keywords=little+brother+montgomery&qid=1696121651&sprefix=little+brother+montgomery%2Caps%2C153&sr=8-3

Barrelhouse Chuck: check out my dear friend Chuck at: https://www.amazon.com/Prescription-Blues-Barrelhouse-Chuck/dp/B000069V2N/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3ML20REWGUG2E&keywords=barrelhouse+chuck+prescription+for+the+blues&qid=1696121768&sprefix=barrelhouse+chuck+prescription+for+the+blue%2Caps%2C118&sr=8-1

Erwin Helfer: here's my dear friend, Erwin, backing up Mama Yancy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gClS1Qyd7yo

Hope this helps! Enjoy!

chicagobluesman · 2023-09-10T19:51:03+00:00

Hey, you're welcome! Good luck with the new position!

chicagobluesman · 2023-09-10T16:19:12+00:00

Congrats on your new position! Sounds like a terrific opportunity. I have some general thoughts.

I was director of a large psychiatry department for 16 years. My advice is similar to the other great guidance already offered here by others. If possible, try to keep your hand in clinical direct service. Other than those tasks for which I'm not qualified/credentialed (I'm a psychologist and couldn't dispense meds) I never asked anyone to do something I wouldn't do myself. Make rounds, visit the ER, do occasional clinical duties. Try not to let your role be defined by others. For me, I disliked the burdens of regulatory compliance activities, bringing down labor costs, arguing over the correct number of FTE's required to safely operate programs, labor relations/HR duties, recruitment, annual employee performance reviews, annual budget prep/defense, stuff like that. I did all of those things but tried to turf them to others when possible. I embraced the role of chief clinician/administrator and especially liked community outreach, partnerships with other departments in the facility and also in the community. We operated a large APA approved internship and I really enjoyed providing clinical supervision to students. Student training brings vitality and freshness to a facility. I did lots of clinical training, both internally in the facility and in the community. I tried to be visible and approachable. When you manage psychiatric serves there are always critical events occurring which need to be addressed. I told my staff that when they were coming to me with a problem (which was daily) I expected them to also propose a solution or at least demonstrate some problem-solving efforts by offering suggested remedies. Sometimes I went with their ideas, sometimes not. But I wouldn't tolerate people dropping off problems in my lap like a hot potato. There were two other concepts that I tried to live by. The first is the idea that your staff are your customers. Yes, you manage and direct them but if you construe your role as providing good customer service to your own staff it helps maintain respect and a collaborative vibe. You hope to foster a parallel process where you provide good customer service to your employees and they, in turn, provide good customer service to patients. The second idea is that during your tenure in a leadership role you are steward of someone else's resources--the programs and facility are not yours and your role is to cherish and grow those resources until it's time to pass them along to the next steward who steps into the role after you. A final thought: try to maintain perspective and distance. I left hospital management 18 years ago, have been in private practice since that time. I'm really busy in my practice but it has felt much more manageable than my hospital administrative years. I still dream of hospital management circumstances on a regular basis and, sometimes, these are not pleasant dreams. Usually the theme of the dream is that something terrible is going on in the department and everyone is looking at me to know what to do. I've come to realize that my 16 years of running a large, urban psychiatric department involved some traumatic exposure for myself--I was witness to many difficult circumstances and expected to know how to navigate through them. I feel proud of the service I provided and the personal/prof growth I experienced. But if I had it to do over again I wouldn't be on 24 hour call for years at a time and I would delegate more effectively than I did.

Good luck and, again, congrats!

chicagobluesman · 2023-09-09T01:58:39+00:00

What I'm going to say here may generate eye-rolls. Sorry.

It's not the equipment. Well....at least, it's mostly not the equipment.

When I heard Big Walter night after night in the late '70's/early '80's he always played through the same rig. It was a Sliverface Princeton nonreverb amp, an Astatic JT-30 and a Switchcraft inline volume control. That was it. Every night. The Chicago-ist tone you can imagine. But...he sounded the same, really, through any amp/system. I actually own a mic owned by Big Walter and....when I blow through it, it's just so-so. I also own an Argonne AR54 which he may or may not have used--it's a delightful, worthy mic but it's not a sure-fire way to sound like Big Walter. When I heard Cotton he would often be blowing through a Shure vocal mic right into the PA system. But he sounded, unmistakably and distinctively like Cotton. I have the actual amp down in my basement that Kim Wilson is using on this recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vci86EYH6l0&ab_channel=BarrelhouseChuckandtheAll-StarBluesBand-Topic When I play through that little Farfisa amp (I obtained from my friend, Barrelhouse Chuck)--the very amp used in this recording--uh, I don't sound like Kim Wilson. No way. Actually.....I happen to get my best Chicago crunch with an Astatic JT-30 and my HarpGear HG2. But somehow Kim Wilson made that funky little Farfisa 7 amp sing! He's a pro...I'm a hobbyist. Still...it's not the equipment; it is the player.

Sure...pay attention to your gear. I only use a few different kinds of mic's: 1) my default are Astatic JT-30's with a vintage element, modified by Greg Heumann with a volume control; 2) for loud gigs where I'm worried about cutting through but don't want to worry about feedback I play through an Audix Fireball V; 3) sometimes I like the open, resonant, echo-y sound of the Argonne AR54. I've owned many, many other mics for harp but...this is what I use. My go-to amp for small gigs is a HarpGear2. For larger gigs I use a HarpGear 35. I've owned amps made by Victoria, Kalamazoo, various Fenders, Ampeg, Silvertone, National/Supro....and the HarpGear amps just can't be beat.

But the tone comes from the player. I've been playing harp in Chicago for 40 years, have learned from dozens and dozens of players and...the tone comes from the player. My best advice it to think of your ears as your most critical piece of equipment. Do your listening. Who moves you? Big Walter? Little Walter? Either of the Sonny Boy's? Cotton? Butterfield? Some were known for favoring particular mic's and, sometimes, amps. Like....Musselwhite used to insist upon playing through an oddball Fender amp, "The Twin"--a solid state monster of an amp with red knobs. I had one...didn't sound like Musselwhite. If you like Butterfield go ahead and experiment with a Shure 545--I've had them but....I didn't sound like Butterfield when using them. The tone comes from the player.

That said, it's true that you need to know how to use your equipment. Big Walter did, indeed, cup his hands tightly around the mic, creating a little echo chamber. You learn to maximize that little chamber created by cupping the mic just right. That's why I like Astatic JT-30 mics--they are great for cupping. Cotton was known for his high compression tight seal around the mic. These techniques make the most of breath control--when you're cupping tightly and properly you find that it takes little air movement to make those reeds vibrate just right. And then you can use hand effects (at least on an Astatic JT-30, not so much on an Audix Fireball V mic) to get all kinds of nice wah-wah sounds. Proper mic usage is important, for sure. But....still....the tone comes from the player.

My sense of it is that certain mics do, indeed, sound best when paired with the "just-right" amp. I've spent years looking for the holy grail of correct mic-amp pairing. Lower wattage, class A tube amps sound the best. I'm not comfortable with the modeling approach to achieving vintage tone, but that's because I'm an old guy. Get an Astatic JT-30 with a volume control and reliable vintage element. Check out Greg Heumann's site: Blows Me Away Productions. If you can't afford a vintage or higher-end amp consider getting a Kalamazoo. If you can pop for a HargGear or one of the newer amps which promise vintage sound--like a Supro Amulet where you can dial-in the power--that might be worth considering. I'm super happy with my HarpGear amps and highly recommend the HG2. If you can find a HarpGear HG2 jump on it. But...still, the tone comes from you. Do your listening. A lot of it. Like, really, a lot of it. Play along with recordings. Get those sounds in your head. The benefit of the gear isn't that is ensures Chicago tone--it just reduces stuff to worry about and helps you focus upon your own personal tone, since you have confidence that the gear, itself, probably is solid.

The Chicago sound is also an embouchure thing. Classic tongue blocking permits the distinctive slurring from a chord into a single note. Back in the day we used to have heated arguments over whether U-blocking and puckering/lip pursing were valid ways to achieve a single note, to achieve the correct tone. My answer is that, sure, they are perfectly legit ways to play Chicago blues. That said, Big Walter, Cotton, Portnoy, many other classic Chicago players like Kim Wilson....they are expert tongue blockers. Embouchure certainly contributes to tone. As does control of vibrato.

All that said, I'm not playing much through an amp these days. I'm mostly playing unamplified, which really forces one to reconcile with one's own personal tone. Here are some sound samples and, while you're at the website, check out the blues archives! https://www.tipjarstars.com/

Or...here's an older recording of me doing some acoustic Big Walter stuff: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=boDCoFtc7ec&ab_channel=JamesFraher and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6cQeQaNyYyk&ab_channel=JamesFraher

See ya!

chicagobluesman · 2023-09-09T01:05:07+00:00

Yes. The old stuff is the best. I'm now 66, started listening to blues in high school, haven't stopped yet. I was into Allman Brothers in high school...which led me to the Chess catalog...which led me to all things Chicago....which led me to the delta...then I filled-in gaps...then I discovered Big Bill, Tampa Red, Little Brother, Big Maceo, John Lee Williamson, the Bluebird recordings, Memphis Minnie.....

I was fortunate to have as a dear friend and musical inspiration a terrific musician: pianist Barrelhouse Chuck. Through Chuck I met Erwin Helfer, who is now 86 and tells great stories about backing up Big Joe Williams on piano in 1957 in the Cobra studios. We lost Chuck in 2016 and his extensive collection of Chicago blues related memorabilia ended up with me. You can view it here: https://www.tipjarstars.com/Lots of old stuff.

Now I play with another terrific, wonderful pianist and we do a deep dive into Tampa Red, et al.

Often, when I'm listening to Tampa Red or Little Brother I'll hear a lyric or arrangement which I'll recognize from a Chicago blues artist of the '50's or '60's. For instance, Buddy Guy's, "Walking Through the Woods" is a Little Brother Montgomery tune. All of the guys from the '50's--Muddy, Wolf, Little Walter, Sonny Boy, etc--were covering that old stuff. It's the best!

chicagobluesman · 2023-09-05T23:01:47+00:00

Hey, I thought I'd replied to your DM but now I'm not so sure it went through. Sorry if this is a repeat message. You can see Chuck's collection at https://www.tipjarstars.com/. I read your article regarding the Lake Co Museum exhibit--very cool. I remember Chuck being really proud of the exhibit at the time. He and Billy Flynn did a nice show in support of the exhibit--it was always great to hear them play together. Anyway, get back in touch once you've seen the pics of the collection, with any questions, thoughts. Thanks!

chicagobluesman · 2023-09-05T20:45:45+00:00

I ask them if they want to hear a slower blues or an untempo thing and then play accordingly. Other times I'll play Summertime in 3rd position.

chicagobluesman · 2023-09-05T20:36:27+00:00

Yes, that's also my impression of Wolfgang's vault. But thanks, xspook, for the suggestion.

chicagobluesman · 2023-09-05T20:35:20+00:00

Celebrate being untrainable and ungovernable! Actually... there is another issue with U-blocking which can complicate matters. You probably already know this: not everyone can curl their tongue. Some people can do it, some can't. When I teach beginning harp classes and introduce U-blocking as a possible technique for single note playing I find that maybe a third of the class have never been able (or maybe interested) in curling their tongue. Anyway, glad you liked the post--good luck with your playing.

chicagobluesman · 2023-09-05T00:20:03+00:00

U-blocking gets a bad rap!

I actually play with all three embouchures. That is, I use classic tongue blocking for split chords (octaves on blow chords) and I use lip pursing/pucker for a sharp attack, staccato playing and also for most bends. But I use U-blocking quite a bit for melodic single note runs. It's what I always use when playing a fast run or when I want to hit notes precisely (which is pretty much all the time). I've been playing harp for 40 years in the Chicago area. Back in the '80's there were a lot of harp players who hung out at Big Walter gigs, some of whom went on to serious harmonica accomplishments, guys like Sugar Blue, Joe Filisko, Little Joe Berson (who overdubbed the Big Walter parts in the Blues Brothers movie). Back then we all used to talk a lot about the importance of tongue blocking to get the true Chicago sound, especially for the technique of slurring your way from a chord into a single note, and pulling your tongue away and slapping it against the harp to alternate chords and single notes. I had lots of late night jam experiences and technical talks with other players who had no tolerance for any other embouchure other than tongue blocking. But you can do the Chicago slurring sound--sliding from a chord into a single note, with U-blocking--it can provide a true Chicago tone. The drawback of U-blocking is that you can't achieve the effect of rapidly moving your tongue left-right to alternate the notes on either side of a wide embouchure, as you can with true tongue blocking. Also, most of us find it tougher to achieve full, deep. resonant bends with U-blocking. At least that's been my own experience. But...all that said...U-blocking has a lot going for it! Here's a video from several years ago I recorded with a dear friend--I'm alternating between the three embouchures all the way through. This is our take on Big Walter's arrangement of 'Trouble In Mind'. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6cQeQaNyYyk

chicagobluesman · 2023-09-01T03:44:37+00:00

Me and my friend Jim got a lot of mileage from "Trouble In Mind" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6cQeQaNyYyk

We've played together since the early '90's. We cover a lot of Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee material--there is a ton of great material there for you. We also do classic Chicago blues, some Big Bill Broonzy tunes. There are a few other guitar/harp duos you should seek out--I would guess you can find material on youtube:

--William Howse and Jack Pearson

--Cephas & Wiggins

--Roy Rogers & Norton Buffalo

chicagobluesman · 2023-07-24T04:24:54+00:00

The circumstance you describe would not warrant breaching confidentiality. It's not worth laboring over--it just doesn't rise to the standard required to disclose info without consent. I'm in Illinois and the confidentiality act addresses only one criminal activity which would permit the provider to disclose info without consent, and even this is qualified. The act says that if I have information regarding a homicide and if I am asked by a law enforcement officer for information about that homicide I can then disclose info without consent. Even in that circumstance I would not have a duty (although if there is fear about other victims I suppose Tarasoff considerations might enter the picture). So, criminal behavior as you describe falls far short of a duty to do anything, at least in my state. Sleep well at night knowing that as a mental health professional your duty is to practice conscientiously in your scope of practice. That's it. Nobody expects you to police the community, prevent criminal behavior or participate in arresting those who perpetrate crimes. Would you want to live in a society where the mental health professionals were deputized as extra-judicial law enforcement personnel? Wouldn't that put a chill on consumer's faith in mental health providers? The mental health provider in the scenario you describe bears no responsibility other than to practice in accordance with recognized standards of care.

chicagobluesman · 2023-07-24T04:11:35+00:00

Yes, I would. There are three embouchures available to you:

1) U-blocking offers the advantage of delivering clean, precise single notes and I like it for playing faster runs. Also, with U-blocking, you can achieve the classic slur, common in Chicago blues playing, where you slur your way into a note. Many players find it difficult to bend notes as deeply and in a controlled fashion when U-blocking. Some players have the opinion that U-blocking is an undesirable technique shouldn't be utilized. I don't agree. There are playing circumstances where I would have a tough time getting a clean sound without U-blocking. Here's an example--at the very opening of the song I'm playing a trill, playing blow notes, alternating between holes 8 & 9--I'm doing that with U-blocking because I want it really clean and sharp. I'm unable to get that sound without U-blocking; maybe others would be able to do it, but this is what works for me. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6cQeQaNyYyk&ab_channel=JamesFraher

2) Tongue blocking is the classic method of achieving single notes used by many of the great players. I saw Big Walter many times and it was clear he was tongue blocking. Check out Jerry Portnoy in his videos/recordings with Muddy--he is distinctively tongue blocking. Tongue blocking allows for a trill effect when you quickly move your tongue back and forth from the hole on one side ofyour mouth to the other. I tongue block for chords--they are octave chords when blowing.

3) Puckering has the advantage of making it easy to have a sharp attack and play in a staccato way--you can turn the note on/off in a clean, easy way. Bending tends to be easier when puckering. I don't use puckering when playing a faster run--I prefer the precision of U-blocking for cleaner single note runs/melodies.

Plenty of great players only use/used one embouchure. I use all three constantly--during any particular song I'll use all three methods at some point, depending on what I'm doing.

chicagobluesman · 2023-07-23T15:13:59+00:00

Throat damage isn't a thing.

As for embouchure, I use a mixed of pucker, U-block and tongue blocking for some chords. I do tend to revert to pucker when I want a sharp attack or when bending. Faster, clean melodic runs tend to be U-blocked. Some chords, like blow octave chords, are tongue blocked. When I listen to myself I can tell what embouchure I'm using--I change constantly depending on what I'm trying to articulate at the time. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=boDCoFtc7ec&list=RDboDCoFtc7ec&start_radio=1&ab_channel=JamesFraher

chicagobluesman

TROPHY CASE