Harmonica for concert
Harmonica player Neil Billington is the Stationhouse Social Club’s guest musician at its monthly Dinner and Live Music night at the O¯ taki Railway Hotel tomorrow.
The live music is provided by Andrew and Kirsten London and The Salty Hearts and there is always an invited special guest.
The night’s two-course meal is provided by Grub’s Up and caters to all tastes.
Live music starts around 6.30pm with a set by the husband and wife duo featuring swingy, jazzy originals and hits from throughout the 20th century.
As dinner is being brought out to the buffet tables, The Salty Hearts, comprising Greg Sayer, Dave Allen, Richard Guerin and Anje Glindemann, take the stage, playing a country/bluesy twisted mixture of 70s and 80s songs and a few of Greg’s originals.
There is a short break before Billington takes to the stage for a 30-minute set.
“Neil Billington is New Zealand’s foremost harmonica exponent,” Anje said.
“He excels on both the standard diatonic blues harp popularised by legends like Sonny Terry, Sonny Boy Williamson, Little Walter and our own Midge Marsden, and is also proficient on the more rare and difficult chromatic harmonica favoured by Stevie Wonder, Larry Adler, Max Geldray of Goon Show fame, and the jazz master Toots Thielemans.
From playing around the jazz and blues scene in Wellington for many years, sitting in with whomever he could, Neil toured extensively with Andrew London and Terry Crayford in Hot Club Sandwich in the early 2000s, playing festivals all over New Zealand, and also in Australia, Norfolk Island and the Middle East.
“He subsequently began to feature at blues and jazz festivals with his own bands, and with other collaborations including a series of tours with acoustic blues guitarist Mike Garner.
“The duo made several trips to Japan, playing clubs and festivals, at one of which Neil was invited to sit in with the legendary American guitarist Sonny Landreth.”
At the end of the evening all the musicians take back to the stage for what has been termed ‘The Big Ugly’ and play a few well known uptempo hits to send everyone off at around 9pm.
“This is usually a bit riotous and and unruly and a whole lot of unrehearsed fun.”
Tickets: $45 from Otaki ¯ Travel or email andrewlondon11@gmail.com for account details.
No door sales or holds.