Jeff “H” Harrington
Bass player of esteemed band the Blues Disciples . . .
Tell us a little about bands you’ve played with.
I’ve played with the Blue Rubies, Perry Weber and the DeVilles, and the Blues Disciples (also played a bit with some Cleveland blues artists when I lived there)
What do you do for fun when you are not playing?
Um, mostly more music, honestly 🙂 All day, every day!
Who are your biggest musical influences?
Hendrix, Dylan, The Meters, Stevie Wonder, Miles Davis, Snatam Kaur, and so many of the classic blues, r&b, jazz, and funk records.
Do you write songs? If so, where do you write? How do you find time to write? What’s your writing process like?
Yes, I write a fair amount. I never sit down to write though, sometimes inspiration just comes through and then I sit down and work out the idea. It used to take years sometimes to write a song, now they’re usually done in a few hours.
Describe Blues Disciples fans in 3 words.
Fun, genuine lovers of music, friendly
If you could change one thing about the music business, what would it be?
I think we’re in a time of transition now. I would just suggest that if you really love an artist, look for ways to support them – like and share their social media posts, buy their music, see them live, etc.
Tell us about one of your music teachers.
I took lessons from an incredible vocalist / bass player named Kevin Bibbs in the early 90’s, when we both lived in Madison. An incredible musician from the Chicago blues scene, who was also an incredible person – very inspiring.
What advice would you give to young musicians?
Music should be fun (most of the time). Try to remember that it’s a very powerful force in people’s lives. Try to be aware of when your ego enters the picture and messes things up.
What are the benefits of listening to music? Playing music?
I truly believe that music can be medicine. I think a sad song can really help you deal with feelings of sadness, just like a form of medicine. Too much though, and now the music is creating that sad feeling, instead of helping to release it. You can never have too much joyful music though.