David Barrett (musician)


David Barrett is an American blues harmonica player, author and teacher.

Early years

Barrett started playing the harmonica at age fourteen. At age sixteen Gary Smith took Barrett as a private student. Smith also introduced Barrett to the local blues jam scene and even invited him to participate is some of the local harmonica blowouts. At age eighteen Barrett was studying music theory in college and started teaching private harmonica lessons at local music stores and institutes in the California Bay Area. Since 2002 he has been teaching at his own School of the Blues in San Jose.

Author

Barrett has authored a number of harmonica instructional books with Mel Bay Publications. He also runs a website, BluesHarmonica.com that teaches harmonica and is the founder and head instructor of Harmonica Masterclass Workshops.
Barrett also teaches, judges and performs at events around the world, such as Hohner’s World Harmonica Festival and Steve Baker’s Harmonica Masters Workshop in Trossingen, Germany.

Private lessons

Since age eighteen Barrett has been teaching blues harmonica lessons. In 2002 Barrett founded School of the Blues in San Jose, California—the first school for the specific study of blues music. Its instructors teach private lessons and workshops as well as fly-in lessons. Barrett teaches on average fifty private students a month.
Barrett is also active in working with local hospitals, teaching his Harmonica for Fun & Health classes to people with COPD, asthma and heart disease. David, in conjunction with Dr. Dennis Bucko, developed a harmonica based pulmonary therapy program and book/CD designed to help people with respiratory problems

Performing and recording artist

Barrett is a Grammy Nominated blues harmonica player and performs regularly in the California Bay Area and abroad. Recently he played as a featured artist in Mark Hummel's Blues Harmonica Blowouts, alongside James Cotton, Charlie Musselwhite, Kim Wilson, and Mark Hummel. Barrett has recorded three albums, Serious Fun, We Are The Blues and History of the Blues Harmonica Concert. He has also released It Takes Three, a project with Gary Smith and Aki Kumar.

Musical associates

Barrett has worked or played alongside the following musicians: Charlie Musselwhite, Mark Hummel, Lee Oskar, Rod Piazza, James Cotton, Billy Boy Arnold, Jason Ricci, Paul deLay, Jerry Portnoy, Gary Primich, Howard Levy, Magic Dick, John Mayall, Annie Raines, Paul Oscher, Sam Myers, Snooky Pryor, Rob Paparozzi, Carlos del Junco, Lazy Lester, Kim Wilson, Dennis Gruenling, Junior Watson, and Nick Moss.

Discography

As bandleader