Carlos del Junco first picked up a harmonica in 1972 and got a taste of playing in front of a live audience at a student talent night, jamming on a couple Leadbelly tunes with his high school math teacher. While his first interests were definitely rooted in the blues, studying players like Paul Butterfield, Little Walter, James Cotton, he was also attracted to more progressive players like Lee Oskar and perhaps one of the most unsung heroes in his mind, David Burgin. Eventually after 15 years of playing, Carlos studied with Howard Levy for 4 years in a row when at Augusta Heritage Centre in West Virginia for the Blues and Swing week back in the late 1980’s. He also received a grant to study with Levy privately for 2 months in 1995.
His first love has always been blues. To sum up his playing “style” as a “harmonica voice”, he would describe it as a marriage between early David Burgin and Howard Levy: a blues attitude with a jazzy sensibility. So, definitely a more progressive voice. His 7 full band recordings to date delve into all types of “roots music” which encompasses many styles of blues, jazz, New Orleans second line grooves, Latin, Ska, folk, “world music”.
Carlos has over 30 years experience teaching both private and group music lessons, including workshops and master classes throughout Canada, Europe and the U.S. and online sessions worldwide.
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