Phil Wiggins is a versatile harmonica player, continuing the Piedmont blues tradition, a gentle and melodic blues style of the mid-Atlantic region. He plays the diatonic ten-hole harmonica in the country blues style, cupping both hands around the instrument and playing acoustically. His sound is not shaped by the microphone or amplifier when performing, but instead by his complex syncopated patterns, breath control and rhythm, stylistic virtuosity, and fiery solo runs.
With Cephas as guitarist and primary singer, the duo performed together for 32 years as internationally renowned stars of the country blues, and a staple on blues radio, ever present on the concert and festival circuit. They recorded more than a dozen critically acclaimed albums, on noted labels such as Flying Fish and Alligator Records, winning the prestigious W.
They even performed at the White House with B. Last month, to our great sorrow, we lost a great Blues musician National Heritage Fellow and harmonica master Phil Wiggins. Since the loss of Phil is still so fresh, and June is Black Music Month, we thought it fitting to take this time to remember Phil Wiggins and his brilliant musicality.
Well, as you just heard, Phil Wiggins was one the best blues harmonica-players out there. He produced a rich sound with amazing dexterity—moving from a rounded melody to a scorching solo in a moment. After Ellis retired, Cephas and Wiggins began performing and recording together on their own. Audiences and critics alike took notice. He started an acoustic string band called the Chesapeake Sheiks; a group that plays swing, roots, and of course blues — both Piedmont and Delta.
Phil Wiggins: Piedmont blues, which I'm associated with mainly because of my partner that I played with for 35 years, John Cephas, he was a Piedmont-style player, and that style is defined by the technique that's used on the guitar. It's country blues, and what distinguishes Piedmont style is that on the guitar he would pick out a melody line on the treble strings with his fingers and pick out an alternating bass line at the same time with his thumb.
