Harmonica Shah

Born Thaddeus Louis Hall, in Oakland, California, Shah also spent time in Somerville, Texas, with his blues harmonica and guitar playing grandfather, Sam Dawson.{{cite web |url=http://www.islandartsfoundation.org/harmonica-shaw.aspx |title=Harmonica Shah |author= |publisher=Islandartsfoundation.org |accessdate=October 16, 2010 }}{{Dead link|date=January 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} Dawson had recorded for both Alan Lomax and Duke Records. His mother, a beautician, encouraged him to be a salesman for Jet magazine in the latter part of the 1950s. This allowed Shah access to Oakland's bars and clubs, where he heard musicians such as Lowell Fulson, Jimmy McCracklin, Juke Boy Bonner and Big Mama Thornton.

Shah told Living Blues magazine that his grandfather's passion for the blues inspired him. "Well see I picked it up from him, he'd be out in the fields singin' all that (sings in a slow moan) 'Tell me how long, whoa, tell me how long it's been since you've been away from home' Well, that's raw! That's a big damn difference from 'Good Golly Miss Molly'".

He moved to Detroit in 1967, and worked for Ford Motors for fifteen years. Shah bought himself a cheap harmonica in 1976 and, while operating as a taxicab driver, Shah was introduced to local blues jam sessions. "Hell, that was it, no turning back then", Shah recalled.

Over the years, Shah has played alongside Bobo Jenkins, Eddie Kirkland, The Butler Twins and Willie D. Warren. His debut album, Motor City Mojo was released by Blue Suit Records in 2000. Deep Detroit the follow-up album features Detroit rock turned blues guitarist Howard Glazer.{{Cite web|title=Harmonica Shah ,Featuring Howard Glazer - Deep Detroit|url=https://www.discogs.com/Harmonica-Shah-Featuring-Howard-Glazer-Deep-Detroit/release/7274089|access-date=2020-12-20|website=Discogs|language=en}}

His 2006 album, Listen at Me Good, was recorded in Toronto, and included contributions from the Blues Music Award winners Mel Brown on guitar, and Willie "Big Eyes" Smith playing the drums, along with Julian Fauth on piano.{{cite web |url=http://www.electrofi.com/listen_good.htm|title=Harmonica Shah |author=Galloway, Andrew|publisher=Electrofi.com |accessdate=October 16, 2010}}

He has toured across the United States, as well as in Europe, Russia, Japan and Australia.{{cite web |url=http://www.bluessearchengine.com/bluesartists/s/harmonicashah.html |title=Harmonica Shah |author=|publisher=Bluessearchengine.com|accessdate=October 16, 2010}} Closer to his roots, Shah still occasionally performs for free at John's Carpet House in East Detroit.{{cite web |url=http://detnews.com/article/20090705/OPINION03/907050309/Video--John-s-Carpet-House-a-piece-of--Detroit-soul- |title=Video: John's Carpet House a piece of 'Detroit soul'|author=Aguilar, Louis|publisher=Detnews.com|accessdate=October 16, 2010}} He legally changed his birth name to Seward Shah.{{cite book

| first= Adrian

| last= Room

| year= 1997

| title= Dictionary of Pseudonyms: 13,000 Assumed Names and Their Origins

| edition= 5th

| publisher= McFarland & Company Inc.

| location= Jefferson, North Carolina

| isbn= 978-0-7864-4373-4

| page= 434}}

Shah's more recent release was the 2009 album, If All You Have Is a Hammer, on his current record label, Electro-Fi Records.{{cite web|url=http://www.electrofi.com/hammer.htm |title=If All You Have Is A Hammer |publisher=Electrofi.com |date= |accessdate=2014-01-26}}

• Motor City Mojo (2000) – Blue Suit Records #114
• Deep Detroit (2001) – South Side Records #4
• Tell It to Your Landlord (2003) – Electro-Fi Records#3373
• Listen at Me Good (2006) – Electro-Fi Records #3393
• If All You Have Is a Hammer (2009) – Electro-Fi Records #3413
• Live at the Cove (2011) – Electro-Fi Records #3422
• Havin' Nothin' Don't Bother Me (2013) – Electro-Fi Records #3436
• If You Live To Get Old, You Will Understand (2015) – Electro-Fi Records #3447{{cite web|author= |url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/harmonica-shah-mn0000665667/discography |title=Harmonica Shah | Discography |publisher=AllMusic |date= |accessdate=2014-01-26}}
• Ain't Gonna Worry About Tomorrow (2020) - Electro-Fi Records #3460{{cite web|url=https://musicbrainz.org/release/107dcc6a-fe01-4f48-ae7b-d81a6edbbd4e|title=Ain't Gonna Worry About Tomorrow|website=Musicbrainz.org|access-date=2021-03-20}}

• Hastings Street Grease Vol. 1 (1998) – Blue Suit Records
• Hastings Street Grease Vol. 2 (1999) – Blue Suit Records{{cite web|url=http://www.wirz.de/music/burnsfrm.htm|title=Harmonica Shah discography|publisher=Wirz.de|accessdate=2014-01-26}}

• List of Detroit blues musicians

{{Reflist}}

• [https://www.google.com/images?hl=en&biw=1436&bih=671&q=%22HARMONICA+SHAH%22&rlz=1R2RNTN_enGB358&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=univ&ei=oZ64TNL8MtO6jAeD35ypDg&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=7&ved=0CEIQsAQwBg Photographs of Harmonica Shah at Google.co.uk]
• [https://www.nme.com/artists/harmonica-shah Photographs and videos at NME.com]

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Category:1946 births

Category:Living people

Category:American blues harmonica players

Category:American blues singers

Category:American male singers

Category:Songwriters from California

Category:Harmonica blues musicians

Category:Electric blues musicians

Category:Singers from California

Category:Detroit blues musicians

Category:American male songwriters