MUSIC

The Bugle Boy in collaboration with the Houston Blues Museum presents a free harmonica workshop and screening of the film "A Pocket Full of Soul". Steven Krase will be performing and teaching the workshop. 

Pocket Full of Soul is a comprehensive exploration of the culture, the players, the politics, and of course the music associated with the only instrument where one must breathe naturally to produce sound. This simple act, breathing through the harmonica, forms an undeniable connection between the player and the instrument as it captures the body and spirit of each individual musician that puts it to their mouth. It's truly a universal phenomenon and the sound, well, it's undeniable.

Every musician embarks on a journey, and as Pocket Full of Soul was coming together, there was a realization that a vast majority of these journeys have involved the harmonica to some extent. Sure the harmonica is a pure and simple staple of the blues and rock, but also a constant in big-band, be-bop, polka, Classical, and Jazz. For those that made it "their" instrument, the journeys, more like odysseys, took these respective musicians deep inside the instrument. They would discover the power, the mystery, and musicality of the instrument, once considered a toy, as only those who truly embrace it and make it a part of their life can understand. Through interviews, instruction and candid discussion laced with pure passion and a seemingly dire need to play the harp, Pocket Full of Soul provides a raw and unvarnished look at the instrument's rich subculture and its subsequent ubiquity.

The documentary has received numerous awards included in the Houston International Film Festival, Austin Film Festival, Tucson Music & Film Festival, and the Maui International Film Festival.

About Steve Krase and the Harmonica Workshop:

Steve Krase has been playing the harmonica for almost 40 years and professionally for the past 20. Prior to forming “Steve Krase & the In Crowd” in 2004 to participate in the International Blues Challenge he was a 10 year member of the late Jerry Lightfoot’s band, “The Essentials”. Steve has a unique style of playing that focuses on power and dynamics.

After the viewing of “Pocket Full of Soul” Steve will host a workshop for beginner and novice harmonica players that are interested in improving their technique and or their live performance. The event is co-hosted by the non-profit Houston Blues Museum and they will be providing harmonicas to the first 30 arrivals if they do not have their own. Harmonica players are encouraged to bring their own instrument (key of C) if they want to also actively participate in the workshop.