Magic Dick
Encyclopedia
Richard "Magic Dick" Salwitz (born May 13, 1945 in New London
, Connecticut
) was the harmonica
player for The J. Geils Band. In addition to the harmonica, Salwitz plays the trumpet
(the first instrument he learned) and saxophone
. He attended Worcester Polytechnic Institute
in Worcester
, Massachusetts
, where he met John "J" Geils
and Danny Klein and became a founding member of The J. Geils Band in 1968.
Magic Dick's work on the six-minute jam "Detroit Breakdown" is a highlight of the J. Geils Band 1974 album Nightmares...and Other Tales from the Vinyl Jungle
.
On the track "You're the Only One" on the band's 1977 album Monkey Island
, Magic Dick is found "impersonating Stevie Wonder
at his most romantic" by one reviewer.
After the J. Geils Band parted ways in 1985, Salwitz spent time working on a harmonica design of his own, which he labelled the "Magic Harmonica", a co-invention with Pierre Beauregard.
In 1992, Salwitz re-united with his old friend and band mate J. Geils and formed the band Bluestime. Bluestime featured Steve Ramsey
on drums
, Jerry Miller
on guitar
, and Roy McCloud on bass. McCloud was later replaced by Michael "Mudcat" Ward, who played with the band for several years before leaving to pursue other interests. Ward was subsequently replaced by bassist John Turner. The band was a fusion of Chicago blues
and classic jazz
.
The band released two records on the Rounder Records
label:
Bluestime toured heavily up to at least 2002, as both a solo act and as part of B.B. King's Bluesfest. It is believed the band is currently on hiatus.
Magic Dick recently contributed his harmonica playing and some vocals as part of a live recording called "Command Performance" by the Legendary Rhythm & Blues Revue featuring The Tommy Castro Band
, Deanna Bogart
, Ronnie Baker Brooks, and others. He toured as part of the Legendary Rhythm & Blues Revue on different Blues Cruises, and again on land-based shows during 2007-2008.
New London, Connecticut
New London is a seaport city and a port of entry on the northeast coast of the United States.It is located at the mouth of the Thames River in New London County, southeastern Connecticut....
, Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
) was the harmonica
Harmonica
The harmonica, also called harp, French harp, blues harp, and mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used primarily in blues and American folk music, jazz, country, and rock and roll. It is played by blowing air into it or drawing air out by placing lips over individual holes or multiple holes...
player for The J. Geils Band. In addition to the harmonica, Salwitz plays the trumpet
Trumpet
The trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
(the first instrument he learned) and saxophone
Saxophone
The saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
. He attended Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Worcester Polytechnic Institute is a private university located in Worcester, Massachusetts, in the United States.Founded in 1865 in Worcester, WPI was one of the United States' first engineering and technology universities...
in Worcester
Worcester, Massachusetts
Worcester is a city and the county seat of Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. Named after Worcester, England, as of the 2010 Census the city's population is 181,045, making it the second largest city in New England after Boston....
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, where he met John "J" Geils
J. Geils
John Geils popularly known as J. Geils, is an American blues-rock lead guitarist, singer and founder of The J. Geils Band; he has also recorded with several jazz musicians. Born in New York, he grew up in Far Hills, New Jersey where he graduated from Bernards High School.Since 1982, Geils has...
and Danny Klein and became a founding member of The J. Geils Band in 1968.
In The J. Geils Band
Salwitz's harmonica playing became a major and distinctive element in the J. Geils Band's sound during their hard-rocking 1970s heyday. Critics have described his performance of "Whammer Jammer" on the J. Geils Band's live album Full House as proof of his remarkable harmonica skill. To this day, aspiring harmonica players the world over attempt to emulate that musically challenging performance which several harmonicists have cited as the inspiration that started their interest in the instrument.Magic Dick's work on the six-minute jam "Detroit Breakdown" is a highlight of the J. Geils Band 1974 album Nightmares...and Other Tales from the Vinyl Jungle
Nightmares...and Other Tales from the Vinyl Jungle
Nightmares...and Other Tales from the Vinyl Jungle is the sixth album by American rock band The J. Geils Band, released in 1974 .-Track listing:All songs written by Peter Wolf and Seth Justman, except as noted....
.
On the track "You're the Only One" on the band's 1977 album Monkey Island
Monkey Island (album)
Monkey Island is the ninth album by American rock band The J. Geils Band, released in 1977 . This was the only album that the J. Geils Band released under another name, i.e...
, Magic Dick is found "impersonating Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder
Stevland Hardaway Morris , better known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and activist...
at his most romantic" by one reviewer.
After the J. Geils Band parted ways in 1985, Salwitz spent time working on a harmonica design of his own, which he labelled the "Magic Harmonica", a co-invention with Pierre Beauregard.
Bluestime
Steve Ramsey
Steve Ramsey is a British guitarist who began his career with the British heavy metal band Satan in the early 1980s, releasing a single and an album, a second album under the band name Blind Fury, an EP and another album after changing the band name back to Satan and two more albums after renaming...
on drums
Drum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, Jerry Miller
Jerry Miller
Jerry Miller is an American songwriter, guitarist and vocalist. He performs as a solo artist and as a member of the Jerry Miller Band. He is also a founding member of the 1960s San Francisco band Moby Grape, which continues to perform occasionally...
on guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, and Roy McCloud on bass. McCloud was later replaced by Michael "Mudcat" Ward, who played with the band for several years before leaving to pursue other interests. Ward was subsequently replaced by bassist John Turner. The band was a fusion of Chicago blues
Chicago blues
The Chicago blues is a form of blues music that developed in Chicago, Illinois, by taking the basic acoustic guitar and harmonica-based Delta blues, making the harmonica louder with a microphone and an instrument amplifier, and adding electrically amplified guitar, amplified bass guitar, drums,...
and classic jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
.
The band released two records on the Rounder Records
Rounder Records
Rounder Records, originally of Cambridge, Massachusetts, but now based in Burlington, Massachusetts, is a record label founded in 1970 by Ken Irwin, Bill Nowlin and Marian Leighton-Levy, while all three were still university students...
label:
- Bluestime (1994)
- Little Car Blues (1996)
Bluestime toured heavily up to at least 2002, as both a solo act and as part of B.B. King's Bluesfest. It is believed the band is currently on hiatus.
Magic Dick recently contributed his harmonica playing and some vocals as part of a live recording called "Command Performance" by the Legendary Rhythm & Blues Revue featuring The Tommy Castro Band
Tommy Castro
Tommy Castro is an American blues, R&B and rock guitarist and singer. He has been recording since the mid 1990s. His music has taken him from local stages to national and international touring. His popularity was marked by his winning the 2008 Blues Music Award for Entertainer Of The Year...
, Deanna Bogart
Deanna Bogart
Deanna Bogart is an American blues singer, pianist, and saxophone player.She began her career in the Maryland-area with the ensemble Cowboy Jazz, and following that band's breakup in 1986, a stint playing with Root Boy Slim...
, Ronnie Baker Brooks, and others. He toured as part of the Legendary Rhythm & Blues Revue on different Blues Cruises, and again on land-based shows during 2007-2008.