S3 E9 ROGER SMITH Harmonica Teacher and Player for The Bluescasters

Roger Smith is a South Australian harmonica player who has been playing with his Blues/Rock band The Bluescasters for the past 16 years. Roger began his musical journey playing the djembe in a world music band called 'Fuego' with his good friend Glen Reynolds. Roger has always loved the blues and was really interested in learning how to play the harmonica, so he eventually decided to go and have some lessons at WEA with John Hastwell. A few years later he heard about an eclectic jam session that was happening at Bookends Bookshop on Unley Road which he began to attend on a regular basis, and this is where he first met The Bluescasters vocalist/guitarist Tony Pettas. Roger grew tired of having to travel to Unley and the other jams that he was attending every week so he decided to start his own jam which he did at the Blackwood RSL. Roger ran this weekly jam for 6 years and it was during this period that he began to regularly jam with the other musicians who he would end up forming the blues/rock band 'The Bluescasters' with. 'The Bluescasters' had the first gig at The Old Clarendon Winery, and due to their popularity, regularly played there on a Sunday afternoon until the winery closed. Roger's love of the blues also led to him starting the Port Noarlunga Blues Festival with a friend in 2017, and he is also a former Adelaide Roots and Blues Association (ARBA) committee member. 

If you are interested in having harmonica lessons with Roger you can contact him via phone on 0411 702 845 or email [e-mail]

Music: intro "Band It About" theme song, written and recorded for the BAND IT ABOUT - Podcast Series by Catherine Lambert and Michael Bryant. 

Outro: The Bluescasters performing the Jimi Hendrix version of "Come On" (often called "Let the Good Times Roll") which was written by New Orleans rhythm and blues artist Earl King. The song's lyrics are based on "Let the Good Times Roll", the 1946 jump blues hit by Louis Jordan and his Tympany Five.

Links: all of the BAND IT ABOUT - Podcast Series links can be located here: https://linktr.ee/banditaboutpodcastseries 

The Bluescasters: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063855918479

https://portnoarlungabluesfestival.com.au/ https://www.arba.net.au/ 

Thanks for listening. Di Spillane BAND IT ABOUT - Podcast Series Host/Creator.

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