The chances of a Cuban-born, Toronto-raised kid growing up to win the Hohner's World Harmonica Championship (in both the blues and jazz categories), in the process virtually redefining the limits of the diatonic harmonica, may be slim indeed. But Carlos Del Junco isn't about to let either expectations or limitations get in his way.

Carlos, who moved to Canada at age one, remembers picking up the harmonica in grade nine while attending Toronto's Jarvis Collegiate. "My friend played guitar and rack harmonica," he recalls, "and hearing that first bent note just did it for me. I bought my first harmonica soon after that."

His first blues album, Paul Butterfield's classic self-titled debut, had a profound effect on his early development, and to this day Butter remains one of his favourites. "I love that horn-like sound he was getting, even back then," says Carlos. Not one to restrict his listening to the rigid confines of standard twelve-bar progressions, Carlos soon discovered the work of Lee Oskar (late of War, and now the designer of one of the world's most popular harmonicas), citing his "big, wide, slow vibrato" as a seminal influence on his own sound.

But one can't merely forge ahead with establishing a strong foundation, and Carlos has definitely done his homework, working his way backwards to fully explore the likes of Little Walter, Sonny Boy Williamson, et al. Yet while he'll gladly listen to "any harmonica," he admits that most pre-war blues doesn't really hold his interest, nor does very much contemporary playing of the 'traditional' variety. Apart from Kim Wilson, whose tone and phrasing he admires, and the late William Clarke, who incorporated a great deal of jazzy virtuosity into his blues, there aren't too many blues blowers out there today that he spends much time with.

Given his technical mastery of the instrument, it should come as no surprise that Carlos would soon find himself seeking to expand its capabilities, and his curiosity, funded by a Canada Council Grant, eventually led him to study with American Howard Levy, the 'inventor' of a technique called overblowing. Without getting too technical, it "fills in" the notes missing from the diatonic ten-hole harmonica, in effect allowing players to employ the full twelve-note chromatic scale. Carlos prefers to use this approach rather than simply playing the bulkier chromatic instrument, as he's able to get a more soulful, less metallic tone. And those extra notes, with the broader tonal palette they provide, allow him virtually unlimited freedom for his own musical experimentation.

To date Carlos has released three recordings with his own band and two recordings where he's the featured accompanist. 1993's "Blues," a collection of duets with the late Bill Kinnear handling guitar and vocals, consisted exclusively of acoustic covers of familiar classics. His next, "Just Your Fool," released in 1995, was a live 'electric' session with a stellar band featuring Kevin Breit on guitar, bassist Al Duffy, and Geoff Arsenault on drums; the same year saw the release of another collaborative effort, "Big Road Blues," again an acoustic outing featuring traditional Delta blues, this with Thom Roberts on guitar and vocals. In 1998, Carlos was voted the Toronto Blues Society's Maple award for 'Harmonica Player Of The Year,' hot on the heels of his third disc, "Big Boy," subtitled "Some Recycled Blues And Other Somewhat Related Stuff." This one, aptly titled, set the course for Carlos' varied and eclectic explorations to come, with a mix of blues, jazz, and what could best be described as 'world beat.' Yet while amply demonstrating his technique, his sheer, unfettered abilities on the instrument, it's never at the expense of soul and 'feel.' It's no surprise, then, that he's been a three-time repeat winner of the 'Maple' in addition to picking up a Juno nomination for "Big Boy." He also received Jazz Report's 'Blues Musician Of The Year' award for "Just Your Fool." Clearly Carlos is no slouch in the soul category!

Carlos' journey to date has culminated with the 2001 release of "Up And At 'Em," another varied grab-bag of styles that, again, employs blues as a starting point but quickly moves away from the restrictions of tradition into significantly more inclusive territory; he's not afraid to encompass musical ideas from any source, finding all fodder for his own unique and personal expression. He's recently finished a cross-Canada tour in support of "Up And At 'Em" and will be back on the road shortly for another Western swing. And as though proof were needed of his versatility, he's also slated to appear on Ann Murray's next recording project!

Blues fans who shudder at that particular thought needn't fear, however. "My next disc will most likely be much bluesier - or at least as much as 'Big Boy' was," Carlos promises, adding that "I'm not much of a writer myself, so I'm looking around for interesting covers right now." Still, it's not likely to be a conventional collection of shuffles and grinders. "I like music with a strong melody ― I've always been a melodic player," he explains, "and I like songs and melodies that tell a story."

Asked about his favourites on the Canadian scene, Carlos lists both Roly Platt and Michael Pickett among his harp heroes, as well as Edmonton's Twisters, explaining "I'm a big fan of swing and jump." One of his all-time favourites is the relatively obscure David Bergen who only cut one disc for the now-defunct Flying Fish label.

And what about the Internet? Has it affected his own career as a musician? "There's good and bad," he says. "It's certainly a powerful tool in terms of raising awareness, but home burning (CD copying) definitely hurts independent musicians. All in all, though, it's simply part of being a musician nowadays." And that, says Carlos, is a time-consuming proposition. While he enjoys "reading and running," he finds that "most of the time I'm just engrossed in the business." Hardly surprising given that four of his discs are on his own 'Big Reed' record label, and he's also increasingly in-demand as a session player.


With his restless curiosity and utter mastery of the instrument, there's little doubt that Carlos will continue to expand the vocabulary of the harmonica, raising what's often dismissed as a toy to a rather loftier status as legitimate instrument. Few indeed are better qualified!


Feature by John Taylor
© Copyright CanadianBlues.ca 2002