Tony Holiday Gets Nation-Wide Traction with “Porch Sessions Volume 2”

Memphis-based harmonica ace Tony Holiday shows us what the blues is all about on his brand-new record Porch Sessions Volume 2. Released September 17th, 2021 on Blue Heart Records, it’s a follow-up to Holiday’s previous Porch Sessions effort that found Tony traveling around to several great musicians houses and literally setting up mics on their porches and recording live, one-take hardcore blues the way it was meant to be. This time out, Holiday has more than 35 outstanding players and singers involved including Grammy-winner Bobby Rush, Victor Wainwright, Kim Wilson, Vasti Jackson, Kid Ramos, Johnny Burgin, Ben Rice, Kid Andersen, Willie Buck, AJ Fullerton, Watermelon Slim, and James Harman (R.I.P.). Holiday understands that the best blues music comes from capturing something human happening and Porch Sessions Volume 2 overflows with one amazing moment after another.

Originally from Salt Lake City, Utah, Tony Holiday fell in love with the blues at just 13 years old when his mother brought home a B.B. King record from the local library. He started on guitar at 16 and has been chasing blues greatness ever since. He didn’t pick up the harmonica until he was 29, which is hard to comprehend after experiencing his considerable skills. His inspiration for switching instruments came from his musical contemporary John Nemeth. “I was washing dishes in a barbecue joint,” Tony relates “and I heard music down the hall and peeked my head around the corner to see what that sound was. And it was Nemeth playing the harmonica. I sold my guitar the next day.” Clearly, it was the right move, as Holiday has built a solid reputation as a harp master that now precedes him wherever he goes. By making records in the old-school way he’s adopted, he also demonstrates that he gets the soul and spirit of the blues all the way back to their source and can rock the house/porch in that setting.

Read more of this story from Mike O’Cull at Rock & Blues Muse, check out the Bard review of Tony Holiday and check out the Porch Sessions video below from Tony Holiday.