John Popper : biography
John Popper (born March 29, 1967) is an American musician and songwriter.
He is most famous for his role as frontman of rock band Blues Traveler performing harmonica, guitar and vocals. He is widely considered a harmonica virtuoso, and is listed by harmonica manufacturer Hohner as a "Featured Artist", an accolade reserved for only the best and most successful harmonica players.
Equipment
John Popper has expressed a preference for the Hohner Special 20 brand blues harp, calling them "the Porsche of harmonicas".
Popper uses Shure microphones and Mesa Boogie amplifiers, similar to bandmate Chan Kinchla. He also uses D’Addario strings.
Trademark equipment
Popper has developed some equipment innovations to accommodate his use of harmonicas during onstage performances. Because each individual diatonic harmonica is tuned to one particular key, he fashioned belts with enough pockets to hold harmonicas in all 12 keys (plus extras) and wore them as a bandolier, or slung over his neck. He frequently has to switch keys multiple times within one song, and this arrangement allowed him to quickly trade one harmonica for another without looking. In 2002, he stopped using the belts because they no longer fit him properly due to his weight loss; now he carries his harmonicas in a small black attaché case. He uses a special microphone with switches that change the audio effect of the harmonica as it is played through an amplifier, similar to a guitar effects pedal. Popper was inspired by Jimi Hendrix’s guitar playing to make his instrument sound however he wanted. He has also fashioned a number of floppy-brimmed hats with flattened harmonica plates on the band, which he almost always wears during appearances with Blues Traveler.
Discography, performances and appearances
Discography
Solo
- Zygote (1999)
- Go Outside and Drive (The Vestal Version) single (1999)
with Blues Traveler
- See Blues Traveler discography
with The Devotees
- Gimme Gimme (1997)
with Frogwings
- Croakin’ at Toad’s (1999)
with The John Popper Project
- The John Popper Project with DJ Logic (2006)
with The Duskray Troubadours
- John Popper & the Duskray Troubadours (2011)
- Something Sweet single (2011)
Featured music appearances
- "Northbound Train" from Broadway musical soundtrack The Civil War: The Complete Work
- Duet with Eric Clapton on "Christmas Blues" from A Very Special Christmas Live
- Duet with BB King on "Back Door Santa" from A Very Special Christmas Vol. 5
- Solo instrumental track "Harmonica Musings" from the soundtrack of Blues Brothers 2000
- Harmonica solos of character Buster Blues in the Blues Brothers 2000 film
- "Regarding Steven" from the 2000 compilation VH1 Storytellers Live
- "Alone" from Warren Haynes Presents: The Benefit Concert, Volume 2
- "Devil Got My Woman", "Alone", and "Sign on the Door" from Warren Haynes Presents: The Benefit Concert, Volume 3"
- "The Preamble" from Schoolhouse Rocks The Vote!
Guest music appearances
Year | Role | Song | Artist | Album | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1989 | Harmonica | "Just One of Those Things" | Gutterboy | Gutterboy | |
"Growing Up Under the RR" | Extra track on 1992 re-release | ||||
1991 | Harmonica | "More Than She Knows" | Spin Doctors | Pocket Full of Kryptonite | Album reached #3 on Billboard 200 |
Backing vocals and ‘Inspiration’ | "Two Princes" | Reached #1 on Mainstream Rock; #7 on the Hot 100 | |||
Harmonica | "Off My Line" | ||||
1992 | Harmonica | "You Can Leave Your Hat On" | Merl Saunders | Save the Planet so We’ll Have Someplace to Boogie | Randy Newman cover |
"My Problems Got Problems" | |||||
1993 | Harmonica | "I Lost My Mule in Texas" | Col. Bruce Hampton and The Aquarium Rescue Unit | Mirrors of Embarrassment | |
Harmonica | "Built for Comfort" | Merl Saunders | It’s In The Air | ||
Harmonica | "I Was Made to Love Her" | Paul Shaffer and the Party Boys of Rock ‘n’ Roll | The World’s Most Dangerous Party | Stevie Wonder cover | |
"Middle of the Road" | The Pretenders cover | ||||
Harmonica and vocals (background and duet) | "Sip of Your Wine" | The Hatters | LIVE Thunderchicken | studio recording | |
1994 | Madcap Adventures of the Avocado Overlord | ||||
Harmonica | "What Would You Say" | Dave Matthews Band | Under the Table and Dreaming | Reached #9 Top 40 Mainstream; #11 Modern Rock Tracks | |
Harmonica | "Louisiana Blues" | Foghat | Return of the Boogie Men | ||
Harmonica | "Communication Breakdown" | Jeff Healey | Cover to Cover | Led Zeppelin cover | |
1995 | Harmonica | "Mule" | Gov’t Mule | Gov’t Mule | |
1996 | Harmonica and Vocal duet | "Today I Started Loving You Again" | Dolly Parton | Treasures | Merle Haggard cover |
1997 | Harmonica | "Feather" | God Street Wine | God Street Wine | |
"She Comes Up Softly" | |||||
1998 | Harmonica | "Tuesday’s Gone" | James Hetfield Pepper Keenan Jerry Cantrell Sean Kinney "Big" Jim Martin Gary Rossington Les Claypool | Garage Inc. by Metallica | Live Lynyrd Skynyrd cover; album reached #2 on The Billboard 200 and #3 on Top Canadian Albums |
1999 | Harmonica | "She Caught the Katy" | Taj Mahal | Blue Light Boogie | live |
Harmonica | "On the Other Side" | Leftover Salmon | The Nashville Sessions | ||
Harmonica | "Leave Me Alone" | Tino Gonzales | Two Sides of a Heart | ||
"Twine Time" | |||||
2000 | Harmonica | "If Only" | Hanson | This Time Around | Album reached #19 on The Billboard 200 |
"In The City" | |||||
Harmonica | "Diana" | God Street Wine | The Last of the Wine | ||
Harmonica | "Scarred But Smarter" | Kevn Kinney | The Flower and The Knife | ||
2001 | Harmonica | "I’m Gonna Move to the Outskirts of Town" | Chico Hamilton | Foreststorn | |
2002 | Harmonica | "Country Love" | Cee-Lo Green | Cee-Lo Green and His Perfect Imperfections | |
Harmonica | "Our Greatest Year" | Bad Astronaut | Houston: We Have a Drinking Problem | ||
Harmonica | "On the Run" | Todd Wolfe | Wolfe | ||
2003 | Harmonica and vocals | "I Saw a Bird Fly Away" | Dar Williams | The Beauty of the Rain | |
2004 | Harmonica | "Curbside Prophet" | Jason Mraz | Tonight, Not Again | Live; album reached #49 on The Billboard 200 and Top Internet Albums |
"Too Much Food" | |||||
Harmonica and vocals | "Invisible" | Buddahead | Crossing the Invisible Line | ||
Harmonica | "Stranger Blues" | Wolfe | Delaware Crossing | ||
"Tumblin’ Down" | |||||
2005 | Harmonica | Tom "Bones" Malone | Soul Bones | ||
2007 | Harmonica | "Tequila Mockingbird" | Stolen Ogre | Tequila Mockingbird EP | |
2008 | Harmonica | "The Souk" | Global Noize | Global Noize | |
Harmonica | "Purifier" | Live | Live at the Paradiso – Amsterdam | studio recording | |
Harmonica | "Ghost Town" | John Oates | 1000 Miles of Life | ||
2009 | Background vocals | "No Way Out" | ZO2 | Casino Logic | |
2010 | Harmonica | "Only the Tequila Talkin’" | Lisa Bouchelle | Blue Room with a Red Vase | |
Harmonica | "Last to Know" | Ron Noyes Band | Dust Bowl Diary | ||
Harmonica | "There Ya Go" | Beats Antique | Blind Threshold | ||
2011 | Harmonica | "Burn that Bridge When We Get To It" | Joey Cape | Lagwagon’s Let’s Talk About Feelings reissue bonus disc | acoustic; originally recorded for Acoustic (2004) |
2012 | Harmonica | "Closer I Get" | Rebelution | Peace of Mind |