I forgot to include this recent video link:
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IMHO to easy just to go on facebook
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I like WSNB!
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Guess WSNB is “modern” because they’re loud. If the ever-increasing prices on harmonica microphones (especially vintage CRs and CMs) are any indication, then the blues are not in any danger of fading away. I do see alot of younger people posting blues harp videos on YouTube. And I love Amanda Ventura (she is one of those younger people).
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Thank you Slim. My response about youngsters not picking up harmonica as they did years ago was the same. Like all things, there are exceptions of course.
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Hello everybody!
I also thought about the topic yesterday while playing with my harps.
There are many children around me. I see them in the school year with 
Kasten, 
or hear that they get a keyboard loan for a year or learn some recorder in class. Some learn drums or sing 
in the choir or at home. Here they dream of casting shows.
Many give up because an instrument and music school are expensive afterwards. As @Slim writes, social media is tempting, which takes a lot of time.
You used to go hiking a lot with a guitar and harp in your luggage. Today comes the 
with me, that was it!
Hardly anyone knows the health benefits of playing the harp, no matter what age!
If you want to start a band or become a member, the harp has a shadowy existence! If you ask younger people, they don’t even know what a harp is!
If you talk to older people, I very often hear that a high percentage played the harp!
These days, many come to the harp by accident! How often do you read here that playing the harp only begins when you retire or is reactivated decades later.
Unfortunately, one often hears that many people don’t like the sound of the harp because of the sometimes high tones! In this respect, it has the same difficult position as a recorder…These people will never delve deeper into good harp music!
Why should you spend your whole life learning an instrument when you can also make electronic music on the computer?
In bands, the harp is mostly a second or third instrument.
Although the most famous and oldest manufacturers of harps come from Germany, it is sad how relatively few still play harps here!
For me, this little marvel is and remains the most underestimated instrument!
Always in your pocket, ready to use!
Unfortunately I didn’t discover them until late!
Let’s all make sure that their sound is carried into the world! Maybe we can make our younger generation curious again?
Those are my thoughts on the subject.
Greetings from Astrid 
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Bonnamassa is one, or just search modern blues. Anyway, you need to know modern is still the ol’ bend it like Beckham. You Tube is good too.
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I agree!
I posted some videos of Clapton, Texas, should have posted INXS Suicide Blonde with Charlie Muselwhite doing the harp.
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Good modern blues: Bonamassa, Keb’ Mo’, Robert Cray, Volker Strifler, Sonny Landreth, Walter Trout, Tedeschi Trucks Band, Robert Randolph & the Family Band, Coco Montoya, Marcus King, Larkin Poe, & King King are some favorites of mine.
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Some but not all and not on every song. These are just the artists I love. I have a playlist of their music and I try to learn to accompany them on my own. Learning to play by ear has really helped me.
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Try “Hip Hop Harmonica - Beat by Mixla” by Amanda Ventura (YouTube video). I hunted down the music bed she’s playing over and I find it very enjoyable to harp with.
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Really cool I like Rusted
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Nice list Nancy, I listen to several of these artists/bands. I love that you mentioned King King. They aren’t well known here in the States, but a fabulous blues-rock band!
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I LOVE THIS THREAD!!!
I agree with you @Dai. I have dreams to play harmonica in more genres that young people listen to and I agree with you that regurgitated Little Walter grooves are not appealing to MOST people under 30.
I had a duo called Nowelo that imploded right before I started working with Harmonica .com, where we were attempting to fuse blues and rap. Warning: explicit content:
After that I produced one more hip hop tune featuring a harmonica solo later in the piece, called Natural High.
I have a dream of returning to that sort of thing one day. Damn Rooster by Dirtwire reminded me of this dream recently, but sadly most of their tunes don’t have harmonica like this one. Great hip hop vibe harmonica tune though.
I like the Amanda tune, shredding over what’s basically a ripoff of Glory Box by Portisehead.. (No disrespect to the beat maker - everything comes from somewhere - “there’s nothing old or new under the sun.”) Portisehead is one of the defining artists of the Trip Hop genre.
For modern blues harmonica, in addition to @Corky_Music’s stuff which you can check out here, I love Carlos Del Junco Band’s Just Your Fool album, and Roly Platt’s Inside Out album. You might find a lot of satisfaction in those.
Carlos has a new recording out too that I haven’t had a chance to hear yet, but that Just Your Fool album is by far my favorite of his, and he’s a very “modern” player who’s not just regurgitating Little Walter riffs.
For a more roots sound, I love Joe Filisko and Eric Noden Destination Unknown. I saw them perform it “live” on Zoom, haven’t bought the actual album yet, but I intend to.
I’m so happy that you’ve started this thread and we can keep sharing stuff here as we come across it. 
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I’m learning a lot about modern blues harp from this thread. I hope to keep learning more from it
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Just to offer an opportunity for everyone to dig a little deeper into this, let me quote two of my dear friends. Charlie Musselwhite was asked about sticking to the traditions of the blues. Charlie responded something like this; “What do you mean ‘tradition?’ I thought the traditional was ‘change.’ If the traditional wasn’t ‘change’ we’d all still be beating on logs.” LOL!
But I also say; “What’s wrong with beating on logs?” Those who “copy” Little Walter, for instance, are honoring that sound. Just like tribute bands, this is the new classical music. Mozart is still popular because people still play it. There is room for honoring tradition and putting it up on a pedestal. If your thing is to copy some of the old guys … please do it … we need it. If it’s something you are deeply connected to it is your individuality. Music can’t be regurgitate … even if we try it still comes out as music. LOL! Inside the box or outside the box? There is no box. Do what you are connected to. Do what you love and what you have to offer based on how your brain and body are made … what skills you have to offer … what you can be passionate about. It doesn’t matter if it’s a copy of Little Walter or something outrageously original. I’ve been doing this I think for 60 years. None of this really maters. The music will take care of you if you follow it.
Here’s the other quote. Jesse Colin Young who is older than me and sang; "Come on people now smile on your brother said; “What were we so afraid of.”
LOL!
Corky
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If your thing is classic blues good luck to you. My opinion is blues harp has to evolve just like blues guitar world has.
If you look at the guitar world we have people like Gary Moore (RIP), Joe Bonamassa ( excuse the spelling) Kent Whayne Shepard, and loads more.
Where as blues harp is predominantly stuck playing classic blues. it’s not evolving or if it is, it’s like a sloth you don’t notice it. I have to come to the forum to ask where the new modern stuff is. It’s not apparent not in your face like the guitar world.
I’m not against the classic stuff, I just don’t want to be stuck there.
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