Page 22 - BiTS_09_SEPTEMBER_2024_Neat

THE BiTS INTERVIEW:HENRY SLIM

Henry Slim is the harmonica player and A BiTS AREA EXCLUSIVE
principal vocalist with the Slimline Shufflers, based in

Bristol. This four-piece band have just released their first album

“Suspicious Blues” purveying a brand of music strongly linked to Now
Orleans. The band are starting to make a name for themselves in the

area and have recently played at the Gloucester Blues Festival 2024.

Ian McKenzie spoke to Henry on the telephone at his Bristol home.

HS: Hey, Ian. How’s it going?

BiTS: Hello, Henry, how are you?

HS: Yeah, all good, thanks.

BiTS: Can you hear me?

HS: Yeah, I hear you.

BiTS: That's wonderful. Can I start

by asking you something about

yourself? How did you get into the
blues in the first place?

HS: Well, I saw a video of Muddy

Waters’ band on YouTube, and yeah,

just loved what I heard. It was just

this amazing sound and had Otis Spann on the piano, and is it James Cotton on
harmonica? And yes, the James Cotton sound in particular, I loved.

BiTS: What about learning to play the harmonica? Who were your influences

there?

HS: I listened a lot to Sonny Boy Williamson II. Yeah, he was my main one. I used

to lock myself in my bedroom and just put his records on and play along to those.

And then I got more and more harmonicas as I went along, so I was able to play

along to more and more songs [chuckles].

BiTS: What age were you when you started?

HS: I must have been 20/21.