2001 Kinzel & Hyde won Best Traditional Blues Act
2001 LynnAnn Hyde won the CBA's Back What You Believe In Award
Article Reprint from the August 1998 BluesNotes
by The KT
Lynn Ann Hyde's accession to the rank of harmonica player was initiated by an inspiration: Paul deLay. Hyde recalls going to his gig and not only did she enjoy hearing his music, she wanted to do it. It was obvious that deLay enjoyed a performance-based rapport with the audience, and Hyde wanted that too.
Ms. Hyde approached deLay and asked if he could teach her how to play. His response, shaped by many years of experience on the bandstand, went something like, "I don't know. Ya got twenty bucks?"
Lynn Ann Hyde says she owned a harmonica at an earlier age. After hearing her practicing for three days, her "significant other" threw it into a dry lake in Mexico. This was not supportive. After moving to Portland, she encountered deLay's band at a Park Blocks concert, and this time was undeterred in her effort to study the "Blues Harp". As is often the case with professionals, deLay taught her the basics and invited her to jam with his band. This is valuable not only for students, but also for mature artists who are starting a new instrument or genre. "Paul is one of the few people that actually just plays Paul," Hyde comments. That fact makes deLay more of an inspiration for her. She notes that, like her own musical style, deLay's bottom line really is more "roots" than Blues.
Hyde refers to herself as a "middle-aged hippie woman", not a "Blues Diva". She was not heavily focused on music performance in the past, but saw how much people "adored the music of Paul deLay". She very much wanted that kind of validation from strangers. "I wanted to be liked by people who don't know me." From her cosmopolitan perspective she notes that Portlanders are really lucky in that they can go out and hear Blues and other music for free or almost free. "The musicians really are as good or better" than bigger names in more famous locales. She often goes to visit family in Southern California and Texas, taking in a show when there. Hyde always meets outstanding players who will never be household "names" in the popular market. "A lot of how people get notorious is luck," she states, adding that "because it is art it is not always pleasing to everyone."
Ms. Hyde makes some distinction between being an entertainer and an artist. When you are paid to entertain, the audience has a right to expect a certain performance level, depending on the venue. She calls herself an entertainer learning how to be an artist, and an artist trying not to let entertaining get in the way. "I'm a student of the harmonica," she says, and feels that one should never stop being a student of the instrument or music.
Hyde came to Portland on a bus. The route took her past a billboard stating "Californians Go Home." This was an interesting side note in her already self-directed career. She had been doing some performance art and could get work, but it was not exactly what she wanted to be doing. After struggling for a while she met Stu Kinzel, guitarist and songwriter. "He has a broader knowledge of music in general, and a variety of music, plus his singing and guitar playing are outstanding." She reiterates that people in Portland take this for granted. Meeting someone so exceptionally talented gave her a different area of focus, working more on tone and demeanor. With the genuine humility of a pro, she says "I never knew what tone was until I met Stu."
Hyde and Kinzel both write and
sing tunes, separately and as co-authors. Hyde's work often starts
with the words, sometimes as poems or sonnets. Her work has been published in the
Library of Congress. At a time in her life when she was "upset" with the world, she
found herself sitting in Kelly's Olympian, writing a poem on the back of a menu. She noted the
address for the Washington, D.C. agency, and sent it to them. The audio taped version of this work is
narrated by Patrick Stewart, better known to many Star Trek fans as
Jean Luc Picard. The acceptance for publication was "unexpected".
Lynn Ann is quick to credit those who have encouraged her in her work. She has been invited by Bill Rhoades to perform at many harmonica functions and she is always appreciative of the opportunities. As entertainers, musicians expect to get paid, but Hyde does some pro-bono work as well for authentic non-profit groups, beyond the Harmonica Showcases. She feels honored to be asked to participate in these programs. Hyde feels that, unfortunately, if the "budget" is there then often the "trappings and accouterments of performance art are more important than the performance." Many musicians do hard work for events that actually benefit very few; for select, legitimate groups she is motivated to work within their financial limits.
Hyde notes a lack of exclusivity in certain performers. "Successful artists seem to have no fear because they love and respect what they're doing." She goes on to say, "Successful artists are not on the same level as those who get lucky on a temporary scene. People with a high skill level can reach down and help bring others up. A real artist has no problem sharing their art." The assistance from other performers and from instrument manufacturers is also valuable because, as Hyde comments, "Part of the problem is finding people to perform with a non-man." She also quotes Jill Swanson in saying that the Blues as an art form "is way too valid to be left in the hands of professional musicians." She calls Jim Wallace outstanding and "a living god as a harmonica player." Hyde says there are too many great harmonica players to mention them all and that they all have merit and value, "that Oregon has spawned."
When Hohner Harmonica heard from Paul deLay about her, Hyde got a good response. There are not many women who play harp to begin with and Hohner is always wanting to hear about new and different people. The company published a special article about her ("Easy Reeding", Spring 1998) adding to her already impressive press kit. Hyde insists that she is still a "student" of the harmonica, but has fashioned herself as a good student. Harmonica is the most played instrument in the world. It seems that everyone has at least tried to play it, and Hyde says it is not so difficult. "Some things need to be taught," she cautions, otherwise, it's just "practice, practice, practice."
Lynn Ann does a lot of "crossover" music including influences from Folk and Country. She prefers Blues and gets more of a sense of accomplishment when she does a traditional Blues tune well. Both she and Kinzel sing, and Hyde says that you really have to sing your own tunes because nobody else knows how they're supposed to sound. Hyde and Kinzel are working on new material for a CD. It is expected that Hohner Harmonica will help with the visibility of this project.
The harmonica has been more than just a vehicle for music in Lynn Ann Hyde's life. She used it as part of her recovery in battling drug addiction. "It replaces the thing that causes people to abuse - (it) fills up the emptiness. The rewards are far greater than any drug could ever do." Hyde sees a success story in that humble little 10-hole instrument that could help someone get over a drug addiction. She constantly focuses on "getting better".
Hyde has also enjoyed the experience of playing Irish music, especially in a church, where the acoustics are so marvelous. Kinzel adds that most of the material they do is "not mainstream. We try to dig for the obscure stuff." Hyde says that Kinzel can take a more traditional genre and write a new piece of music that falls into it. "It doesn't get more relevant than this."
And, finally, Lynn Ann Hyde says, "Don't give up. Whatever your doing, if you find joy in it don't give up. Life is too short to be joyless. Don't give up."
© 1998 Cascade Blues Association