Andy Soles

Andy Soles is a multi-instrumentalist, based in Western Massachusetts.  Music has always been a part of his life.  At the age of five he taught himself to play harmonica, began private piano lessons, and began singing in school performances.  Throughout his teens he studied trumpet and developed a love of jazz, and in particular the music of Freddie Hubbard, Lee Morgan and Miles Davis.  Having never played in a band outside of a scholastic setting, he walked into an open mic in Northampton, MA on his 50th birthday with a case of harmonicas and asked to sit in with the house band.  It wasn't long before that band, Smack My Bishop, asked him to join them as a permanent member of their horn section.  That led to a variety of gigs on harmonica with other well known bands in the Pioneer Valley including, Primate Fiasco, Trailer Park, Fat Bradley, The Medicinal Purpose, Acoustic Brew, Rocky Hill Revival, Nate Martel, The Eric Bascom Trio, Ramblin Kind, The Beau Sasser Trio, Free Range Cats and others.  Andy is well versed in a variety of harmonica stylings from Chicago blues, acoustic blues, bluegrass, funk, and jazz and plays both diatonic and chromatic harmonica.  He enjoys helping students develop an appreciation of the harmonica and to understand the it's versatility not only as a solo instrument, but to the full range of the  harmonica's capabilities as a rhythmic and backing instrument. He works to help students build technical skills and a level of comfort with the instrument on their way to self expression.