Steve Retchin

Steven Retchin received his first harmonica at age 14 from a bandmate to play solos on their covers of a then-unknown band named The Beatles. During the late 1960's and through the 70's and 80's, he played with Blues bands, Boogie bands, and Folk groups in Boston, New York, and throughout Southern New England. He learned to play Jazz at jam sessions, which he still does regularly.

Steve has played with blues legend Otis Spann at the Electric Circus in NYC, at Gerdes Folk City in Greenwich Village, and in the streets and coffee houses around Boston, New York, and elsewhere. He founded the Harmonica Jazz Trio "Harmaniacs" in 2005, performing around Western MA at venues including Great Falls Center and the Academy of Music. He has also performed at Harmonica Festivals in New Jersey, Virginia Beach, Tulsa, St. Louis, and performed and adjudicated Harmonica competitions at the "Asia Pacific Harmonica Festival" in Hsinchu City (Taipei) Taiwan.

He is well known as the only player in this area to play many styles of music, using different harmonicas including the familiar diatonic, concert chromatic, 48 chord, bass, and polyphonic harmonicas.