Photo by Steve Wood
Michael D’Eath Biography
A tasty harmonica accompanist & soloist, Michael D’Eath moved from his home in England to Texas as a teenager to pursue an entrepreneurial career in high technology. Twenty years later he chose harmonica as his primary instrument. Michael currently performs with Him & Her, a duo with his wife Brenda Freed. Him & Her focuses on performing, recording, songwriting, musical arrangement, and teaching, as well as having a good time with live audiences whether playing a club, house concert, small theater or festival. In addition to performing on three Him & Her albums, Michael was recording engineer for two of them.
Michael has studied privately with Austin legend, JB Henry, as well as with many world class instructors including Norton Buffalo, Gary Primich, Rob Roy Parnell, Peter “Madcat” Ruth, Joe Filisko, JimiLee, Will Scarlett, and Winslow Yerxa. He is an accomplished player in several musical styles on both diatonic and chromatic harmonicas and is a first call session player and sideman. He has performed harmonica on tracks for Marghi Allen, Farrell Droke, The Better Halves and Tracy Weinberg. Michael started performing with his wife, Brenda Freed, in 2000 and together they formed Texas Hot Flash, which won an Austin Music Award in 2005, and opened for the Charlie Daniels Band. Brenda and Michael formed Him & Her in 2005 and they have since played together throughout the Texas Hill Country, the U.S and Europe.
Michael has shared the stage with many great performers, including Brenda Freed, Sara Hickman, John Inmon, Claudia Nygaard, Karen Abrahams, George Ensle, Jaime Michaels, Gerry Burns, Graham Warwick and Pat Green.
Michael teaches harmonica when the opportunity arises, including at the Harmonica Workshop held at the Kerrville Folk Festival, which he also helps organize. From 2005-2013, he served as Vice Chair, then Chairman of the KFF Foundation (501c3). Since then has served as Secretary, then President of the Society for the Preservation & Advancement of the Harmonica (SPAH – a 501c3). Both non-profits have vibrant, growing youth programs. Michael is also a recording and sound engineer at their solar-powered Moondance Studios in Albert, TX.
Him & Her combines performing and teaching (harmonica, voice and/or vocal harmony) at festivals or other performance/workshop situations.
Hello Michael. Fred Knapp here, Eric’s brother. I’d like to get your professional opinion on something. I’ve got a tape recording of a friend of mine playing guitar and signing his own compositions that I made in 1976. I recorded him on 1/4″ tape on a reel-to-reel recorder at 7 1/2″ ips. I’ve had the tape duplicated to a cd and a flash drive. I hear a hiss on any machine I play them on. I went back to the dubbing guy, and he said he couldn’t hear it and showed me the digital output that had a flat line between songs. But he also listens through the speaker on a laptop. May I come see you sometime and get your opinion on it and maybe anything that might be done to improve it? I recently found out my friend had died, and I’d like to put together a nice aural remembrance for his widow. I’ve been in contact with her, and she new nothing of his earlier years. (They were both in their 40’s when they married). Of course, I’m willing to pay for your time. Thanks——-
Fred
Fred
Did you ever settle the hiss on your recording? Still willing to give it a listen…
Michael
Yes I’d love to listen to it! Contact me on email at Michael.j.death@gmail.com! Maybe you can send me a copy on Dropbox in advance or something, but let’s chat on Email!
https://sites.google.com/site/gatewayharmonica/home website with videos and photos of the banquet – I am still adding more video but lots there now
zoomable photo of the banquet
http://www.gigapan.com/gigapans/210721
From Karl Kindt
Thanks – we have them!