“Most Outstanding Harmonica Player”
Cheryl sizzles with excitement as she mesmerizes audiences with her sultry voice and powerhouse energy. She is a triple threat- a great songwriter, vocalist and blows harp like there’s no tomorrow…Hailing from Boston, Massachusetts, she began playing harmonica and immersing herself into the Blues in 1987. Boston was an inspiring place to be as she was surrounded by so many talented harmonica and horn players. Her earliest childhood memories relating to music were listening and singing along with her mother’s Louis Armstrong and Billie Holiday records. Her true passion though was in learning to play an instrument so at age 8 her grandmother set her up with accordion lessons..not exactly what she had in mind, but it was a start and lead to playing other instruments like guitar and bass guitar, and eventually finding the one instrument that truly resonated with her…the harmonica.
Almost immediately she was out testing the waters at jam sessions around town and within a year, had established her own Blue Monday Night Jam at Wally’s Cafe in the south end of Boston, a stone’s throw from Berklee School Of Music, which she ran for 3 years. By then it was time to quit the day job and go full time as a musician which she has been doing since 1991.
Her next project was holding a steady Tuesday night gig which ran for 6 years at The Marketplace Cafe in the historical Fanueil Hall in Boston. This was different than a jam tho…being more like a showcase for local artists featuring different guests each week and even rotating the house band. This was by far some of the best schooling she could ever have had, playing with some of the most talented local, regional and at times national touring musicians that would come through town and stop in after hearing about the “scene” at the Marketplace. But alas the place got sold and that was the end of that…next stop…the road.
Since then Cheryl has been touring regionally, nationally & abroad. In her 30+ year career she has shared the stage with many well known Blues artists such as
Jr. Wells, RL Burnside, Honey Boy Edwards, Charlie Musselwhite, James Cotten, Duke Robillard, Louisiana Red, Lazy Lester, Candye Kane, Johnny Clyde Copeland, Smokin Joe Kubek & Bnois King, Sonny Rhodes, Pinetop Perkins, Luther “Guitar Jr.” Johnson, Johnny Rawls, Big Jack Johnson, Kenny Neal, Bob Margolin, Ronnie Earl, Buddy Miles, Janiva Magness, Ann Rabson, Jr. Watson, Big Bill Morganfield, Anson Funderburgh and Sam Myers and more…
Cheryl has recorded several cds, with her most critically acclaimed being, “Blues Got Me” a 13 track cd with 7 original songs and a stellar 7 piece band, produced by Duke Robillard, who also plays on a few cuts.
In 2001 Cheryl started sharing her gift and passion for the harmonica with others by teaching lessons privately and in group workshops. The most well known being “The Harmonica Experience”, a 5 day workshop that’s held twice a year down at The Shack Up Inn in Clarksdale Mississippi.
Cheryl is endorsed by Hohner and plays Marine Band harmonicas.
