Turn it Down: Mr. Harrison brings real blues to Okemos

Harry Oman

Friday, Oct. 25 @ Henry's Place, 4926 Marsh Road, Okemos.

All ages, free,  8 p.m. to 10 p.m.

From “King Bee” by the great Slim Harpo to “I’ve Got News” by Ray Charles, the carefully-curated set list for Mr. Harrison echoes classic — yet not overplayed — blues and boogie tunes from the ’40s, ’50s and ’60s. Fronted by Harry Oman, a veteran Lansing-based blues guitarist, the band performs a stripped-down duo set Friday at Henry’s Place in Okemos. On drums at the intimate gig is Scott Veenstra, a seasoned Grand Rapids-based jazz and blues drummer who’s gigged with everyone from Nappy Brown to Greg Nagy. Like Oman, Veenstra’s panache takes you back in time with Chicago blues, jazzy swing and funky New Orleans grooves. 

Oman was drawn to blues guitar as a child after he dug into his mother’s tasteful record collection, which included some deep cuts like Blind Lemon Jefferson. Young Harry Oman’s love of music solidified after hearing his mother’s vivid stories of the legendary shows she witnessed at Gerde’s Folk City in Greenwich Village and at the Newport Folk Festival — sets by John Lee Hooker, Sonny Terry and Bob Dylan in their early-‘60s heyday. The music resonated with Oman. 

“I loved the energy of it, the way it made me want to jump up and shout,” he said. Later he developed a knack for hooking up and performing with historic bluesmen and women from Detroit. This led to tours spanning from Chicago to Florida and from Canada to Europe. 

He also brought iconic artists to Lansing for his self-curated Detroit Blues Series. The shows comprised the likes of Detroit’s “Queen of the Blues” Alberta Adams, Eddie Kirkland and Uncle Jesse White. Oman was honored to share the stage with them in his hometown. “It makes me sad that these folks are no longer with us, but I’ll always be grateful for what I learned from them about playing the blues the right way,” he said. 

Earlier this year, Oman backed Motor City bluesman Harmonica Shah at a benefit for Lansing East Side Gateway. Prior to that, Oman has also gigged with Grammy-nominated Chicago guitar great Eddie C. Campbell, Louisiana swamp-blues icon Lazy Lester, and blues legend James Harman.