I was the legendary blues giant HOWLIN' WOLF 's chosen photographer, friend and music student.

visit www.howlingwolfphotos.com where you may enjoy ninety-nine amazing iconic photos of the mighty Wolf in concert, at home, plus my RARE PORTRAITS only recently-published! Read the moving story of our special connection. And more!

My pics of Wolf were in the Pantheon Press bio, "Moanin' at Midnight" and in the McGwin DVD/Movie "The Howlin' Wolf Story (The Secret History of Rock & Roll."

I also played drums for Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup THE MOST SIGNIFICANT FATHER OF ROCK & ROLL (although Wolf influenced more bands directly), Mance Lispcomb, Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee, and some harp lessons from Sonny and Paul Oscher.
I was SO disappointed the time I played with Arthur the tape recorder I had set up malfunctioned... he gave me a LONG solo (without warning heheheh I was using brushes because his show was relatively quiet and it was smaller club)

I'm currently hoping to have some good working band produce stuff I originally wrote upon Wolf's request but that he didn't get to hear in time. Recently I found the 2 songs Wolf and I did together, just us, in his hotel room... his acoustic full-song country harp is super rockin' and puts to rest forever that lame Musselwhite comment about how "Wolf only knew 5 notes but played them well"... He just happened to have the style and taste to play what was needed and nothing beyond to clutter the vive of his songs... This (on my tapes) is stuff you can't find on his albums... it's him doing the entire (sole) melody, acoustically... and he works it ... it was in part his way of teaching me harp, he told me... to get those licks down... the licks are incredible, the tone is Wolf's own... can't be copied

I can sound somewhat (on harp) like Sonny Boy (II, Rice Miller) who taught Wolf harp, but not as much like Wolf.. but at this age and after lotsa unusual stuff in my life and maybe my testosterone supplementation post mercury poisoning (probably not that heheheh but it doenst hurt to have it ) I can SING very close to how Wolf sang, if I choose to, also taught myself Tuvan throat singing to some degree, not as far as Paul Pengas but I have a way of doing it I plan to use with rock songs in 2008. I started learning harp by playing along with Sonny Boy Williamson (the original) songs and use that older style with some songs when doing concerts .. been away from concerts for a while since giving up playing with Mike Wilhelm, for whom I wrote 3 songs on the Mean Ol Frisco album and played harp on 7 tracks. in the 80's.. hoping to get back into it at last... soon, only doing originals or with a rare cover here and there.

I write and play most genres of music all roots style: folk, rock, blues, country, etc... and some that are kind of unclassifiable but sort of combine klezmer blues and r & b ballads I suppose.

Finally, about Wolf... Wolf's multi-dimensional talents and power plus his creative foresight and tight band leadership allowed him to expand Delta blues beyond even Chicago style, incorporating elements of Tex-Mex, Neo-jazz and Rock and making powerful statements that are with us still, and still as powerful! Be sure to see my site and read the story... it says it much better and a lot more...

Email me to discuss the mighty Wolf, blues or to my photos, etc. OR if you want to help me get some demo songs produced low-cost that could also be stand-alone sales online or at concerts too... ( SF Bay Area CA )

Best to all,

Howlin' Sandy