“I think the role of musicians in society today is no different than it has been throughout history: people need the comfort and pleasure that art brings them, and  musicians (and all other artists) satisfy that craving. I am really fortunate that the thing that brings me pleasure - the act of playing music - can also bring satisfaction to others.”

Dov Hammer: Move On The Blues World

Dov Hammer has been playing the Blues professionally for over three decades.  Singer, songwriter and harmonica player, his live performances and recordings embody the spirit of the Blues - intense and  passionate, yet danceable and grooving, soulful and humorous, personal yet universal, deeply rooted in tradition while modern and up-to-date. He has toured the USA, Europe and Israel, and shared stages with some of the top Blues artists in the world, including Joe Louis Walker, Lucky Peterson and many others. "World Moved On” (2025) is the new EP by Dov Hammer & Assaf Rozov. These six songs of album are the culmination of a musical collaboration which began 35 years ago.

(Dov Hammer, a major force on the Blues scene in Israel / Photo by Adam Kennedy.)

Dov Hammer released his previous 11-tracks album, titled "Exile - the Chicago Blues sessions" (2025), recorded in Chicago and produced by guitarist and Delmark recording artist Dave Specter, features guest appearances by Deitra Farr and Guy King. Dov Says: “My music is a combination of several styles that I love: Classic Chicago blues, Rock, folk, and soul music. I guess you could say my "philosophy" is to carry on the tradition, but make it your own. In the same way that Muddy Waters learned from Son House, but updated his music to the time and place that HE was in, I love Muddy Waters, but I use his tradition to INFLUENCE my playing, but I don't try to imitate him.”

Interview by Michael Limnios                     Archive: Dov Hammer, 2025 Interview

What are you doing to keep your music relevant today, to develop it and present it to the new generation? How can we bring the blues of the past into the future?

Some of my favorite artists today are the ones who allow their Blues to be influenced by other related genres, to soften or erase the borders between Blues and other forms of music. I try to allow all the experiences and various kinds of music that I have been exposed to to come out in my music, rather than try to make sure that it's "pure " Blues. Another important part of this  - maybe THE MOST important part - is songwriting. The classic Blues artists I love - such as Muddy Waters, Howling Wolf, Sonny Boy Williamson - were master storytellers, not just talented singers and instrumentalists. A beautiful solo or a great voice is only exciting if it's in the context of  a great song that captivates the listener, so I really work hard at improving my songwriting.

You’ve worked in many different settings, from clubs and studios to open air festivals and bars. How do you navigate between these different worlds?

I love making music, and I feel best in the physical act of playing and singing. So I don't really differentiate between a small venue and a large venue - I just close my eyes and let it all come out. Sometimes a large venue with a big stage opens up fun possibilities for showmanship, more room to move around, and sometimes I like to use my wireless mic to leave the stage and go play close to the people in the audience - people like that, it pulls them into the event, makes them feel part  of the music.

Recording studios are different. As a live performer you can focus  on energy, feeding off the audience reaction, but in the studio you are playing for yourself, with no immediate reactions, so it can be a challenge to create that energy - but it's really important to find a way to do it! If you make a mistake on stage, it's usually  forgotten pretty quickly, but recordings are forever, a bad performance in the studio can be something that will haunt you for a long time...so you really need to be a perfectionist when recording. I used to really not enjoy recording for those reasons, but after many years of experience I am beginning to find pleasure and satisfaction in studio  recordings too 

“Some of my favorite artists today are the ones who allow their Blues to be influenced by other related genres, to soften or erase the borders between Blues and other forms of music. I try to allow all the experiences and various kinds of music that I have been exposed to to come out in my music, rather than try to make sure that it's "pure " Blues.” (Dov Hammer on stage plays the Blues / Photo by Peter Vit)

How do you approach the process of songwriting? Is there a message you are trying to convey with your songs?

I don't really have a set method of writing songs, they come about in different ways. Sometimes I'll have a tune and then try to write lyrics for it, sometimes I write lyrics, and then try to put them to music (or collaborate with another musician on the tune). I often write lyrics and then, leave them alone because I don't feel they are good enough - but then I will find a verse, or a few lines that I do like, and combine it with something else I have written - I have quite a few songs that are made up of parts that were written separately and then put together because they fit well together...I don't usually try to deliver a message, my songwriting is more about expressing an emotion: often I am not sure what that emotion is, but if I write the song well enough and honestly enough, it will come out and communicate.

What keeps a musician passionate over the years in blues? How does your hometown that affect your music?

I don't know what it is that keeps me passionate… Being a professional performing musician is very challenging and not always financially rewarding, so you have to really love it. But I have been doing this for over 35 years, and even in the most difficult times, it remains the only thing that I really want to do. I think that if you ask any serious musician why he plays, the true answer is because we cannot NOT play - it's a passion that I can't really explain, but it's powerful. You have to have that love of it. 

“I don't usually try to deliver a message, my songwriting is more about expressing an emotion: often I am not sure what that emotion is, but if I write the song well enough and honestly enough, it will come out and communicate.” (Dov Hammer / Photo by Vladimir Popov)

What is the role of music/musicians in today’s society? What is the driving force behind your continuous support for your music?

I think the role of musicians in society today is no different than it has been throughout history: people need the comfort and pleasure that art brings them, and  musicians (and all other artists) satisfy that craving. I am really fortunate that the thing that brings me pleasure - the act of playing music - can also bring satisfaction to others. The thing to remember is that this magic works best if it is honest and sincere: I have to express a true emotion of mine, to cause that reaction for an audience. One of the really disturbing things I have run into lately is AI - generated Blues. But I truly believe that it will never replace really human musicians, because it is incapable of expressing a genuine human emotion.

Do you have any interesting stories about the making of the new EP "World Moved On"? Are there sub-genres within the blues field that you tend to stay away from or focus on?

“World moved on" is a collaboration between myself and my good friend Assaf Rozov. Assaf is a fantastic guitar player and we have known each other for over 30 years, since we were both starting out as beginning musicians. Over that time, we have had several bands together, and played hundreds of shows together, but after 30 years we suddenly realized we had never really recorded a full album together. I had a few songs - or parts of songs - written, and when I brought them to him he really put a magic touch on them. I also gave him some lyrics that I had written and he wrote incredible tunes for them, so I discovered that besides being the best guitarist I know, he is also a terrific composer, with great originality and  creativity. At one point he asked me to send him some lyrics, and I said I had nothing new or even anything old lying around, except for “Golden hour" - some lyrics I had written almost 10 years earlier, but I never thought they would work well as a song .But I gave them to him anyway, and it became one of the best and  most special songs we ever did! I am very proud of the work we did, and I feel it's one of the best recordings I was ever part of. 

Assaf is a big fan of country and Bluegrass music, and we both like various kinds of rock and funk, so this is a very eclectic album, with many musical styles thrown in  and blended together. I think it's a pretty tasty musical stew!

Dov Hammer - official website

(Dov Hammer & Assaf Rozov / Photo by Tomer Shinfeld)