“To me every human is included in "the people" and this includes higher government officials who intentionally create propaganda to sway the citizens. But once the citizens have received the propaganda we are in a new era, due to social media, where the citizens can spread their own take of the propaganda throughout the world. This new era is the main reason why the United States is so divided.”

Michael Rubin: Stories With Blues Passion

Michael Rubin born in New Jersey in 1969, he hopped around Pittsburgh, Sonoma, New Orleans, and Manhattan before choosing Austin. He began playing harp at 15, performing at 16. He’s had adventures, such as playing in the pit of the Tony-nominated Broadway show, The Civil War, and backing up luminaries such as Ruthie Foster and Cyril Neville. He makes the bulk of his living teaching harmonica. He still takes lessons. He walks his dog and plays sudoku. His secret life is his songs. When he puts out his solo albums, of which 5 Minutes of Passion is his sophomoric follow-up to the well-received I’ll Worry If I Wanna, he doesn’t hold back telling you who he is while making you laugh. If you want another blues song explaining if you want a woman you need some cash, you’ve come to the wrong place. His storytelling vocals seat him comfortably in the history of singers who use non-traditional vocals to make something beautiful with what they’ve got via style. No one owns their lack of chops like Michael Rubin.

(Michael Rubin / Photo by Ricardo Acevedo)

His pioneering harmonica showcases both the smaller blues harp and the bigger chromatic, demonstrating a cutting-edge method to getting the chromatic’s roar to be as full-throated as its cousin. His latest creation is “5 Minutes of Passion” (2026), the follow up to his well-received I’ll Worry If I Wanna, from 2022. “5 Minutes of Passion” overflows with 11 original songs, including one instrumental, as Rubin's instrumental passion flows through every track. He accompanies all this with pioneering harmonica work that raises the chromatic harp to the level of its smaller, full-throated diatonic cousin, both of which he plays at a masterful level.

Interview by Michael Limnios                    Archive: Michael Rubin, 2022 Interview

Special Thanks: Betsie Brown (Blind Raccoon)

You have spent decades as a sideman, backing up legendary artists across genres from blues to Broadway. What made you decide in recent years to finally step into the spotlight as a lead singer and songwriter?

First, thanks for the great questions and interest. In my early twenties I wrote songs and fronted bands. As I got older, I realized I was losing money in order to respect my band with proper payment. I made a decision to stop fronting bands and  play harmonica in all genres, not just blues (which is my main love). The amount of gigs available was like a flood. I slowed down on gigging when my children arrived. In my early fifties, I realized I still liked writing songs. If I didn't begin recording them, it was likely I would die before I did. That was the impetus for my debut album I'll Worry If I Wanna.

How did your experience playing in the orchestra pit of the Tony-nominated Broadway show The Civil War shape your current approach to dramatic and humorous storytelling in your songs?

I am not sure it did. The main complaint the critics had concerning the show was the book, i.e. the story told by character's lines in between the songs. I truly believed that I, with my English major background, could have rewritten the show in one night and potentially saved the show, but they didn't ask the harmonica player. I wonder why.

What Broadway did was up my professionalism. It was a sink or swim situation to be able to read music, improvise and deal with last minute changes, often presented 5 minutes before the curtain rose. It was my big wake up call that I did not understand music theory the same way that most professional musicians did.
As for storytelling, I spent 14 years, from 7 to 21 years of age, cartooning and I believe that was the biggest training I had for telling a story in a quick and potentially humorous or dramatic way. Of course, songwriters such as Gary Primich, Rick Estrin, James Harman, Mose Allison, Jonathan Richman and Lou Reed were big influences.

“I will talk your ear off about the harp if you let me.  I got so concerned about bothering new women with it that I went in the opposite direction and women would have to pry it out of me, which must have seemed strange to them as they could obviously tell it was a big thing in my life. Still, I think the song is good advice.” (Michael Rubin / Photo by Ricardo Acevedo)

On ‘5 Minutes Passion’ album, you make it clear that if someone is looking for a traditional blues song about money and women, they have come to the wrong place. Why is it important to you to avoid these classic tropes in your own music?

I have been pouring over harmonica blues records for most of my life. So often, it's 10 Little Walter covers.  Occasionally there will be a couple of originals, but the lyrics are cliches. That writer is not telling me about themselves. I get excited when I hear a lyric and say, "what the heck is that about?" If I cannot relate to every line, it's a good sign the music is personal. That's what I want, a communication of who you are to me via original lyrics. Now, my songs are intended to work on a metaphorical level, so hopefully they are all relatable even if you don't know what I mean when I sing, "break that joker's face" in Little Circus Town, you still know that I am breaking through a difficult situation.

In "Dirty Words," you jokingly promise to stop using double entendres, saying: "When I said behind, I’ll mean behind." How easy is it for a bluesman to actually keep a promise like that?

It depends on the bluesman. I don't think I am ever going to get there.  Funny double entendres are part of what got me excited about the blues. Personally I think fart jokes are as valuable as highbrow humor. Of course there are plenty of blues people who don't find sexual humor funny. Their songs have value as well.  Audience members have opinions as well and I have seen critics pan my humor and others love it.

That's what the song is about. Who are you as a person? Are you going to self censor because you are trying to fit in or make money? Or are you going to be yourself and let the chips fall where they may?

“Propaganda" features a powerful lyric: "The propaganda is in the hands of the people / And the people are in the hands of the propaganda." What social or political message were you aiming to deliver through this haunting, psychedelic track?

Again, this line is metaphorical and hopefully contains multiple potential meanings. I have already had listeners tell me what the song is about and I would have never come up with their interpretation, but I like it. To me every human is included in "the people" and this includes higher government officials who intentionally create propaganda to sway the citizens. But once the citizens have received the propaganda we are in a new era, due to social media, where the citizens can spread their own take of the propaganda throughout the world. This new era is the main reason why the United States is so divided.

“It depends on the bluesman. I don't think I am ever going to get there.  Funny double entendres are part of what got me excited about the blues. Personally I think fart jokes are as valuable as highbrow humor. Of course there are plenty of blues people who don't find sexual humor funny. Their songs have value as well.  Audience members have opinions as well and I have seen critics pan my humor and others love it.” (Michael Rubin / Photo by Ricardo Acevedo)

You have been playing the harmonica for 41 years now (since you were 15). In what ways has your relationship with the instrument evolved from when you first started to today?

What a great question. It's very complex as harmonica is truly the way I interact and interpret the world. When I first began, I loved the sound. I knew it was my thing, even though I didn't understand that being a musician for a living was possible. As I improved and started receiving positive attention, it was very easy to fantasize about being considered the greatest harmonica player in the world and all the fame, money and women that would come with it. We can joke about how unlikely it seems that a harmonica player would receive all that, but although I am certainly not the most revered player, I have had plenty of adventures, recognition, time with women and yes, even money due to the harmonica. I would be lying if I didn't still harbor hopes of more adventures and appreciation for my work, but mostly that stuff is a little green monster that I try and contain as I deal with important things in life such as treating everyone with compassion and respect.
Nowadays, harmonica is my main method of learning. 

I still study with two teachers and practice daily. It is my main method of earning money (I invest as well) and connecting with students and helping them grow is very deep for me. Of course, performing is lots of fun and when I entertain an audience, that's special. But performing and recording gives me an opportunity to apply my artistic values at a high level. When a solo is played with good tone and phrasing and emotion, I know it. Same with a well recorded song. Those things are priceless and I feel lucky I am in a career where I can feel that kind of satisfaction.

“In my early twenties I wrote songs and fronted bands. As I got older, I realized I was losing money in order to respect my band with proper payment. I made a decision to stop fronting bands and  play harmonica in all genres, not just blues (which is my main love).” (Michael Rubin, his pioneering harmonica showcases both the smaller blues harp and the bigger chromatic / Photo by Ricardo Acevedo)

Your pioneering work raises the chromatic harp to the expressive and full-throated level of its diatonic cousin. How challenging was it technically to bridge these two worlds?

I love both instruments. If I had to choose one, just kill me now. There is no question the diatonic has a thick sound, similar to a tenor sax, whereas the chromatic generally has a thinner sound, similar to an alto sax. Before me there have been many chromatic players who have thickened the sound, LIttle Walter, George Smith, William Clarke, Rod Piazza, Mitch Kashmar, Bill Barrett, Hugo Diaz, etc. Most of these players deal with what's called third position, playing in the key of D on a C chromatic. To thicken the sound, mostly they played octaves, for example a low C and a high C played at once.

Although I use single notes and octaves, I am more interested in double stops, two notes played at once.  But taking it further, I try and create two musical sentences harmonizing with each other. This is best shown in my songs Big If and Dig that Ditch on my new album, 5 Minutes of Passion, but also in the song Can We Break Up Again on my debut record.

I am not claiming to be the first person to use these ideas, I learned a lot from Bill Barrett, for example. But techniques are different than the musical lines played.  Barrett and I may use the same technique, but we have different musical sensibilities and so we each have our own styles.

That said, there's nothing like ripping out a cross harp diatonic 12 bar blues solo in the key of E. Check out Gravity and Grudge for examples of that.

In the title track "5 Minutes Of Passion," you give the advice: "If you keep talking about the harmonica / She’ll think you’re odd." Has your deep passion for the harmonica ever actually made you look "odd" or misunderstood in your personal life?

Oh, for sure. I will talk your ear off about the harp if you let me.  I got so concerned about bothering new women with it that I went in the opposite direction and women would have to pry it out of me, which must have seemed strange to them as they could obviously tell it was a big thing in my life. Still, I think the song is good advice.

Michael Rubin Harmonica - Home

(Michael Rubin / Photo by Ricardo Acevedo)