Well, All Right!
Get ready for a true Kansas City blues history event. Reminisce and learn about Provine “Little” Hatch and listen to his music, played by musicians who knew and loved him. Presented by the Provine Hatch Archives, this show features Jaisson Taylor, Brandon Hudspeth, Bill Dye, Joe Wittfeld, Mike “Shinetop” Sedovic, John Hobbs, Steve Andrew, John Paul Drum, and Tom “Trashmouth” Baker. Show is October 25, 2025, at BB’s Lawnside BBQ, starting at 7pm.
Kansas City was once graced with blues musicians who grew up in the South and learned blues from their families and from church. Born in Sledge, Mississippi, Little Hatch brought the Delta sound to Kansas City. This event is in celebration of Hatch’s 104th birthday.
It’s difficult to convey Hatch’s profound impact on Kansas City blues. As a “real” bluesman who grew up in the Delta, he brought an influence to Kansas City that most musicians today can’t duplicate. He was from a different time and place, one where the blues was always around – it was just the music of the day. Blues of the time might have less structure than many modern songs. The changes were not predictable – just like life. The number of bars might not be regular. Musicians who played with Hatch had to be present and listening, because Hatch changed when the time was right, similar to Lightning Hopkins.
When Little Hatch hit the scene in Kansas City in the early 1950s, there were already lots of harmonica players, but none had that authentic Delta sound. Hatch was influenced by Snooky Pryor, Junior Wells, and especially Little Walter. He called himself Little Walter Jr. until he met the man, who asked him, “Why you doing this, you’re not my son.” Hatch continued to play in Kansas City until his death in 2003 – that’s almost 50 years of playing blues!
Hatch brought his relaxed and spontaneous approach to the blues, but he also brought his unique tone. Current KC harmonica players have been highly influenced by Hatch; you can hear it in Jimmie Meade’s playing, for example. John Paul Drum used to follow him around and hang on his every note. Hatch was complimentary to Tom “Trashmouth” Baker, telling him, “You know some stuff, just don’t play it all at once.”
I spoke with Jaisson Taylor about the reasons for the birthday party and Little Hatch’s influence on Kansas City blues. He said he once wanted to play some Hatch songs, and asked the audience ‘who remembers Little Hatch’ – no one raised their hands. He thought it was a shame. At this birthday party, you can expect to hear stories from people who knew him, and lots of Little Hatch covers — no breaks at this show! So come on out to learn and celebrate a man who brought Kansas City blues to where it is today.
Thanks to Jaisson Taylor, Brandon Hudspeth, and Tom “Trashmouth” Baker for their time.
Links about Little Hatch
The Bluestime Power Hour by Cinthia T. Coleman, Show #16: Little Hatch, Part 1 (3/1/1998) at the Grand Emporium
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BdHxjqXrbFA
Little Hatch, vocals and harmonica; Bill Dye, guitar; John Hobbs, drums; Joe Wittfeld, bass
The Bluestime Power Hour by Cinthia T. Coleman, Show #16: Little Hatch, Part 2 (3/1/1998) at the Grand Emporium
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJSA7Y92txY
Little Hatch and Bill Dye at Johnson County Library, in cooperation with the Kansas City Blues Society:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fIwDjOfHKgw
Blues Festival (unknown location and date)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mc1zpfjCmN4
CNN’s Larry Woods does an in-depth story on Blue Heaven Studios, in Salina, Kansas (2000)
https://www.facebook.com/share/v/17KECnPXgR/
NPR’s “All Things Considered” With Linda Wertheimer: Chad Kassem, Jimmy D. Lane, Weeping Willie Robinson, Little Hatch, Mighty Sam McClain, David “Honeyboy” Edwards and more. https://www.facebook.com/share/p/14LD2zuP4fA/