Jazz Harmonica: Sleepy Lester

Sleepy Lester playing


Interview with Sleepy Lester

Artist: Lester "Sleepy" Shulz
Medium: Harmonica
Location: Union Square Subway Station by the entrance to the Q

Lester Shulz doesn't know how or why he picked up the Harmonica, he just did. When he came to New York from Ohio in 1962 it was to teach drawing and paint, not to make music; but that's just not how fate would have it. After a lifetime of enjoying the smooth sounds of the harmonica Sleepy picked it up seriously in '69, now he plays with the MTA's music program. The MTA program is a competitive one which offers the right to perform and sell CD's on MTA property. With his skill Sleepy probably makes bank but I don't know what else he does, he's apparently kept up with his painting, though.

Like what you see? Check out:
Sleepy's inspirations - Chicago Style, Little Walter Jacobs, Sunny Boy Williamson, Big Walter, Toot Steelman, Stevie Wonder, Charlie Leighton (did I mispell a name? Contact me)
Don't know these artists? There's a google search bar at the top left of the page.

Really like what you see? Get in contact with Lester, go see him play or hire him for a gig
212-677-1998
Lester's been playing at the Greenwich Village Bistro for 7 years. The Bistro is at 13 Carmine St., right off the corner of 6th Ave, and W. 3rd St. His next gigs are on Friday March 2 and Thursday March 22 from 9pm-11pm.
Sleepy Lester often performs with a guitarist at 34th Street Penn Station outside of the McDonald's in the underground mall on Sundays from either 2-6 or 6-9.