Harmonic Convergence at B.B. King’s Club

I think it was Mae West who once said, “Too much of a good thing can be wonderful.”

For those people who can’t get enough of good blues harp playing, B. B. King’s has a show for you this weekend.

Two of Southern California’s premiere blues harmonica players--Rod Piazza and John “Juke” Logan--will be featured Friday and Saturday at the Universal City blues joint.

Riverside-based Piazza and his Mighty Flyers have garnered many accolades and a handful of awards over the last few years. Especially touted for their rousing live performances, they have ranked among the top four live performers in Living Blues magazine’s readers poll every year since 1993. Their 1994 “Live at B. B. King’s, Memphis” CD was named best blues album of the year in the Indie awards, given out by the National Assn. of Independent Record Distributors.

Other members of the band include Rod’s wife, Honey Piazza, on piano, Rick Holmstrom on guitar, Bill Stuve on bass and Steve Mugalian on drums.

Opening the show for Piazza will be a duo--Logan and guitarist Doug MacLeod.

If you’ve watched the “Roseanne” show over the last eight years or so, you’ve heard Logan--he supplies harp licks for the show.

“I’ve been doing my best to put the blues in prime time,” Logan says. “I feel good I had a small part in whatever revival of the blues there is.”

Logan is certainly one busy guy. He has blown harp in the studio with the likes of Ry Cooder, Albert Collins, Leon Russell, Los Lobos and many others.

Recently, he played with Los Lobos, backing John Lee Hooker on a remake of the tune “Dimples” for Hooker’s upcoming release “Don’t Look Back.” Logan was thrilled to work with the blues master.

“To say I’m honored is an understatement,” Logan says. “I’m honored beyond words.”

Of Los Lobos, Logan says though it isn’t known for its blues, it is “a better blues band . . . than most blues bands out there.”

Logan has worked on lots of movie and television soundtracks, starting with the Walter Hill film “Streets of Fire” back in 1984. He shared harmonica chores with blues legend Sonny Terry on the movie “Crossroads.” Logan says he was hoping to meet and jam with Terry at the movie’s wrap party, but Terry died about a month after contributing his part. Other movies where Logan’s harp can be heard include “Two Days in the Valley,” “La Bamba” and “Midnight Run.”

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Besides performing in a duo around town with MacLeod, Logan also does a regular Tuesday night gig with his band, the Chill Aces, at the Derby in Los Feliz.

If that weren’t enough, Logan’s first solo CD, “The Chill,” was released in 1995 in the United States. The album features 14 original songs by Logan that have a definite blue hue if not a standard 12-bar form. The record has received airplay not only on blues stations but has also crossed over to other radio formats.

His second album, “Juke Rhythm,” which he describes as more of the same but “bluesier,” “funkier” and with “maybe a little more swank,” has been released in Europe and will probably be available here sometime this spring.

And in addition to playing locally and extensive recording dates, Logan also hosts a blues radio program on KPCC-FM.

“The radio show is very much a labor of love for me,” Logan says. “Every now and then, I get about five hours’ sleep.”

* Rod Piazza and the Mighty Flyers, John “Juke” Logan and Doug MacLeod perform Friday and Saturday nights at B. B. King’s Blues Club, at Universal CityWalk, 1000 Universal Center Drive. $12 cover. Call (818) 622-5464.