H.P Lange

By Johnny Petersen

For almost four decades Hans-Peter Lange has been a travelling blues man and counts as one of the Danish blues veterans.

“In spite of his humble appearance, this night he makes the dancing audience boil with enthusiasm and the mood is very high during the three-hour long show.” – from an evening at the Mojo Blues Bar, Copenhagen.

On stage is always delivered an energetic mix of delta blues, gospel and old timey folk music. All songs are performed acoustic, either on his antique National Resonator or on his Martin 00028EC. Sometimes solo and sometimes backed by his incredibly tight band, Big Gumbo, with banjo, fiddle, double bass and drums. He is also playing the banjo himself.

Some of the songs is by his own pen but many were also collected during his stay in Louisiana in 1994 when he was still a young man. While traveling to Mississippi he befriended Kenny Brown who introduced him to Junior Kimbrough and R.L. Burnside and later he met with John Mooney among others and invited them to Scandinavia where he was touring with them. These people have also stayed his main inspirations during his career.

He became first inspired by the Chicago Blues when he was sixteen and singing in the quire in his father’s country side Church. His first guitar teacher knew a few acoustic blues songs and after listening to an acoustic recording with Sonny Boy Williamson(I) he was hooked. He then studied music for three years at the conservatory.

H.P. Lange has received a number of awards and recorded twelve CD’s (2020). When he not on the road he is helping his wife running a small farm with horses, lambs and 6.000 Christmas trees. – “A bad idea he says with a grin.” During the years he has played in a number of constellations like “Blues Jamboree”, “The 29 Songs Of Robert Johnson”, “H.P. Lange Trio”, “The Delta Connection” and others. When he can find the time, he likes to give workshops, both for children in schools as well as for older fans.