Diggsblues
1540 posts
Sep 10, 2014
5:23 AM
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This doesn't have to be a blues guy because blues is also part of the Jazz players world. There is lot of 3rd position stuff but a good chromatic player could play blues in other keys (positions) e.g. G blues on a Chrom.
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colman
318 posts
Sep 10, 2014
5:45 AM
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Steve Guyger,can bluze a chromatic harp as soulful as any one i`ve heard.....
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The Iceman
2035 posts
Sep 10, 2014
6:28 AM
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Saw Estrin and the Nightcats in Detroit a few weeks ago.
Rick's chromatic playing has really improved. He swings like a mutha.
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The Iceman
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al
99 posts
Sep 10, 2014
6:49 AM
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Like all this stuff Diggs it's all a bit subjective,but for me it's got tae be Paul deLay. Inventive and funky as...!
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http://www.reverbnation.com/#!/alprice
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tmf714
2692 posts
Sep 10, 2014
7:11 AM
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Dennis Gruenling bar none-tip of the top.
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6SN7
473 posts
Sep 10, 2014
7:24 AM
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Dennis Gruenling, hands down.
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The Iceman
2038 posts
Sep 10, 2014
7:26 AM
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Thought Dennis was almost the best till I experienced Estrin's recent playing.
His swinging seems to be a bit beyond just chromatic harmonica technique, closer to how big bands used to swing. Also, his ideas are not the typical blues chrom stuff. He will hang on a few notes and really work them in all sorts of permutations that builds and builds.
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The Iceman
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Frank
5258 posts
Sep 10, 2014
7:34 AM
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This is a tough one...I may have to go with Rick Estrin too, though - I would like to see them go head to head before I cast my final "for sure" vote...till then I say RICK ESTRIN :)
Last Edited by Frank on Sep 10, 2014 7:37 AM
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528hemi
450 posts
Sep 10, 2014
7:37 AM
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Rod Piazza
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harpoon_man
79 posts
Sep 10, 2014
8:41 AM
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Anyone who has not seen Dennis Gruenling live lately needs to check him out. He really stands out on chromatic, where his tone is huge, technique flawless, ideas innovative and fresh, and rhythm swings like mad. Also, Dennis is cutting loose on-stage and playing very hot these days whereas 5+ years ago, he could sometimes come off a bit on the cool side.
Rick Estrin is a master on the chromatic, no doubt, but I give the edge to Dennis as the top dog.
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tmf714
2693 posts
Sep 10, 2014
8:50 AM
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tmf714
2694 posts
Sep 10, 2014
8:51 AM
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tmf714
2695 posts
Sep 10, 2014
8:54 AM
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tmf714
2696 posts
Sep 10, 2014
8:56 AM
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-
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blingty
43 posts
Sep 10, 2014
9:22 AM
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Great playing there for sure.
I nominate Mike Turk as being one of the best chromatic players who can play blues. Coincidentally a hell of a diatonic player as well as a jazz player to rank with anyone else on the chrom, he can play many types of blues on the chrom, ranging from 3rd position minor 6 chord blues to full bebop blues. Here is some evidence:
Mike Turk's album Bluesin' Around
Bill Barrett is also an incredible player who plays blues.
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blintgy like soundcloud, ug
Last Edited by blingty on Sep 10, 2014 9:25 AM
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Diggsblues
1541 posts
Sep 10, 2014
10:36 AM
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Wow MIke Turk !!!!!!! I played with him in an ensemble
years ago at Turtle Bay Music school in NY.
He is above the heap in Chromatic skills.
He is also a great diatonic player.
Steve Guyger is great also.
We both studied with Forrest Scott for chromatic
in Philly.
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DanP
269 posts
Sep 10, 2014
4:00 PM
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If you mean living players, my vote would go to Rod Piazza. If you mean of all time I would say George Smith.
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blueswannabe
498 posts
Sep 10, 2014
8:48 PM
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@tmf714, i filmed that. Dennis had a great performance but I ran out of iPhone memory on some other great chromatic tunes. awesome show!
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Kingley
3695 posts
Sep 10, 2014
10:00 PM
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Sticking strictly to blues playing. I like the chromatic work of Paul deLay and Dennis Gruenling in particular. The fact that they don't just stick to 3rd position George Smith style playing is something I like a lot. I also agree that Estrin's recent chromatic work is impressive too.
Outside of blues I like so many chromatic players it's hard to list them all.
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Diggsblues
1542 posts
Sep 11, 2014
5:03 AM
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Well you can't leave out Toots this is a blues.
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Diggsblues
1543 posts
Sep 11, 2014
5:15 AM
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Oh yeah and don't forget Stevie
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Michael Rubin
946 posts
Sep 11, 2014
5:18 AM
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If dead is alright I go for William Clarke. Living I'd put Estrin and Piazza over Gruenling. I really appreciate Gruenling's ability and innovative ideas, but I don't get the feeling I get from others. It's a personal thing.
Also, I'd like to mention Greg Izor and Johnny Sansone. Oscher is also a great chromatic player.
Last Edited by Michael Rubin on Sep 11, 2014 5:52 AM
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barbequebob
2700 posts
Sep 11, 2014
10:41 AM
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For me, personally, when it comes to playing blues on a chromatic, hands down for me, it's George Harmonica Smith, who not only plays it in 3rd position like the way most blues players do, but he also on occasion has played it in 1st position as well.
I love the hell out of Toots, BUT he is a jazz player and his phrasing totally reflects that and I know a few people who saw a live blues festival in the 70's that George Smith played and Toots sat in with George and as great a player as Toots is, he sounded truly out of his element.
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Sincerely,
Barbeque Bob Maglinte
Boston, MA
http://www.barbequebob.com
CD available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bbmaglinte
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JTThirty
250 posts
Sep 11, 2014
12:17 PM
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I agree with those who chose George Smith. His disciples; Piazza, Gruenling, and William Clarke all crank the big harp equally well. Michael Rubin is correct, but Johnny Sansone and his disciple, Greg Izor, deserve more than a mention.
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Ricky B
http://www.bushdogblues.blogspot.com
RIVER BOTTOM BLUES--crime novel for blues fans available at Amazon/B&N and my blog
THE DEVIL'S BLUES--ditto
HOWLING MOUNTAIN BLUES--due out early 2015
Last Edited by JTThirty on Sep 11, 2014 12:17 PM
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Frank
5290 posts
Sep 11, 2014
5:06 PM
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Flávio Guimarães is a harmonica player, singer and Brazilian Blues pioneer. During a career that has spanned two decades, he has released 18 CDs - eight solo albums and ten as part of Brazil's premier Blues-Rock band "Blues Etílicos".
He is THE harmonica reference in Brazil, not only due to his pioneering work with the blues diatonic harmonica, but also due to his consistently evolving playing and the passing on of harmonica information. He has teached a whole generation of harmonica players in Rio de Janeiro, where he lives, comencing the blues harp movement in Brazil.
He has opened for B.B. King and Robert Cray. He has performed on stage with Buddy Guy, Taj Mahal, Charlie Musselwhite, Sugar Blue, Mark Ford, Mark Hummell, Walter Wolfman Washington and others.Howard Levy, Charlie Musselwhite and Sugar Blue are also special guests in some of Flávio's albums. He and his harmonica make regular appearances on recordings of top Brazilian musicians, as well as on television commercials and film and television soundtracks.
Flávio's most recent release is the CD Flávio Guimarães and Friends, with Charlie Musselwhite, Rick Estrin and the Nightcats, Steve Guyger, Gary Smith, Peter Madcat and Joe Filisko as special guests. This album is a selection of songs from various recording sessions made in Brazil from 2008 throughout 2011, with some of the most expressive and influential blues harmonica players in our present days.
Last Edited by Frank on Sep 11, 2014 6:19 PM
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Tweedaddict
161 posts
Sep 11, 2014
5:36 PM
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Frank,
Yep, Flávio is killer!!
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Greg Heumann
2827 posts
Sep 11, 2014
5:38 PM
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Interesting that nobody mentioned Mark Hummel. He plays a pretty mean chrome. But Hummel AND Estrin AND Piazza - they're all trying to emulate George Smith.
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***************************************************
/Greg
BlowsMeAway Productions
See my Customer Mics album on Facebook
Bluestate on iTunes
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barbequebob
2702 posts
Sep 12, 2014
8:23 AM
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Also Kim Wilson, who is also another George Smith disciple.
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Sincerely,
Barbeque Bob Maglinte
Boston, MA
http://www.barbequebob.com
CD available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bbmaglinte
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Michael Rubin
947 posts
Sep 12, 2014
9:56 AM
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Greg,
I disagree on Estrin. He probably learned from George but has a completely different style.
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1847
2160 posts
Sep 12, 2014
10:15 AM
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i get a lot of request when i play my harmonica
"but i play it anyway"
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droffilcal
72 posts
Sep 12, 2014
10:57 AM
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He may be a "jazz" player, but Toots is throwin down on that clip that Diggs posted......
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Michael Rubin
948 posts
Sep 12, 2014
11:07 AM
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1847 That is not Rick Estrin.
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wheel
306 posts
Sep 12, 2014
11:40 AM
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I'm surprised that nobody mentioned Sugar Blue. He plays unusual chromatic melodies and his approach is different from all these guys who plays in 3rd position.
My top for living players (with no order):
1. Sugar Blue.
2. Dennis Gruenling.
3. Rod Piazza.
4. Rick Estrin.
I'm think that best players that ever played blues on chromatic was:
5. George Smith
6. Norton Buffalo (he played not only in first and third position)
7. Paul Delay.
8. William Clarke.
9. Gary Primich.
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Konstantin Kolesnichenko(Ukraine)
my music
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kudzurunner
4954 posts
Sep 12, 2014
12:03 PM
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Here's the best that I know: Rick Estrin with Little Charlie & the Nightcats. Dennis may be as good as this--and he is truly superb in the video posted by tmf above ("Dennis Gruenling on Chromatic"; the slow blues one)--but he's not BETTER than this, IMHO. This swings in true jazz fashion--it's sick that way--and it's endlessly inventive and amazingly musical. This is the standard. (I'm happy to put Dennis and Rick in a tie at the very top of the chart):
Last Edited by kudzurunner on Sep 12, 2014 12:09 PM
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wheel
307 posts
Sep 12, 2014
12:30 PM
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And please don't forget "Scissorbill" and "Cool breeze" Estrin's chromatic instrumentals.
I also love this guy's chrom work :)
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Konstantin Kolesnichenko(Ukraine)
my music
Last Edited by wheel on Sep 12, 2014 12:30 PM
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Gus
17 posts
Sep 14, 2014
6:45 PM
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I second the vote for Bill Barrett. A really amazing player; I have no idea how to embed videos, but just search youtbe for Bill Barrett and Ryan Donohue or Paola Ronci & The Blues Guys for some of his recent work.
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R.Beau
1 post
Sep 16, 2014
8:44 PM
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I think I deciphered that on a few songs George Smith played a Chromatic 12 hole Key E with button mostly in =F to get a Blues in C Interesting harp combination F button in = C 2nd. pos.
F= 3rd pos.G min.
E Button out= B 2nd pos. and D minor 3rd. pos.
D and G are tonic relatives a lot of possibilities with this combo Seydell offers it and I will Give it a Whirl
Anyone out there ever tried this Harmonica.
R Beau
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R.Beau
2 posts
Sep 16, 2014
8:49 PM
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By the way My vote is For George Smith Given the Timeline if his Early inovations .Little Walter also played a mean Chromatic without much button work.
Carey bell is another one of my fav.s
R Beau
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Michael Rubin
950 posts
Sep 17, 2014
5:45 AM
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R. Beau, I believe you are incorrect. I have never thought George played an E chromatic. Please send a copy of the songs.
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Little roger
19 posts
Sep 17, 2014
5:55 AM
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Have to agree with Michael here. I am very sceptical about the fact that George Smith did what you suggested. I am not even sure he ever played a Chromatic in anything apart from 1st and 3rd. I would have to go through his records but off the top of my head, nope!
Last Edited by Little roger on Sep 17, 2014 5:56 AM
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R.Beau
3 posts
Sep 18, 2014
8:04 PM
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2nd. try maybe redundant sorry folks. Yes Here it is.
2 songs #1= Harp Stomp #2= Chicago City listen and try it on an F maj. 10 hole.
Think chromatic scale and correct me and tell me if I'm wrong.
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9000
203 posts
Sep 18, 2014
8:13 PM
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I'd like to give an honorable mention to Norton Buffalo for his chromatic work. I, especially, like his 2nd position stuff. His creativity definitely extended to the chromatic.
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Music speaks where words fail.
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Michael Rubin
952 posts
Sep 18, 2014
8:27 PM
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R. Beau, if you sent a link to these songs I can not find it in your post. Here is Harp Stomp:
This is in the key of C on a C Chromatic. Here is Chicago City: This is in the key of C on a C chromatic. Perhaps you have other versions of this song. Please link us if you do.
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Little roger
21 posts
Sep 18, 2014
10:09 PM
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MIchael is right. Classic George Smith first position stuff. C in C.
The Stomp number was heavy "inspiration" for Hummel in his song "Humblebug!" ;-)
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barbequebob
2709 posts
Sep 19, 2014
8:24 AM
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In order to tell, you gotta pay VERY CLOSE attention to the phrasing patterns, which is how you basically can tell what positions are being used and most people don't pay close enough attention to details of any kind.
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Sincerely,
Barbeque Bob Maglinte
Boston, MA
http://www.barbequebob.com
CD available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bbmaglinte
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1847
2184 posts
Sep 19, 2014
8:29 AM
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i realize that is not rick estrin
the thread asks the question
who plays the best blues on chromatic
i nominated mark prado
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money as debt
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1847
2192 posts
Sep 19, 2014
5:52 PM
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ok i am listening to chicago by george smith
is it with 100 per- cent certainty
he is using a C harp?
is it in the realm of possibility
a Bb ?
just curious.
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money as debt
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Michael Rubin
960 posts
Sep 19, 2014
6:32 PM
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I am 99.9% sure, 1847. There are moves that you can only do in first position that I am hearing.
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barbequebob
2710 posts
Sep 20, 2014
8:18 AM
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The easiest way to know if he is using a C or a Bb chromatic is to listen to the phrasing, number one, and then when he hits the major 3rd and with a Bb played in 3rd position, you HAVE to use the slide and often times, much like a guitar player, you're gonna hit the minor 3rd real quick and then the slide for the major 3rd and with 1st position, slide is unnecessary, but you gotta mess with both and learn the correct breathing patterns for the scales and with 1st position, you're gonna HAVE to use the slide a helluva lot more than in 3rd position. I know for a 100% fact that he is playing 1st position.
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Sincerely,
Barbeque Bob Maglinte
Boston, MA
http://www.barbequebob.com
CD available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bbmaglinte
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R.Beau
4 posts
Sep 20, 2014
12:07 PM
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OK. Folks. If may be so humble as to stand to be corrected. C chromatic first position makes perfect sense. Now I'll ask if it could be a 12 hole. I've tried That.It seems to work for me although a bit tricky on the button changes I should be able to at least find it all. This is a great revelation having played mostly 2nd Position Chromatic.
I'm even more impressed with George and my vote remains with Him as a Great Innovator.
Thanks Folks
R.Beau
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