What Joe Filisko shows here can EASILY be applied to amplified harp as well. Notice how his hands work to shape the sounds of what he's doing whereas the average player mainly uses their hands to just hold the instrument and not much beyond that. Combining what he does from the inside of his mouth and his hands is something EVERY harp player NEEDS to learn. REAL acoustic harp playing. ---------- Sincerely, Barbeque Bob Maglinte Boston, MA http://www.barbequebob.com CD available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bbmaglinte
Until about 2:50, I was wondering what the heck the Louis Armstrong reference was about. I guess in addition to the hand shaping he's using a glottal vibrato. I've never heard anybody work it like that though. Great stuff!
I've actually done it amplified and comes of more like the sax line Shep Shepherd played on the Bill Doggett instrumental classic Honky Tonk. ---------- Sincerely, Barbeque Bob Maglinte Boston, MA http://www.barbequebob.com CD available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bbmaglinte
Just saw them last night in Sydney! The Louis Armstrong style stuff was one of the highlights. His hand work is amazing. A lot of the time it sounds like he is playing into a cup. Lots to study and learn there.
Likewise I saw them in Sydney, and had the distinct privilege of driving Joe and Eric around. You'd be hard pressed to come up with a finer pair of gentlemen. As for the tune here, if I recall correctly, Joe said that he derived this style from Johnny Woods ---------- Tony Eyers Australia www.HarmonicaAcademy.com everyone plays...
What Joe's doing here is something I had the pleasure of seeing Big Walter Horton do a number of times over the years and I know for a fact he's a gigantic Big Walter fan, always scooping up everything he can about him and he had me make a copy of some live cassette tapes that I've had of BW the minute I told him about on a phone conversation when he was about to make a complete compilation listing of all of BW's recordings over the years. ---------- Sincerely, Barbeque Bob Maglinte Boston, MA http://www.barbequebob.com CD available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bbmaglinte
I'm ashamed to admit that until now I had thought of Joe Filisko as probably the world's best harp customiser. I now have an appreciation of how great a harp player he is. The video really blew me away. Thanks for posting.
The best customizers are all good harp players. Joe Filisko does some of the best SBWI I've ever heard. ---------- Sincerely, Barbeque Bob Maglinte Boston, MA http://www.barbequebob.com CD available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bbmaglinte
10. BUSY MAN: by J. Filisko Harmonica ("G" in 2nd) is inspired by Walter Horton, Rice Miller and John Lee Williamson. Special thanks to Big Jim Themelis for keeping me in search of Big Walter's tone. Note that all harp is played on the first 3 1/2 holes of the harmonica. Lyrics are my attempt to bring some levity to a subject that is not funny at all, . . . depression! JF Guitar (drop D tuning key of D). Inspired by the driving rhythms of acoustic bluesman Tommy McClennan. The guitar solo is a musical representation of the busy man yawning while Joe’s solo captures his snore. EN
I Liked the video and everything but didn't really see anything unusual about him using his hands, I always thought that was just part of playing the harp. this could be another example of a fellow doing the same but to a lesser extent I would think
it's about a minute and 20 before he starts playing
Interview by Ludo Beckers 2003- "Joe Filisko-open harp surgeon"
Ludo: You use some unusual techniques, like for instance a growling trumpet- or trombone- like sound. Did you develop these from older examples? Gwen Foster is one I recognize...
Joe:Positively it was not something I developed. I don't know even if I had a desire to be an original. I'm just trying to study some of the stuff that's already been done. I think half of those early names I mentioned all incorporated that to a degree. I think the player that I studied the hardest trying to imitate it was Gwen Foster, which I think is one of the more original, unique harmonica players that ever played. I know I practised consistently for 3, 4, 5 years before I felt I could get a good command of that growling sound. If I could've had somebody to explain it to me, probably I could've gotten it in a fraction of the time. So any of the techniques that you heard is stuff that I got listening, running over and over again, and trying to understand it. The secret is listen, practice, listen, practice, listen, practice and listen. That's what I do to get it.
