So I'm leaving the Wille Nelson concert at the Fillmore in SF tonight, walking down the sidewalk and talking about the show with my buddy. "I love Willie - his songs, his voice, his guitar playing BUT" I'm telling my friend, - "seeing him live always drives me crazy - because he just will not sing or play in time with the band. It always comes off rushed to my ear. His singing has also gotten more clipped with age it seems.
"The harp player too" I say, "He is really good, but his playing is also very clipped" In front of me on the sidewalk is this tall curly haired dude who turns around right after my comment - Well damned if it isn't the man himself- Mickey Rafael!
Well I of course am embarrassed - and shift into as sweet a mode as I can -trying to get my foot out of my mouth. I ask him about the tour and we end up taking harp for a while, then despite the long night he's had, - he waits while I dig out a pen and signs my poster, then asks ME what I thought of his tone through the PA. tonight. All this after he heard me in so many words - say I didn't like his style of playing!
I want to make it clear that I respect the hell out him and his playing - even though it's not thoroughly to my taste. It is brutally honest and clean. Always serves the music and the song and is never about his ego or accolades. A ribbon mic though the PA with no reverb, no delay - no nutting but a little eq. Butt Nakid sound - and often on an F harp.
Tonight it was just him and Willie on lead instruments, plus a touch of piano from Willies sister. A lot of work. What a mench.
Mickey has a lot to be grateful for--glad he is gracious. Seems solid . . . I think his playing is fine, but I don't really emulate any other harmonica player. I understand that Mickey is a god in Texas--Greg Jones, can you confirm?
Gnarly, in Texas Mickey, and anyone in Willie's band, is high in the stratosphere of A list musicians. However, as far as discussions between harp players, he is easily forgotten.
No one actually knows where he lives. If he is in Austin I have never seen him around town and we are very relaxed and respectful with celebrities.
Since he never plays with any smaller acts, he is kind of outside of the scene. Austin is also home to a lot of great unknown musicians and so great musicianship alone doesn't really elevate anyone to God status.
I also have had a great experience with Mickey. I saw Willie when I was 17 (30 years ago) found Mickey during the break and he took the entire break to talk harp with me.
I believe that Mickey is the most underrated player around due to Willie Nelson. I have heard that Willie wants him to play the same licks, at the same time, in every song, over and over again. In other words, not giving him the latitude to cut loose. To me. this appears to be the truth. I am sure Willie is paying him well and I would be inclined to do the same if I was in Mickey's position. I have seen videos of Mickey with other bands and he is a true talent. I have heard he is hanging around with Chris Stapleton lately. Maybe something is in the works.
Is that Mickey on harp with Waylon Jennings song "Lonesome, Ornry, and Mean"? I love that harp, suits the song perfectly. Waylon is my favorite country singer, by far.
Willie seems a little like he's been running on autopilot for awhile now, like Jack Nicholson with his acting..
Supposedly Willie was very influenced by Django Rheinhardt; it would by cool if they could put together a little Django-thing interlude with Mickey as Stephane Grappelli, or would that disorient the purists too much?
I have spent a fair amount of time with Mickey. When he comes to town (about once a year) I meet up with him backstage or on his bus. I have built many harps for him which he uses both on stage and in recording sessions. I’ve also repaired quite a few harps for him
I disagree with 99’s statement that “Willie wants him to play the same licks, at the same time, in every song, over and over again”. Willie does a lot of improvisation, including key changes on the fly, which makes it a challenge to keep up with him. During the show, you can see Mickey testing harps off mic to get the right key so he can follow Willie. I’m sure playing with Willie for the past 40 years makes it a little easier for Mickey that it might be for the rest of us but he as to think on his feet and figure out how to fit in and contribute to the music. He does and awesome job.
A lot of us that hang out on this website are used to the prototypical front man lead singer harmonica player. Kim Wilson, Mark Hummel, Little Walter, James Cotton – and the list goes on. Mickey does not do vocals. He just plays the harp. Period. That may affect the way some see him. He doesn’t take a lot of extended solos when he plays with Willie. About ever 3rd or 4th song he’ll step up and solo. He is a different kind of harp player than a lot of guys. I can tell you, the guys in the business respect Mickey.
I just happened to catch the airing of the CMT’s All-Star Tribute to Merle Haggard on TV the other night. It was recorded on Feb. 27th. Mickey played with every artist and he absolutely killed it! It was a great show. Here’s the set list from that show.
If anyone is in contact with Mickey and so inclined, please pass on my appreciation for the time he took after a long day last night. I really do respect him as a player, - and he's obviously a really nice guy.
Mickey R is to be envied. He has gotten his meal ticket as a harmonica player for more than 40 years with Willie, and done it great. Still, it´s interesting to compare him and his sound and prescense with, e.g. this recording from -79 to how he does it today. I must confess that it took me a long time to get the greatness of Willie Nelson, but when I heard the rawness of his stuff from this time period it took me a bit closer:
I think Mickey is a wonderful player. What I like most is he is a part of a band. I think Willie brought him on after loosing his steel player. So Mickey is filling that part of the sound. He adds great color, is understated and plays what is needed. I really respect him and players like him. It is not necessary for harps to always play lead and be loud. I am less of a blues guy and much more Honky Tonk Country and the new, harder to describe, Texas Country sound. This kind of music sits well with my playing. I think he fits in perfect for the settings....
Mickey is as humble, gracious, and friendly as they come.
Last time I saw him live, maybe three years ago, he met me outside the venue and brought me in, but first asked me to try a harp he'd gotten from a new customizer to see what I thought of it - this is on first meeting.
The next day we got together and worked on a way for him to approach a particular tune where, per my suggestion, 5th position seemed to work best - he's asking me for advice and I'm pinching myself!
A couple of years ago Jason and I decided to ask him to teach at the Harmonica Collective. And, true to form, and just as he'd responded when we'd try to get him to come and play at the SPAH convention, he answered that first, he'd probably be busy with Willie (turned out to be true), and second, he didn't feel comfortable in the limelight and didn't feel he had anything to teach anybody about the harmonica (*highly* debatable).
In a world of professional harmonica players with somewhat strong egos, it's refreshing to find at least one truly humble and very musical player who is not interested in being the focal point. ---------- The Iceman
Buddy Rich, who could have an ego like the world's biggest flamethrower at times, used to say "music is love", and he was right. It's much much bigger than any one of us shredder wannabes..
Get out of the way and do what the music wants. I think Mickey gets that.
