I'm genuinely surprised to have stumbled across this gem. I've been saying for years that there basically ISN'T a tradition of blues harmonica in the North Mississippi hills, with the notable exception of Johnny Woods. Seven years ago I posted a clip of Strickland playing, but it's not very good playing. (You can use the forum search function to find that short thread: search Napoleon Strickland.) But this clip is great. This is the sort of seemingly simple but actually quite difficult to get right playing that makes people say, "I want to play the harmonica like that."
Yes, this is what tone is really about. It's all in the technique. Not the mics, pedals, amps, and custom harps.
Last Edited by AppalachiaBlues on May 28, 2017 1:33 PM
Reminds me of what Phil Woods said about meeting Charlie Parker: "I thought there was something wrong with my sax, my mouthpiece, my strap..Bird picked up my horn and I found out there was nothing wrong with my sax, my mouthpiece, or my strap"