kudzurunner
2450 posts
Apr 19, 2011
5:15 PM
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...or at least that's the claim investigated in this fascinating article:
http://www.camdennewjournal.com/news/2011/apr/harmonica-player-larry-adler-who-lived-camden-was-under-suspicion-uk-and-us-intelligen
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Michael Rubin
131 posts
Apr 19, 2011
5:27 PM
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It ain't necessarily so.
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RT123
170 posts
Apr 19, 2011
5:30 PM
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I'm afraid to comment. Politics, creed.....
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ElkRiverHarmonicas
644 posts
Apr 19, 2011
6:43 PM
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I had always thought of him more as a socialist.
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David
Elk River Harmonicas
"There are only two things money can't buy - true love and homegrown tomatoes." - Lewis Grizzard
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Miles Dewar
861 posts
Apr 19, 2011
7:38 PM
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Interesting.
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MP
1622 posts
Apr 19, 2011
10:51 PM
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i thought he was more of a socialite, with the tailed tux and all.
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MP
doctor of semiotics and reed replacement.
"making the world a better place, one harmonica at a time"
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The Gloth
592 posts
Apr 20, 2011
12:29 AM
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So what ?
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Mojokane
361 posts
Apr 20, 2011
12:50 AM
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...hmmmm, does that mean we can throw in a benign political thread if the person plays harp....coooool!
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Why is it that we all just can't get along?<
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Diggsblues
751 posts
Apr 20, 2011
3:46 AM
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I thought he was a harmononacist
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Emile "Diggs" D'Amico a Legend In His Own Mind
How you doin'
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apskarp
452 posts
Apr 20, 2011
5:34 AM
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Yes, playing harmonica may cause few side-effects.
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Youtube
Hoodoo Sauna
Blog
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walterharp
582 posts
Apr 20, 2011
6:30 AM
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actually the forum creed does not mention politics.. just respect, religion and racism.
since we are off topic, my grandfather used to talk about how the pre-mcarthy generation had many people who sympathized. He worked for a streetcar company that went on strike in the 1920's. The pinkertons came down the street on a streetcar and machine gunned the strikers down, his best friend got killed right next to him. He was later tasked with a report on the issue because a number of students at his college were killed that worked for the streetcars. He found out that the owner's son and a manager were in cahoots with the owner of the company to start the strike so they could bust the union and lower wages. no second thoughts about hiring assassins from a private company and no consequences for doing so. My grandpa's point, how can you blame people for distrusting capitalism in those times?
a few years later he, his wife and kids were almost killed in china as the communists swept in, they were missionaries and got the last plane out, so he was not unconditionally in favor of communism, just saw their point.. i suspect adler would say the same.
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Michael Rubin
132 posts
Apr 20, 2011
6:56 AM
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My comment, "It Ain't Necessarily So" is the title of Adler's autobiography. A fine read.
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Stevelegh
203 posts
Apr 20, 2011
7:05 AM
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I've felt free to speak after Walterharp clarified on the forum creed.
I actually like the 'nice' bits about communism. Everyone has the same, social equality, healthcare, food etc.
Sadly it just doesn't pan out in practice.
Edit:
Deleted a question.
Last Edited by on Apr 20, 2011 7:35 AM
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barbequebob
1621 posts
Apr 20, 2011
7:54 AM
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Adler was never a comminist at all and unfortunately, he suffered from the crazy ultra right wing conservative crap Joe McCarthy was doing to people, and he himself, especially by Edward R. Murrow, exposed McCarthy to be nothing but a fraud who hurt far too many people for political gain. Because of that crap, Adler moved out of the US permanently, renounced his US citizenship and became a citizen of the UK. The Larry Adler chromatics were banned for sale in the USA from the McCarthy era hearings of the 50's until the late 90's and when I had to order the cases for those chromatics, which were the last ones to still use a wooden box rather than the cheapo plastic leatherette cases Hohner was using at the time for everything else, I had to order them thru Hohner's old Canadian offices, and they didn't even know the Adler models were banned from being sold in the US because of the years of black listing Adler had here.
Politics and demagoguery, two things I absolutely despise, be it liberal or conservative and I've got little use for politicians.
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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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kudzurunner
2454 posts
Apr 20, 2011
8:53 AM
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I should clarify, since such things are easily misunderstood: I don't care what Adler's politics are; I couldn't care less whether he was a Communist or not. I simply came across the article by chance, was impressed by the graphics (!), thought that some here might be interested in the article, and posted it to a new thread that I then titled in the most sensationalistic and provocative way possible.
No ulterior motive. Certainly I did not mean to suggest that Adler was, or was not, a Communist, or that I cared much about his politics. The headline was, in essence, a "Killer Aliens Land in Central Park and Take Hostages!" sort of tabloid headline. Such headlines have marginal truthiness at best.
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walterharp
583 posts
Apr 20, 2011
9:57 AM
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ahh, playing the colbert of your bulletin board :-)
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ElkRiverHarmonicas
645 posts
Apr 20, 2011
10:30 AM
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I read Adlers autobiography when I was about 10 years old. Checked it out of the Elk River library in Big Chimney, WV. I was looking at it from the perspective of a 10 year old kid, of course, and it seemed to me Showbiz was a very cutthroat and seedy world. I'll have To read it again.
I spent quite a few Saturday afternoons in that library as a kid, listening to Larry Adler records.
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David
Elk River Harmonicas
"There are only two things money can't buy - true love and homegrown tomatoes." - Lewis Grizzard
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groyster1
1012 posts
Apr 20, 2011
10:33 AM
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socialism and communism are not the same Im very much left wing socialist but aint no commie socialism is an economic system and communism is a political system
Last Edited by on Apr 20, 2011 10:38 AM
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harmonicanick
1158 posts
Apr 20, 2011
11:31 AM
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Larry did a series for BBC radio a few years ago, reminiscing about his life and music, and name dropping a lot.
He said he felt he had to learn to read music score because Lauren Bacall said to him 'you are so smug, and you can't read music'
He led an extraordinary and very interesting life.
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Rick Shanks
35 posts
Apr 20, 2011
3:06 PM
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I also have had a copy of his book "It Ain't Necessarily So" for twenty five years or so. What a character he was ! Well worth a read for any harmonica player. In his determination to make a name for himself, he did much to bring the instrument into the 'spotlight'.
Was fortunate to meet him .. and have my book signed :) when he last performed in NZ.
KiwiRick
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phogi
522 posts
Apr 21, 2011
1:15 PM
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Interesting. Particularly intersting to me is how modern performers are expected to be either apolitical or on the fringe. I often feel that I don't actually have the right to political opinions - as I've watched person after person lose their jobs, career, etc because of a few words here of there. I think about how iften I don't say what's on my mind because I fear it will come back to ruin my life.
So I ask myself, am I really free?
Bump this topic if you ever feel that way. I'm just curious to see if I am alone in this.
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Mojokane
363 posts
Apr 21, 2011
7:54 PM
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Yeah, good point, phogi...when you are in a position of 'power' over others. You are judged by many.
It's always the unhappy, ax to grind, jealous and malicious, people who will see to it you are smeared. Personally, I don't care to hear a musician talk politics. Because it's usually some left wing cry baby moaning about how every thing is fucked up. Then, blames some rich person or corporation for all their woes. We're not really free, is so true. But we are free-er than most.
Seriously, a comedian can get away with it. But not a musician. Too many creepy people are listening....and planning your demise. Better to talk light hearted comic relief, than to spout your personal opinions about the status quo. Or whatever. Safer too.
I'm still alittle tongue tied when I have to try and connect with the audience. It's getting easier. I have found it easier to educate with facts about the piece I'm playing. And maybe, oh...btw, did you know he was a communist sympathizer?
nah...maybe not!
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Why is it that we all just can't get along?<
Last Edited by on Apr 21, 2011 7:57 PM
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