To add to the list of obscure living harp players, I have recently discovered a California based harp player name Chris Hammer Smith. I became very intrigued whilst listing to the 1983 release by Paul McCartney and Michal Jackson titled "Say Say Say". The song features a prominent 2nd. position harmonica part, and Chris Smith even playes several overblows at the end of the song.
Wow, I haven't heard that song in aeons! That is some nice plucky harp. It reminds me that yes, there are song that have that robot voice effect AND harmonica, nice.
Does this mean Chris "discovered" the overblow? ---------- Shane,
No. Will Scarlett, the harmonica player from the band "hot tuna" was doing overblows on their first album in the 70's. ---------- Brandon O. Bailey Official Website of Superchucker
The earliest known recording of the use of an overblow is on the 1929 recording of "Mean Low Blues" by Blues Birdhead, played in first position on G harmonica. The recording is out of pitch, but here it is - the overblow occurs around the :47 mark:
