After long deliberation, I've made a couple of changes to the all-time blues harmonica greats lists. I've vaulted Jason Ricci from the honorable mention list up into the Top-10. I've moved Howlin' Wolf from Top-10 to Second-10. And I've put Rev. Dan Smith in the honorable mention. Hated to make that last move, but he just hasn't been as influential as Jimmy Reed--although he's technically much more gifted than Reed and has at least as much soul, if not more.
My rationale for Jason is simple, and is derived from the criteria that I stated plainly when I first created the lists and that still remain in place above the lists, unchanged since day one. The lists are designed to orient students of the instrument towards the fullest possible spectrum of brilliant, original, irreplaceable, influential playing: the core of the tradition, considered in its full breadth. Jason stands at the present extreme of the tradition. His technical gifts are unquestionable. His musical sensibility and soulfulness (the song and the fire inside) have been amply demonstrated--not just in his recordings but in his YouTube clips, including a particular slow blues in C, played on an F harp, that had many of us shaking our heads in the best way. He's completely mastered the tradition--with the notable exception of chromatic harp. (But of course many players in the Top 10 don't play much chromatic harp.) He's demonstrated his brilliance in first, second, and third position--and twelfth position beyond that. He has an immediately identifiable style; he meets the three-second test with flying colors: hear three seconds of JR on the radio and you know instantly who it is, much as you know that Sonny Terry is in the house. Jason has already had an notable influence on the stylistics of a generation of younger players, much as George Smith did.
In my opinion, a young student of the instrument coming on the scene who asked "Who is essential? Which players simply can't be eliminated from a list of the all-time greats without doing damage to a full and honest accounting of where the blues harmonica has been and where it's going?" would be ill-served if he (or she) were presented with a Top-10 list--a short list--that failed to include Jason. I believe he represents a significant and enduring step forward by a player who has made his living in the blues world for several decades and knows the tradition inside and out.
A player coming on the scene right now who said, "I want to be the greatest blues harmonica player who ever lived" would be just as much of a fool to neglect Jason Ricci as to neglect any other player on that Top 10 list, including Little Walter, Sonny Terry, and Paul Butterfield. Each of those players has contributed something irreplaceable to the tradition--something that a truly serious student of the instrument and idiom would be ill-advised not to confront. That's what I'm saying.
Here are the lists as they currently stand. Please note, as stated on the webpage in question, that players WITHIN lists are in no particular order. Their positions within the lists don't denote rankings.
TOP-10 ALL-TIME: Little Walter (Jacobs) Big Walter (Horton) James Cotton John Lee “Sonny Boy” Williamson (aka, Sonny Boy I) Rice Miller (aka Sonny Boy Williamson, Sonny Boy II) Sonny Terry Junior Wells Jason Ricci Paul Butterfield George “Harmonica” Smith
SECOND-10 ALL-TIME: Sugar Blue Kim Wilson Jimmy Reed Carey Bell Magic Dick Paul deLay DeFord Bailey Charlie Musselwhite Howlin' Wolf Billy Branch
It occurs to me, looking at the lists, that of the players on the Top-10 list, only two are still living: Cotton and Ricci. Make of that what you will.
Last Edited by on Feb 15, 2012 8:55 PM
I started playing harmonica because I just wanted to play something. I've had carpel tunnel issues in the past and most instruments are out. I was chugging along, not really excited, and then I heard Jason sounding like an electric guitar and suddenly I wanted to be a great harmonica player. :)
I think I've mentioned this before, but when I discovered Adam's music I really didn't know much about the blues or the harmonica world. I ran across one of his videos and signed up (maybe it was on MySpace?) as a friend and then got distracted by something else for a little while- then I got an email/update screaming about Magic Dick/Whammer Jammer. I was sure I'd accidentally been signed up for porn! And the rest is history. :)
I have checked the list of all time greats and i have a sugestion for the honorable mention.His name is Papa Lightfoot.What do you think about his playing??
This thread is about Jason and I'm sure he will be pleased to hear Adam has vaulted him into the top 10.
I know everyone has different tastes but if you ever saw Jason live and in top form, like him or not, you will understand why he deserves this distinguished honor. He plays the blues harmonica in a way no one has ever heard before. True, he does not play Chromatic, but he plays chromatically.
I won't try to explain it..just listen. This is a link to a full concert in Germany a couple years ago.
Jason is without a doubt the srv of harmonica....a more gifted player has never took a breath. kzr you can be proud of the way you influenced this musical genius.
I have no interest in these sort of lists, although they may have some value for beginners, pointing out great players. But I´m baffled by Howling Wolf´s presence: did he really contribute anything original or technically remarkable on the harp? (I suppose those would be two criteria for inclusion.) Compare him to, say, Gwen Foster, and he´s blown out of the water. Have I missed something? HW was a formidable bluesman, no doubt about it, but just a functional harmonica player. One of the 20 best of all time seems to take his general blues credits, and they were, I repeat, formidable, into another sphere where there were thousands of equal capacity.
Jason Ricci seems to have reached into to everybody's pocket of musical treasures, gorging himself like a hungry wolf on their inspiration and ideals - digesting all their combined masterful lessons and creating a SEAMLESS STYLE of harmonica playing that defies any perceived limitations the harmonica is thought to of ever possessed. Truly he is ONE in a million,if not ten million...Jason defies being a name on a list- in my opinion, HE is the "LIST" !!!
I concur with adding Jason, for what it's worth. His style of playing is ground-breaking and trailblazing, in the same way as other players such as Little Walter or Butterfield were. No one had ever heard such playing before they came along, and I feel Jason's playing is to par with that same effect. He's not a copycat;his playing is distinguishable from anyone else's as was PB or LW. They both inspired legions of players' styles, and Jason is now doing the same thing. ---------- Todd L. Greene
We had a long debate about Howlin' Wolf on this forum about a year ago. It's important to judge him, in this context, strictly for his harp playing: extraordinary tone, extraordinary power, the paradigm of soulfulness. All of that is apart from his power as an overall performer. To some extent, the way he wielded his harp in the overall context of performance IS a part of his greatness as a harp player. I think most people would agree that he belongs, as a harp guy, somewhere in the top-20. But his range isn't great. He has some nice jump chordal stuff--I spent time copying it--but mostly he just blasts away on the 2 draw and 4 draw in an epic way, as in "Poor Boy."
I assume that as many people will disagree with my demoting him as will agree with you in questioning his presence altogether. I'm somewhere in the middle. If he were alive, of course, I would have left him right where he was. :)
Maybe you need to start another 'Top 10' list-Best Harmonica-playing Frontmen, which would have to take into account the player's stage persona. Howlin Wolf would DEFINITELY have to be on that list. ---------- Todd L. Greene
Howling Wolf can`t be put on just a harp,it`s the whole package...voice,harp,guitar,showmanship...He could make you pay attn. and scare the pi$$ out of you if you didn`t know what was comming..."the men don`t know but the little girls understand" i saw him 2 times and met him ,amazing...
True, - when I think of the WOLF, I don't really think about his playing of instruments, I too am personally moved by the "whole package" he offers! And if I needed to describe what WOLF was about to a classroom of folks that never heard of him -"Master Story Teller" would probably be a good place to start!
You know when I first read what you said about Jason I thought What? I don't share all of your opoins about Jason's style. I didn't say I didn't think he was a great harmonica player, but in the top ten of all time great BLUES harp players. First I don't consider him a blues harmonica player. After I read the whole post and listen to a bunch of you tube vids. Honestly he's probably THE harp player out of all of them. He does have a different style and like you said that's why he belongs there not why he doesn't! I'm surprised to see Junior Wells in the top ten above MAGIC DICK and Sugar Blue. Hear is another way to look at it. Think about this: Has there been anyone in the history of the harmonica that made people go out and buy a harmonica more than Magic Dick? Mick Dick single handedly had white people for the whole decade of the 70's buying harmonicas. I have heard the story over and over about people buying harps and wanting to play like Magic Dick and then finding out all the great blues harp that is there. I'll admit it when I bought my first harp I didn't know who Little Walter was. How many people do you think Junior Wells drove into being obsessed with the harp? I'm sure Suger Blue was a major influence for some people to. I never heard anyone say they started playing after hearing Sugar Blue, but it's possible! Anybody else have similar stories about Magic Dick? Adam the day you bought your first harp did Magic Dick have anything to do with it and did you know how Little Walter was? I'm just curious because your at the perfect age where you remember how big Magic Dick was.
Last Edited by on Feb 16, 2012 8:09 AM
Personally I think Jimmy Reed has had far more influence and is more indispensable to the way we play blues harp than Jason, Cotton or Wells. I might put Reed in there and kick off Wells. I might put Musselwhite ahead of Jason and Wells.
I agree that of all players of my generation (I am 42 years old) Jason has had the most influence.
I am surprised William Clarke is on neither list. I certainly view Clarke as as influential as Jason, but that is just from my perspective. I remember how everyone I knew went crazy over Blowing Like Hell and Serious Intentions. I also might consider putting Estrin and Piazza in the second list ahead of Bell, Wolf and Branch. Just my opinion. All great players.
Since Choo-Choo noises and playing solo are all the rage here, I think this is more than enough proof of Jason's blues chops and blues foundation to state that he can surely keep paces with ANY blues harmonica player (otherwise just check out his studio cuts of Down at the Juke).
And then there is the art of playing blues with a full band (and then back to solo, which I think is excessive)...
My favorite debate of all time is how a contemporary player can't be blues enough if they have an original sound. I mean imagine Little Walter being a contemporary innovator and not being content with the status quo!
***I think doing that much solo jamming at a show is a bit excessive, but they are good examples of foundational blues mastery...so I am judging strictly on blues merit and nothing else.
@Michael Rubin
I agree that Jimmy Reed has done more than Wells for harmonica. Musselwhite and Clarke are good calls as well, however no one on either list can match the sheer ability and depths of what Jason can do - even when viewed strictly within the blues idiom. Jason could keep paces with anything those guys have recorded, but they wouldn't be able to keep up with what Jason has done.
Good points Michael I don't actually like the way Jimmy reed played, but if it wasn't for him James Cotton probably woundn't have played "Honest I Do" the way he did. Or would Magic Dick did the highend part of Whammer Jammer?
I use to call Charlie Musselwhite the first smart Blues harpist! I'm not going to break that down. You have to do alot of listening and studying to understand what that means. I also like your grouping of Rick Estrin Rod Piazza Carey Bell Howling Wolf and Billy Branch. I'd pick Rick Estrin out of that line up all day!
Lists are always subjective. It's Adam's bat & ball and HIS list. We could all quibble over his choices ad nauseum, but in the end we all have our personal choices that fit his criteria. I like his addition of Jason. The 1st time I saw Jason, I was completely blown away. I hadn't heard a note of his playing. The club owner told me-"You have to see this guy-he's unbelievable". I went home that nite both elated and depressed. Depressed because everything I knew about playing harp was torn asunder. I was ready to throw my harps off the bridge. I eventually got over that,thank goodness. As far as calling him a blues player-yes he most certainly is,but he's also more than that.But a lot of great players on any instrument take ideas from other music genres. I think if LW was born a baby boomer,he would have stretched out even more than he did.
@Michael: I actually agree with you about William Clarke. And Jimmy Reed, in fact. Jimmy Reed was very influential, but his range was very limited. No better than Junior Parker, certainly--who was a fine player, but not a Top-20 player. Should Reed, too, be cast onto the honorable mention pile? I just can't do it. Carey Bell, on the other hand...........
As for Wells: well, here's a good question: If you move Wells from the Top-10 to the Second-10, who moves up? Kim Wilson or Sugar Blue?
The crucial question for me is how to balance the various criteria.
Papa Lightfoot was an incredible player. There's an argument to be made, certainly, for sneaking him onto that second list.
I love William Clarke. I have a hard time, personally, ranking him above his two obvious peers: Rod Piazza and Rick Estrin. But I can see why some might want to put him--or Norton Buffalo!--on that second-10 list. I sure can.
As for Magic Dick: I admire him greatly. Top-10 all time? I'm just not sure.
Lots to think about. I don't think anybody would argue that Sonny Terry belongs in the Top-10, but does Junior Wells?
I'd like to hear a good argument from the Wells partisans for keeping him up there.
@7limit7J: Attitudinizing isn't critical thinking. I offered substantial reasons for the change I've just made vis a vis JR. The least you can do is attempt to rebut them. Work with my lists. In order to make space for the three players you've just mentioned, please tell us which players you would demote, and why, using the criteria I've laid out. Those three players are terrific--but so are several dozen of the players on my honorable mention list, including, not least, Norton Buffalo, Mitch Kashmar, and Paul Oscher. This isn't a popularity contest, but an attempt to speak to the fullest possible range of blues harmonica excellence, using carefully-chosen criteria. You certainly don't have to agree with me--this would be a boring place if everybody did--but you'll have to engage. If you dare.
Last Edited by on Feb 16, 2012 9:38 AM
Just wanted to correct a small point voiced several times in this discussion. Jason does play chromatic. On 'Done with the Devil' he's credited with chrom on the intro to 'Broken Toy'. I saw him do a couple tunes on a Suzuki G-48 chrom in the last show I saw in Washington State. He was very excited about the Suzuki and insisted I try it out! He also has a couple youtube videos on 'BASIC Chromatic for the Blues Diatonic Player' and 'Basic Blues Slide Exercise For Chromatic Harmonica'
§ORIGINALITY. I call this the three-second test. If you turned on the radio and heard this player, could you tell within three seconds that it was them--assuming you knew their music to begin with? Each player in my Top-10 plainly meets this criterion. (So do many, but not all, in the Second-10 and Honorable Mention. Your local "traditionalist" pro, whose sound is a not-quite mixture of Little Walter, James Cotton, and Sonny Boy Williamson, doesn't pass this test.) Lurking within what harp players call "tone" is the absolutely individuated voice, if you're lucky enough to develop one.
§INFLUENCE. Are the players in question central to the tradition of blues harmonica as it has emerged over the past 100+ years? Are they foundational in some way? Do they help modernize, consolidate, or conserve the tradition? Have they spawned imitators, including very good players who never escape their orbit? If you leave them off the list, has an injustice plainly been done? (John Lee Williamson changed the way everybody who came after him played harp. Billy Branch and Sugar Blue are, in very different ways, both the inheritors and modernizers of the Chicago blues harmonica tradition.)
§TECHNICAL MASTERY. Does this player make music at a speed or with a complexity that sets him or her above the rest? (Little Walter in "Back Track" and "Roller Coaster," James Cotton in "Creeper Creeps Again," and Paul Butterfield in "Goin' to Main Street" set a standard here, and Sonny Terry wins admission on the basis of pretty much any thing he's every recorded. Sugar Blue raises the bar yet again. And please don't forget DeFord Bailey.) Or, alternately, does this player have an extraordinary ability to hit the deep blues pitches, especially the so-called "blue third" that I discuss in many of my videos? (Junior Wells exhibits this sort of mastery.)
§SOULFULNESS. In some ways, this criterion should lead things off. We're talking about blues harmonica, after all, not basket weaving. We're talking about an extraordinarily expressive instrument. The thing it seeks to express is a range of passions and moods, many of them very powerful and a few of them downright ugly. Does this player attack his or her instrument with ferocity that makes you shiver, or jump? Or with a late-night hoodoo-spookiness that makes you feel your own loneliness? Or with some magical combination of all those things that makes you cry? (Howlin' Wolf makes the Top-10 list for obvious reasons; so does Rice Miller, a.k.a. "Sonny Boy Williamson II." Rev. Dan Smith, who may be less familiar to you, is the definition of soulful)
§RECORDED EVIDENCE. In order to earn a spot on one of the lists below, a player (or the partisans of a player) must be able to convince with the help of recorded evidence. Buddy Bolden was the greatest trumpet player ever to come out of New Orleans, many say, but he never made a recording. Obviously the best and most influential players can't be fully summarized by 10 minutes' worth of vinylized or digitized performances, and some players--John Lee Williamson in particular--don't benefit from this exercise. Still, it has its virtues as a teaching tool and a way of guiding the conversation. If pushed, and if given time to do some additional research, I could supply, for every player below, three recordings that justify their selection. I've mentioned a few of those recordings above; I encourage you to compile your own lists. ("Juke" is one of Little Walter's Big Three; "Whammer Jammer" is Magic Dick's prime cut, but his incredible intro to "Stoop Down #39" also belongs there. Never heard of it? Aha. Lists are useful!) As you argue over my lists--and I hope you'll argue over them, on my blues harp forum and elsewhere--I challenge you to supply those Top 3 recordings for any player you believe deserves higher ranking and/or inclusion. You're convinced that mistakes have been made here? Tell us what we should listen to. Don't just gripe; make your best case by supplying evidence. (Note: please don't make your case to me in an email. Instead, share it with the blues harp forum. I'll be joining the dialogue there from time to time.)
@7LimitJI
There is only one player out of 20 that is under 40 (maybe even under 50). I think only JR, and I could be wrong, wasn't gigging heavily or established as a pro through the 80's revival. Hell, in the top 10 only JR and Cotton are even alive.
IMO, the west coast swing stuff is covered in the top 10 by George Smith. I agree it is odd the Clarke isn't on there (but Magic Dick, the Wolf, and Jr Wells are), yet I don't think Piazza or Estrin really add skill sets to the list that aren't already represented.
Piazza has a trademark tone and has done some really cool harmonica work, but his foundation is so closely tied to Smith...Estrin, IMO, is interchangeable with a lot of middle-aged white pros. I just don't think he would have as much originality as others already on the list.
Kim Wilson is a tricky one as he has a great resume, but does he have the originality and influence as even Piazza? Kim is my favorite, but I don't read or see or hear much about people being really influenced by Kim.
It is hard to judge influence...If you look even a hair beyond hardcore harpers, most people wouldn't know most of the top 20 and even fewer hobbiests would say they try to cop licks from those guys.
Jason has an x factor in that he is a HUGE influence in the scene right now at a time where people can access his music and lessons on his style for free like crazy. In addition, he, as well as Billy and Sugar and Charlie, have more than enough recorded evidence of them being able to not only play a traditional style, but also being able to really push it forward. Their technical mastery points are close to double some of the more niche players.
In contrast, Kim, even in the Tbirds, always sounds like a blues harmonica player playing over rock music, etc. I don't get how Dick is on there at all. I understand Whammer Jammer, but I can't even name one other song where his harmonica playing made the tune.
Jr. Wells does have STYLE eeekin out his ears and I love the simplistic excellence in his harpin. He had the ability to command a stage and preach the blues like few others.
Listen to Jr when he isn't the frontman/singer. IMO, a lot of his fame and popularity has little to do with harmonica. I would say the same thing about the Wolf.
I can't argue against Jr being a great harp player, but I think his harmonica influence is a product of the whole package and not apples to apples harmonica playing comparisons.
Harpninja says:however no one on either list can match the sheer ability and depths of what Jason can do - even when viewed strictly within the blues idiom. Jason could keep paces with anything those guys have recorded, but they wouldn't be able to keep up with what Jason has done.
I debated getting into this, it is just opinion after all but....
Woah, I love Jason as a person and a player, but I have a different idea of ability and depth. Depth is very hard to define, but I get more connection to my soul from:Little Walter (Jacobs) Big Walter (Horton) James Cotton John Lee “Sonny Boy” Williamson (aka, Sonny Boy I) Rice Miller (aka Sonny Boy Williamson, Sonny Boy II) Sonny Terry Paul Butterfield George “Harmonica” Smith
SECOND-10 ALL-TIME: Kim Wilson Jimmy Reed Paul deLay DeFord Bailey Charlie Musselwhite Howlin' Wolf
I am assuming by ability you mean technical ability. Technique is easier to define. I think Little Walter's use of amplifed color shadings, Rice Miller's control of hand wah wah effects, Sonny Terry's chugging, George's third position and chromatic, Big Walter's tone, Delay's chromatic (and inventiveness, not really a technique), Bailey's tongue slaps, Musselwhite's ability to switch from blow to draw octaves while slapping and Wolf's vibatro are better than Jason's. Jason is a great player and leagues better than what I am doing. However, I do not agree with you on the above mentioned points.
All-star jam of two songs with Jason and any of the other 19....they both want to cut heads and take home the trophy for best blues-based harmonica player...Jason doesn't embarrass himself trading solos with any of those guys doing what they do best. He may not win, but he is competitive. When it is Jason's turn he could have a band throw enough curveballs to embarrass the other guy.
Just check out the clips I posted...
Wah wah, covered with depth.
Chugging, covered with depth.
Chromatic, no - but there is some mighty tasty 3rd position from that show that would run with a chrom player
BW's tone - different, but nothing to criticize
Delay - see JR's overall origninality
Bailey - plenty of tb'ing evidence from JR that he can do it with pro capacity
Musselwhite - not the same thing, but JR's use of octaves and overtones is pretty slick and illustrated in the the above clips
Wolf - I am willing to concede this one a bit as Jason has a cool bending vibrato like Chris M., but it loses translation playing so fast
Who on the list can play the depth of styles illustrated in the German concert videos, play contemporary blues arrangements, delivers those dynamics, can play with that speed, etc. Jason can fake what those other guys can do. They can't fake what he can do.
Overbends?
Control of playing in harmony over major, dominant, and minor blues on diatonic?
Vocabulary in all octaves in a wide range of keys?
Mastery of both puckering and tb'ing?
Live dynamics with a band?
Ability to solo vamp?
Change in style to match the overall groove?
JR is the only overbender on that list. His 3rd position playing smokes everyone on the list. His note choice and riffs in the middle and upper octave as far as the BLUES goes is unrivaled. Charlie might get close with some alternate tunings, but I don't think he'd keep up after a few verses.
I am rambling and drinking too much coffee, but again, JR could keep paces with any of those guys and go then take it somewhere they can't. He has a broader depth than those guys as it pertains to blues and harmonica...he can do more than them and also has an original voice.
The only "fatal" flaw of sorts is he plays a lot more notes than the other guys. He doesn't have too, and he doesn't always, but there would be truth to a less is more debate. ---------- Mike VHT Special 6 Mods Quicksilver Custom Harmonicas - When it needs to come from the soul...
@Harp Ninja I know you are just stating your opinions. I understand that. There was an album released in 1972 called J. Giels live Full House. He's a pretty big part of that recording. Also the album "Another Tale From The Vinyle Jungle" has a song called "Stoop Down #39". Pretty goood harp intro kind of set the tone for the song. Michael Rubin left out Paul Butterfields vibrato
The young guns like Jason cos he can play fast and sounds like an electric guitar. If I wanted to sound like an electric guitar, I'd go buy one and learn to play.
They also like him cos he can overblow. If I wanted to play chromatically, I'd go and buy...........no hang on, I did and I do !
I could go on, but its all been said before. Tongue firmly in cheek ;o)
I reckon in a few years time,or sooner Jason will mellow, have nothing to prove, and play with a lot more soul and a lot less notes. He'll sound much better for it.
Lists are a personal thing biased by who or whatever the writer likes. My list would be full of swing and chromatic harp.
I'd like to see the list expanded into 3 separate categories. Two for Blues -alive and not! One for The rest, as they're all under 40! ---------- The Pentatonics Reverbnation Youtube
"Why don't you leave some holes when you play, and maybe some music will fall out".
Magic Dick and Jay Geils formed The J. Geils Blues Band in 1968-I personally own 6 cd's that cover the years 68-72. On the 1968 CD's ,the band is performing a lot of cover tunes -at this point,Magic was using the moniker"Pittsfield Slim"-the performance originates form the New Penelope Club,located in Montreal,Canada. The set list included the following-- Dust My Broom Big Legged Women Blue Light You Dont Love Me Everyting Gonna Be Alright Something You Got Smokestack Lightning Rock Me Dont Start Me Talking Help Me It Hurts Me Too Magic and Peter Wolf share the vocals-Magic plays some killer harp on these tunes,using a bullet mic through an amp on stage. Peter Wolf makes references to the Vietnam War throghout the set. But Magics harp playing here is beyond reproach. Magic should be in anybodys Top Ten,period.
Last Edited by on Feb 16, 2012 12:08 PM
So in over 40 years, he has the one song and the one album (not literally one album, but one key recording)?
I am not trying to come off as a jerk, nor am I trying to deny his ability, but going back to the original top 20 (so not even taking JR into account), he doesn't seem to have the same influence or recorded evidence as the other names on the list when considering what some of his peers on the list have done during that time span.
Unless I am totally wrong, I don't think he even has the pedigree of some of those guys either.
Look at Sugar Blue in contrast (as they are both known for crossing over into rock, are relatively close in age, and have styles that are rooted in the idiom of blues harp but push the instrument forward).
Sugar has won multiple Grammy's, recorded with blues greats like Roosevelt Sykes and Brownie McGhee, toured/recorded with Willie Dixon, crossed-over to recording/gigging Stan Getz, Bob Dylan, and the Rolling Stones...heck, he even has a transcription book out. His solo career has spawned at least a half dozen albums and he is still in demand globally.
Frankly, there are guys on that list I like to listen to and others I don't, so my thoughts on this aren't really based on having a bias or nonbias for anyone. Just looking at the facts, though, I don't see Dick as impressive enough to be ahead of some of the other names kicked around like William Clarke, for example, when viewed in context. Compare careers of Dick to Kim Wilson and Billy Branch too - they aren't much younger - and they appear to have more evidence of being in at least the top 20 if not 10.
Bringing it back to JR, he doesn't have near the accomplishments on paper either, BUT generational differences make it a whole different conversation (and he is definitely an outlier in the top 20 anyways).
***I find it totally brilliant that someone would defend Dick on this list and not JR.
I was at The Boston Garden show that was one of the two shows that comprised the live Blow Your Face Out double album. We were about 20 feet back on the floor.
They....well, they blew my face out. Can still see in my mind's eye where everybody was , how they looked and played whenever I listen to that album.
Can't eloquently state my case for Magic Dick like an academic....but Magic Dick's in my top ten...no question.
Last Edited by on Feb 16, 2012 6:39 PM
@HarpNinja-"So in over 40 years, he has the one song and the one album (not literally one album, but one key recording"- explain please-J. Geils sold out how many arenas,staduims and clubs from 1969-2011? Oh-I'm sorry-4 Gold albums and 1 Platinum-and a Rock Hall of Fame nomination. I am mistaken-they actually formed in 1967.
As a sideman...in a band that's commercial success didn't feature much harmonica...in a genre that isn't blues...
They went platinum in the 80's behind pop songs that had nothing to do with harmonica (or had harp buried in the mix). They had two gold albums in the 70's, true. That shouldn't be hated on especially since Whammer Jammer was on one of those albums.
By contrast, Some Girls, which has Sugar on multiple cuts went 6x platinum and Miss You was a number one hit and one of the top 500 songs of all times according to Rolling Stone. The song features a ton of his harmonica. ---------- Mike VHT Special 6 Mods Quicksilver Custom Harmonicas - When it needs to come from the soul...
"By contrast, Some Girls, which has Sugar on multiple cuts went 6x platinum and Miss You was a number one hit and one of the top 500 songs of all times according to Rolling Stone. The song features a ton of his harmonica." I guess the Stones had nothing to do with it,right? C'mon man! Mick and Keef have a lot more pull than Peter and Jay-
Last Edited by on Feb 16, 2012 12:55 PM
Personally-no I don't see any irony-only your reluctance to admit that Magic should be in ANY top 10 list-thats all-not just this list,ANY list. Enough of this useless bantering-I need to get ready to go out and do something useful-play my harp,get paid,and have a good time. Later- Tom Fiacco.
We are discussing Adams list, last I checked...I didn't say he can't/shouldn't/or it would be wrong to like him/include him on your list/be influenced by him, etc.
This thread isn't about your list or my list...just who is on Adam's list, why, and what our thoughts are on that.
I am sorry you don't see the irony in supporting a rock harmonica player with an original style based on progressive blues, whose stage persona is based on wild hair and eccentric dress, whose biggest success came in his 20's, whose choice in gear is untraditional for a list of top BLUES harmonica players.
For those not reading the whole thread I am talking about Magic Dick in that last paragraph and NOT Jason Ricci...although it may sound a lot like him.
I,d like to add my two cents for what its worth.Although I do agree with most of the nominees above but Magic Dick yes did had a big impact on the rock/blues scene back in the 70,s influencing myself and many other up and coming novice harp players by turning us on to blues music via a blues/rock style of music but unfotunately got away from playing the original style blues/roots/rock music as time went on.So in my opinion I don,t think that he should be put above guys like Piazza,Portnoy,Clarke,Estrin and others who might not have had the commercial and monetary success that Magic had but played nothing but blues harp from the start.I,m sure he would have liked to have played more blues style material but money talks and thats the name of that tune,as well as other members and Atlantic records calling the shots.You,d have to wonder where he would have been if he hadn,t hooked up with the rest of the band members back in the day,they sure had one hell of a high energy rockin band. In the 90,s we opened for J.Geils and Bluestime and the crowd was calling out for Geils tunes and Magic abruptly said"We are not the J.Geils Band and we,re not going to play any of that stuff,if you don,t like it see the man at the door and you can get your money back".They did end the night though with Whammer Jammer which was awesome of coarse.Its great to see that he went back to the music where his heart was, The Blues And Nothin But The Blues.
IF - Jason would of been blessed with a incredible singing voice, say like similar to "Stevie Wonder" all I could say is WHOLELY SHIT...Come to think of it, I say that about him NOW, without the incredible voice- hahahahaqhahaha
Last Edited by on Feb 16, 2012 2:53 PM
Why keep saying Jason does not play blues? Sure he is talented enough to venture away a bit, but he plays mostly blues at a show. Even his rock stuff has a blues vibe to it.
Sure if you want to play all the notes you can buy a chromatic, but no way in hell will it ever be as bluesy as what he does with overbends (O -blow & O-draw) on a diatonic. His overbends are so good that unless you know the pitches you cannot tell. He will tell you that his most expressive notes are overbends.
The first time I saw Jason perform was about 10 yrs ago or so, It was at a tiny bar with a handful of people - me and a buddy drove an hour and a half to see the show. Well during break I asked him, how many overblows did he play during his set and he told me "way to many to count"...And like harpdude sez,they were played with such razor sharp accuracy I could not tell which was which...We left with are heads spinnin and knew we witnessed something wonderful and freshly unique!
Honkin On Bobo- "Can't eloquently state my case for Magic Dick like an academic....but dick's in my top ten...no question." You might want to capitalize a word in that sentence,less you be misconstrued--not that there's anything wrong with that.
Go Jason ! - from his new look (see facebbook posts) - weight gain , beard etc. - and the weathering or recent troubles, it will be interesting ot see if his music takes any new turns. I wouldn't be surprised if it mellows just a bit.
No arguments with the list - other than it should perhaps be called "most influential" ragther than 'greatest'. Some of the young hot shots are coming on so strong and fast that technically, kids like Alex P would rank way up there, - though they haven't had the time to influence as many people.
Perhaps the list would be better titled "most influential" ----------
Last Edited by on Feb 16, 2012 7:09 PM
