There are half a dozen clips on YouTube, each of which has virtually no views, and each of which features the playing of a harp player that most players here--including me--have never heard of. They're headlined "Solo Blues Harmonica Player" and numbered. This is #5:
If that doesn't exemplify back porch harpin', I'm not sure I'd know what would. Dripping soul and bacon grease too. Thanks for bring this to our attention. ---------- Matthew
Recorded by this prissy looking and very amiable Swede, Olle Helander, back in the 60´s. He certainly turned a whole lot of Swedes on to the blues. The signature to the program, "In the blues quarters", was one of BWH´s later versions of "Easy" -- that in itself spurred not so few of those to take up the harmonica. At one point in time the Swedish Broadcasting Corporation was a respectable company, producing stuff like this; now they´re more interested in propagating the value of sex for the youngsters. Things have changed, as Bob D said. /Martin, in Sweden
That's a really nice tone. Not all harp players can fill up a song's space with only a harmonica and a voice and make it seem to natural and organic. ---------- Check out my music at http://bmeyerson11.bandcamp.com/
is this one of those rare 10 1/2 bar blues? it's very cool but i am having trouble with his rhythm. can anyone clarify this for me. the first solo seems to be @ 10 bars. then it seems to get to be a 16 bar progression?
When you play solo, you can make your own rhythm, change time, whatever. you hear a lot of solo musicians do that in old recordings - all before somebody decided you couldnt use time dynamics for expression. ---------- David Elk River Harmonicas
This is great stuff. The last song on the playlist (Prison Blues by Clarence Alexander) is on the album Prison Songs Vol. 1: Murderous Home. It and its sequel, Prison Songs Vol. 2: Don'tcha Hear Poor Mother Calling?, are collections of Alan Lomax recordings made on Parchman Farm in the late 1940s. Vol. 1 is a reissue of an earlier LP, which I believe is the source for the Youtube video. Both are incredible documents that contain very powerful music. The album bills Clarence Alexander simply as "Alex." Others are also credited only by nickname (e.g., Tangle Eye, 22, Bama, etc.) I would love to learn more about all of these harmonica players.
There is a three volume set (6 CDs) of live Swedish public radio blues recordings, including the Johnny Moment one and an amazing number of others, including Walter Horton and Paul Butterfield, . You can see a description here: http://downbytheriverbank.blogspot.com/2012/01/various-i-blueskvarter-chicago-1964.html
You can even download it from there, if you trust ILIVID (file sharing...don't know how safe or legal it is).
It is also available from Bluebeat Music for $32.00 PER VOLUME.
