I've got a sliding scale by which I judge players. Speaking honestly, I can't say that I love what he does here. I love the energy level, the commitment. I would have greatly enjoyed being in that room. But the way he hits--or doesn't quite hit--his blues pitches means that if I was in a heavy learning phase, I wouldn't be looking to this sort of playing to teach me that. (Edited to add: at 1:22, on the other hand, he plays a nice blue third. At most other spots he just steamrolls right over the blues pitch, and it sounds sloppy to my ears.) The Walters, Jr. Wells, those guys all have much more to teach about blues tonality. What Ramsey DOES have to teach is some new and original ways of playing fast triplets and sixteenth notes. His influence on Jason clearly shines through there.
I had only one of PR's albums and I remember thinking of him as a guy on the rock end of blues: it's more about speed and energy than about subtlety.
I'm just being honest. I know how important he was to Jason. I can't say that he's a player I love or am wildly inspired by.
Still, I would have greatly enjoyed being in that room. He's an old guy who still rocked--and THAT is worth celebrating.
EDITED TO ADD: Considered in terms of overall conception, I like the way that he has refused to take "Whammer Jammer" as a sacred text, but has instead reconfigured the long opening cadenza to make it the Pat Ramsey version. That's actually the best thing here, IMO.
Last Edited by on Jun 12, 2012 6:32 AM
Dave Renson, Pat's guitar player for quite a few years, has a few live Blues Disciples cds for sale. One is in Key West and the other is at the Big Bend Blues Bash. Both are well mixed, fine quality recordings of some super blues.
Dave is a fantastic guitarist---as good on the strings as Pat is on the reeds!!!
Buy either cd for the guitar or for the harp..........you won't go wrong either way.
Greg ----------
Just when I got a paddle, they added more water to the creek.
That is a big ass mike, an old american microphone company shell but i don't know what element is in there. As a blues-rock guitar player i had the pleasure of being Pat's guitar player for the last 12 years of his life. I would argue that Pat was the first true blues-rock harp player, not just playing blues-rock material but also playing licks that were closer to guitar chops than anyone before him. I believe his early main influence was Butterfield but he really wanted to play guitar so he developed his style with guitar chops in mind. He used a miked tweed princeton with a bigger magnet peavey PA speaker and a unmiked tweed harvard for his rig. His tone was creamy smooth though some blues harp players might prefer a bit more rudeness or "honk" in their sound.
I almost forgot. Contact me at majorbacon@cox.net if you're interested in "Pat Ramsey and the Blues Disciples Live at the Big Bend Blues Bash" or "Live in Key West"
Bit of negativity here, but wtf is the obsession with this number?....like, yes its great,but many seem to think that whammer jammer is the one and only harp song?....far out i actually am sick to death of hearing the thing.....not to be critical of this playing, its excellent, but the number is just dated imho.(and i cant play it)
Wow, Stan might be right--or he might be wrong. Let's weigh in, so we know who on this forum belong to the "many" who think Whammer Jammer is the one and only harp song. Be honest, now.
Sorry guys, but I do NOT think Whammer Jammer is the one and only harp song. I also love "Juke" and "Creeper Creeps Again," along with "Thunky Fing." Plus "Blowin' Like Hell."
Please weigh in on this important issue.
Last Edited by on Jun 15, 2012 4:21 AM
What about just getting a nice tone with emotion and all over "this is good" kind of feeling, Jimmy Reed is one of many who can do this, i focus on folks who are unknown more or less but know what the blazes is going on, and there are many, many, players on this site and others who know what i'm saying...i think.
I'm with Stan I reckon its a rubbish number (I cant play it either - but in my defence I don't want to). I also think (and this is probably treasonable given Adam's love of it) think that "Creeper creeps again" has not much to interest. ...................I'll get my coat.
I don't think it's this "one and only harp song" of which you all speak. I think the reason a lot of harp players borderline-obsess over it is because IT IS about the only harp showcase tune that the general masses know, and that's thanks to the popularity of the mainstream rock band that Magic Dick played in a relatively short time ago.
If I had a nickel for every time I had someone come up to me at a gig and ask "Hey, can you guys play that one J. Geils Band song with the harmonica?" or "Please tell me you know some Magic Dick," I'd have enough nickels to go and buy me a Deak Harp custom.
I too, can't play it. But then again, I haven't practiced it in some time. But I'd like to have it under my belt. It's a challenging tune to learn and play correctly, and that's why I chase after it. But it's not the ONLY harp song I chase after. Hell I'm still trying to crack Christo Redemptor.
Let's face it, Whammer Jammer is a bitchin blues boogie, and it's a major crowd pleaser. So are OMDD's If You Wanna Get to Heaven and Huey Lewis' Workin' for a Livin'. Why? Because they've had a healthy amount of exposure on the radio in the last forty years, and people have grown to love their catchiness.
It's not the one and only harp song by any means. But it's ear catching, it's a challenge to learn, and it's a request that a harp player will get fairly often.
So yeah...there's my 2 cents in the jar. (*plink plink*) ---------- Hawkeye Kane
It's a U.S. thing, in Europe I think almost nobody have heard about J. Geils Band, Magic Dick or Whammer Jammer. I had never heard of it before I signed on this forum.
I feel the same as Hawkeye. If I really woodshedded it,I could probably pull off a credible version that would fool the audience(but not harp players). But I have no desire to cover it or Juke,for that matter. It's just my personal preference. I do cover "Pack Fair and Square",simply because it's not as well known and seems to be an equally good crowd pleaser.
Whammer Jammer is a landmark type harmonica solo tune - not many harmonica instrumentals in more contemporary music have resonated so long and far as this tune. Even non-blues fans love it.
Whammer Jammer is a compilation of a lot of traditional James Cotton ideas put together with a few additional ideas by Magic Dick. I love how he "messes" with the downbeat on that intro.
Pat Ramsey does a great original intro in the style of the song before launching into familiar territory. ---------- The Iceman
Magic Dick made a mound of money and gained widespread fame for "whammer jammer" and other tunes. 99.9999999% of board members here and harmonica players worldwide will be lucky to make $50 bucks in their career playing harmonica and may become a "superstar" in their hometown of 800 people if lucky.
You may not love him or his tunes, but at the end of the day Magic Dick is Magic Dick. The rest of us, well I guess, urrrrr, are at best just a bunch of.......
Last Edited by on Jun 15, 2012 4:07 PM
Here in Oz most people have never heard of Magic Dick, let alone Whammer Jammer. I'd never heard of either until I started watching Adam's youtube lessons. First listen I didn't think much of it, but when I revisited it later I loved it. It is an impressive piece to showcase amplified harp. Its got a great groove and high energy. If you can play it even half decently people go 'Wow!'. We have a local musician, plays everything (except harp) been around forever, done it all, and the other night he was saying to me that he wishes he'd learnt harp, just so he could play Whammer Jammer.
Seems at least a few players scorn learning classics like this and Juke, but I reckon its a great one to have under your belt, for plenty of reasons. ---------- Lucky Lester
What a monster player Pat was,and a great singer also.He doesn't play sloppy fast ever,and can slow down oozing out the nicest tone,any of us crave badly.Yes he is a blues rocker,probably in a class by himself,but some of butter's stuff is hard to match.
I like trying to play whammer jammer,a huge harmonica lesson packed in less than 3 minutes.Playing it at a jam with other musicians not savvy with it would be scary.People would still love it a cappela if I had it down right.
The simple little ten holer,no respect from alot of other musicians,yet can bring down the house when the mojo is rising.
I'm in the one percent with Gary, yay!!!!! I'll do that tomorrow.
---------- David
____________________ At the time of his birth, it was widely accepted that no one mere mortal man could have that much musical talent or raise that much hell. He proved them wrong. R.I.P. H. Cecil Payne Elk River Harmonicas
Hmm I have made more than 50 bucks with my band...but don't play harp on all songs but I am known in places not my hometown as a harp player....does that count...top 2% maybe...tongue firmly in cheek
Whammer jammer is an interesting tune. When it is played well it rocks pretty hard. When its played not so well...ugh.. but it is one I would eventually get under my belt.
I have always disagreed with those that say there is no value to be learned from the classics. Doesn't mean one is required to learn them but one should study them a bit.