If you (as I have recently) find yourself in the position that you should recommend somebody´s/anybody´s harmonica playing as something that, 1) diverges slightly from the standard notions of how the harmonica sounds and 2) demonstrates UNDER-playing as a virtue, what comes to mind?
I am NOT looking for long list of your favourite players (plenty of those already); and I know this is a blues harp forum but some leeway appears to be tolerated ... so just one or two instances of, "It can also sound like this ..."
What I came up with and sent to a friend -- a harmonica sceptic (on good grounds since most harmonica players stink badly) -- was: 1) Ben Edwards playing on Charlie Winstons "Tongue-tied"
and 2) Mickey Raphael on Willie Nelson´s "Blues eyes crying in the rain"
But I wasn´t very creative and I´d like more suggestions, if you´re up to it.
Thanks Larry, but that appears to be a straight blues player (judging from the examples posted here), meaning more solo and harmonica up front. Nothing wrong with that, of course, and really very competently done -- but I´m more looking for ideas on backing.
It´s hard, I know, and I asked a couple of years ago on Harp-l and got plenty of nothing. We mainly think of the harmonica as a solo instrument.
Thanks Frank, as far as I can hear that´s really good backing harp (and some sharp soloing).
If you go to 24:47, "That´s all right" on this record (probably the last vinyl I bought) you´ll hear another instance of very sympathetic backing harp:
If you're lazy, skip to the solo at 2:40 (or if you're really in a hurry, the solo end at 4:20), but I think most here would enjoy the entire video. It's clearly blues, but not like you've heard it before. And this is why the blues lives on, because it has so many possibilities for reinvention.
Got My Mojo Workin- Rick Fines and Carlos Del Junco
Clearly a master player, and easily qualifies under my criterion 1) above.
Not at all 2), though.
However, I´m just slightly hesitant towards this performance, and read me right now: I own everything CdJ has ever recorded and I´ve nicked lots of stuff from him, attended a clinic once and I ADMIRE his skills. (Although I´ve never liked his hard sound, but that´s immaterial.)
But there´s a slightly "freakish" dimension to this virtuoso performance (the solo is roughly the same as on the record) that puts forward the "Look Mama, no hands!" aspect of harmonica playing -- very common with those who have a seriously developed technique: you must show what you´ve learnt, otherwise, what´s the point? -- that´s not necessarily in the general service of ... integrating the harmonica among the standard repertoire of instruments. Or whatever.
The MUSIC (the central factor in musical performance) comes in second, after "the performance".
Westside Andy Linderman's harp with Paul Black is tastefully understated. Blues playing for sure, but the effects he uses and the way it fits in the mix and arrangement is, to my ears at least, quite distinctive
