If you're one of those people who still doesn't quite get the huge high regard that William Clarke had on those of us who saw him live, the video below should do the trick. I cursed out loud at least two or three times in the first three minutes. There was truly a huge musical soul in the guy--and incredible musical knowledge, melodic and rhythmic. I remain a huge fan of Dennis and Rick and Rod on chromatic, but I'm just in awe of what Clarke throws down here--including the jazz heads he throws in after the six-minute point.
He is the one of the reasons why I want to learn more chromatic one day! This version is much more cooler then on the album (which I like a lot too). Thank you for sharing! ---------- Konstantin Kolesnichenko(Ukraine) my music
I tried 2 chromatics early on figuring they would fill in my shortcomings on the diatonic but I missed the reed control. I respect those than can do it but I gave it up.
He's a main reason I play chro as much as I do. Not that I am even close to his skill level, but the first real challenge I took on was his version of the "Work Song". ---------- http://www.reverbnation.com/jawboneandjolene
I remember discovering Rocking the Boat and She's Dynamite in college. Then Blowin Like Hell blew everyone's minds. When Serious Intentions came out I was at the record store waiting for it to open. I think he was the best of the Estrin, Wilson, Piazza generation with the potential exception of Delay who I put in his own category of uniqueness.
Adam, thanks for posting...awesome stuff from Bill here.
Wish I could have seen him live, but he passed just as I was starting to get into the harp. He's my all time favorite chromatic player. Sorry, Dennis...you're my favorite living chromatic player. :-)
Bill's third position playing in general was extraordinary, whether on chromatic or diatonic. I used to play Blowin' the Family Jewels as a Clarke tribute and set closer with my old band...good stuff.
He would have been about 65 years of age today. Seems like a lot of great harp players die too young. He learned chromatic from George Harmonica Smith. the guy's just awesome.
That's gotta be the heftiest, snappiest, most satisfying, and Alive playing I have ever heard. Everything else just got suspended as I leaned into his verve! ---------- Facebook
Is it just the video or is he playing the Chrom. upside down. He's pushing the button with his left hand. Then it sounds like the low notes are on his right side?
@Shredder -- That's actually typical with a lot of left handed players and two other left handed harp players well known for that were Paul Butterfield and Sonny Terry.
@jnorem -- Many players out of the George Smith school of chromatic players often use chromatics in keys other than C, and I also use besides key of C are Bb, F and G, and also play them in 1st position as well. ---------- Sincerely, Barbeque Bob Maglinte Boston, MA http://www.barbequebob.com CD available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bbmaglinte
Thanks Bob, I figured it was due to being left handed. Terry McMillan played like that to. I gave it a try, wow it messes with your head. Every thing is programed to the left in my head. I can't unlearn the layout. I can bat left or right handed, no way playing harp.
William was killer in my humble opinion... I have a tape where he is practicing some chromatic runs at home... At the end of the tape you hear a couple of versions of the song he borrowed the riffs from: old jazzy lp's and/or tracks he recorded off of the radio and used for practice and inspiration... THIS is some of my fav. Rare William Clarke... Hearing him practice, then hearing the inspiration for the practice, then on other tapes, hearing the final recorded and released result... I don't tire of listening to William Clarke.
Ya, William had huge personal power. Saw him at a small bar in Dearborn (SIsko's). During break he sat at bar nursing a beer. If you got within 10 feet of him, you could feel his power. No other harmonica player affected me like that.
Thanks, 1847, but that's not it. It was a video, not an audio track, and he was huge and majestic. Beyond anything I'd ever seen from him. It was more than 7 minutes long. 8 to 10 minutes, as I recall.
Dang. I wonder why the person who uploaded it pulled it--or why YouTube took it down.
Last Edited by kudzurunner on Oct 05, 2016 5:10 PM
Clarke was and is still one of the best chromatic players and diatonic as well IMHO. Timing, rhythm, melody,tone, passion and energy. He played the diatonic like it was a chromatic with lots of octaves and on the upper end of the register, with fluid transitions to the lower end. He melded the west coast wing and chicago styles, and had a great mentor in George Harmonica Smith. It's too bad there are not more videos of his performances, which are all so different.
I love Clarke. He is the reason i got into chromatic aswell. Its slow going for me on the chrom end, but he's my main inspiration none the less.
I don't have the technical musical knowledge that alot of you do, so i can't fully appreciate it at the level you do. But i still stand amazed at his playing.
I would also like to add that his singing was pretty great too. There are a few great harp players that i just don't listen to much because i don't care for their singing. Clarke is not one of those, he was a very cool cat. Full Package. He's diatonic playing was pretty darn killer too. ----------
Last Edited by Killa_Hertz on Oct 10, 2016 4:53 AM
I'm going to agree with Ice Ice Larry. "Power" is a very apt assignation.
The first time I met the guy it was in a small shithole in SoCal.
Kind of hard to describe. I'm never intimidated by pretty much anyone, but my initial impression was from a few yards away as I was making my way through the place. Big Bill was standing at a counter along a wall towards the back by the 'bandstand' and the short hall to the restroom and the payphone. I had seen him play a couple of times so I knew who he was. Most guys size up and appraise other guys, it's human nature. As I closed the space in the relatively crowded club, my impression was of a very rough and tough character. Genuine, not affected or intentionally projected. He had that same aura that you get from "dangerous" men. The very dichotomous thing about him was that while he was radiating danger he was just so personable and "nice". I had occasion to interact with him several times over a few years and he was always very genuine and engaging (with me anyway). But from an observational perspective he felt like a bad madre shtuper. The dude swaggered without trying to swagger. Whenever I listen to his music I hear that swagger but I remember the genuineness intertwined throughout. That explanation may or may not translate the way I know it in my head. William Clarke was fantastic.
---------- ~Buzadero Underwater Janitor, Patriot MBH poster since 11Nov2008
Good call on his voice Killa- effortless power and passion. As a singer who took up harp a couple of years ago, it was something that hit me right away... and obviously his playing is otherwordly. I want to get to a certain level on diatonic first, but I will eventually get to chromatic- and he is a huge reason why (his 3rd postiton playing was also an inspiration for me to become comfortable playing it).
