I was hanging out on Beale Street last night, jamming at Mr. Handy's Place. A woman came up to me as I was getting down and said, "You probably don't remember me, but I once took a lesson from you."
Her name was Lauren Williams and, to be honest, I couldn't quite place her, at least at first. She'd taken a one-off lesson about five years ago when she was visiting her mother in Memphis. (She lives in Maine.)
Later yesterday evening, I came back to Handy's and she was on the bandstand. She was playing, as I had, directly through the PA, and she had the loudest mic, and it was clearly set up right for harp. The band was playing "Hoochie Coochie Man."
She was playing first position. She had the best tone on that song of any female player I've ever heard. Ever. Period. Better than Annie Raines. Better than Cheryl Arena. Better than me. As big and juicy as Ronnie Shellist.
She did nothing fancy. She's not a fast player. But she was smack in the pocket, she had the right tone, and she understood the power of repetition.
I listened for about five minutes, then went around the corner and found Deak Harp, who is a tone monster. I dragged him back to the club and we sat down and she hit a note and Deak looked at me like "Whaaaaaaa?"
Nothing that I've found on YouTube does her justice, but I'm telling you: she had it.
Here's one clip. She's in a band called the Blood Orange Martinis. They didn't make it out of the quarterfinal round at the Handys, so she was hanging out and having fun.
Deak got up after her, BTW, and blew hell out of a low F through the same rig.
Again, this video doesn't begin to do justice to what I heard. But you'll also hear a player who effortlessly complements what's going on onstage. So there's something to be learned here, too.
I'd like to hear what Mooncat has to say about Lauren's playing. Turns out that the Blood Orange Martinis played the same winter blues bash headlined by JR:
I saw the Blood Orange Martinis on Thursday night and was super impressed with Lauren and I agree with your assessment. A really great solid player. ---------- Ridge's YouTube
Hey guys, Zack Pomerleau here (yes, the one who plays harmonica): I actually drummed for them at that Jason Ricci thing in Maine. They're great! Here's a video:
Later I'll try to post a video of us with Jason Ricci.
Zak,Do you know what amp she was playing through? I only ask cos it looks a little wide to be a four ten looking at it in Adams link (when she uncovers it @ 1:50). I'm presuming she's using the same amp in your vid. Methinks an SJ2 6X8 perhaps. I used to own one but now play through an HG50
She sounds great in that help me video Adam linked. Great control of her bends, mellow and bassy. That is the only example that's out there. She needs to make more videos. She seems very relaxed and in control.
Last Edited by blueswannabe on Jan 25, 2015 3:54 PM
Hakan, I love Jenny's playing. She's terrific. I should apologize right now, BTW, for the title of this thread. It sounds a loud note of implicit condescension. Hopefully what I actually wrote makes clear that what I experienced yesterday on Beale Street was a moment of enlightenment. I had something of the same experience when I watched Joanna Connor play blues guitar--and swagger like a guy when she did it, and play just as good as all the boys who might be inclined to condescend to her.
That's why I left the bar, went and found Deak, and hauled him back to the venue, sat him down, and made him listen to the same thing I'd just heard.
Sometimes the "student" teaches the teacher. That's what Lauren did for me. I listened for five minutes, standing out of sight of the stage, hidden in the hallway towards the bathrooms. I said to myself, "If I were up there, would it be sounding any better than it's sounding?" The answer was no. So I kept listening, trying to remind myself how important pure repetition can be on certain songs.
The lesson is: huge tone + great timing + pure repetition can work wonders. Don't be afraid to repeat. Translation: on a riff-based song, don't be afraid to just hit hit solidly, again and again, and support what the vocalist is doing. Let him work the variations. You can just pour the concrete walkway. Somebody may actually be grooving to what you're doing.
Last Edited by kudzurunner on Jan 25, 2015 4:59 PM
While we are on the subject of tone, I have a theory: being a big guy helps on tone. Look at Howlin' Wolf: big guy, big mouth, head and chest cavity, and great tone. Bigger guys have a bigger resonance chamber to work with. Just like being tall helps for basketball. Of course, its not the only factor. Short people can play basketball well, too, and Lauren has great tone. What do you guys think?
I'd be surprised if minor differences in internal organ size really made a huge difference. Plus many 'big' guys are somewhat overweight and that can actually reduce lung capacity. No doubt the difference is there, but in my opinion it's much less of a factor when overall technique is solid.
This brings up the wider issue of what 'tone' actually is. I hear the term bandied about a lot, but I don't think we all use it to mean the same thing.
I don't exactly have a musical ear per se, but for example in a home cinema context, 'tone' implies a richer, fuller sound. If that is still the same meaning in the context of the harmonica, how can we reliably compare players against each other (male or female, irrespective of whether we even should) when there are so many circumstantial factors - such as the key of the harmonica itself, the accompaniment, amplification, venue acoustics, etc?
I agree with Philo. I smoke cigarets: it means that I couldn't keep a long vibrato (becos of breath) nor could I play a very long time tongue blocking, consuming much air. If the lady has big lungs (I say: lungs) and doesn't smoke, she plays in a higher league. And let alone: a big mouth/and-or throat cavity and also thick lips will make an obvious and permanent difference. I'm not sure technique can make the balance...
Teaching at Blues Week Augusta Heritage Center years ago, I had a skinny little girl in my class. She played with a skinny little tone.
I gave her a mental exercise in front of the class, telling her to close her eyes and imagine she was a very large black woman - massive size, weight.Then I suggested she try playing from this head space. (image was for blues playing, so was not being racist in my choice of words).
The whole class was amazed at the big change in her tone.
You have to feel the weight of Hulk, the bulging muscles, and his size for a bit in your imagination - your body should even start to look a bit like Hulk standing there. Reach deep inside yourself and play. ---------- The Iceman
Actually, it's not Mr Handy's Blues Hall any more. There was a money dispute between the Handy Family and the Rum Boogie. Now it is 'The Rum Boogie Blues Hall.'
Hah! JJ, I don't blame you for your mistake. You and I are both right. The storefront on Beale that USED to be Mr. Handy's Blues Hall has indeed been renamed "The Rum Boogie Blues Hall." But the space I'm talking about is, in fact, where Mr. Handy's Blues Hall is now located. I walked out on the street and took a good hard look, just to make sure. Essentially the outdoor stage-scene that used to take place in Handy Park has migrated around the corner and indoors--although one cool thing about the new space is that the entire front is open to the street, at least when the weather permits. People just walk in and out. It's a great place. It's on the corner of Beale Street and Handy Circle.
Last Edited by kudzurunner on Jan 26, 2015 9:55 AM
I do believe body size has a "hand" in tone, as does hand size. I noticed at a seminar, that Dennis Grueling has huge hands. He can cup a harp so tight that it dam near, will not play. Amazing. I can't do that with my stubby sausages. That is why Turner mic shells suit me better. Smaller diameter = better cup for me.
I once tossed a tool to a woman construction worker on a job. Bad toss, great catch. I said, "pretty good catch for a woman". She was mad at me for 3 days...BN
when i think of good tone ,i think of true greats like billy burns ,or lee mcbee. i would put this woman right up there,from what i can tell on these videos. ----------
I find the discussion about women and tone slightly strange. Why should a woman sound any different to a man? Clearly there are fewer women that play harp than men. And bearing in mind that the vast majority of men have a crappy tone too, most women will as well, leaving even fewer women with "great tone" (subjective of course.)
Years ago I played with a guitarist who refused to accept women blues guitarists as they were too "sensitive." He didn't like my question about whether a guitar should be played insensitively!
Good players are good players, no matter of age, sex or skin colour.
Last Edited by Little roger on Jan 26, 2015 3:20 PM
Christelle has a very deep, rich tone through a vocal mic. I was fortunate to hear her live at a blues jam or two, busking on the street and in concert.
I was at a friend's house last week. His 4 year old girl and two year old boy soon found my A harp and F harp and helped themselves. The tone of both of them was surprisingly pleasant. I noted that they were simply breathing in and out. No thoughts of "sucking" or "blowing." Maybe tone is partly an issue of un-learning how not to play.
In answer to Little Roger: I thought more people would pay attention to the thread, and thus the player--a player who deserves the attention--if I used this title.
I could have titled it "best tone I've ever heard," but that wouldn't have been correct, because I've heard a dozen other players, in the forty years I've been playing and attending, who have tone at least that good.
I decided to state the truth as precisely as I could. She has the best blues-tone I've ever heard from a woman player. There aren't nearly as many women who play the instrument as men who play the instrument, and very few who truly excel in the matter of deep, rich blues tone--although there are an increasing number of fast, talented players, including Rachelle Plas and Christelle.
I call 'em as I see 'em. Lauren has a deeper, fuller blues tone not just than any woman I've heard, but than most men I've heard.
It's probably possible for somebody to twist the thread title into condescension, and it's certainly possible that some contributions to this thread have been condescending, but condescension is not a game I play. I was blown away by the performance of my fellow professional--not in the matter of fancy technique, but in the matter of doing the key, core things absolutely right. She taught me a lesson.
Last Edited by kudzurunner on Jan 27, 2015 9:27 AM
"not in the matter of fancy technique, but in the matter of doing the key, core things absolutely right."
I have been attending a "slo-jam"here in San Diego hosted by Walt Richards, This is something Walt emphasizes and it make a lot of sense to me. You can make some really good music without a lot of flashy technique and many of us, myself included, work hard at becoming good instrument players and forget the basics of musicianship. This also applies to any physical limitations you might have, or think you have, because you are big, small, male female etc, technical virtuosity is nice to have, but it is far from being the most important element in making good music.
Octavia. Cool! Circular breathing on the held note? ---------- MBH Webbrain - a GUI guide to Adam's Youtube vids FerretCat Webbrain - Jason Ricci's vids (by hair colour!)
I jammed with her at SPAH last year and her tone was as big as mine. The video doesn't do her justice. She really can play. Also, she did some workshops at SPAH. ----------
harsh judgements...i've heard a lot less musical playing than that receive praise...that held note was by itself becoming not so pleasant, but when the other instruments put it into harmonic context...i enjoyed that effect, how a sound which had become rather annoying shifted into a harmonic pleasing tone.
@komuso. Thanks for the tip. Afraid the horse has bolted on that one with these kids and my own, who are grown up. I find it hard to see how one can avoid sharing all sorts of bodily fluids with the kids (usually from them to us). Don't tell my friend or he'll be sending me the dentist bills in 15 years. I might buy some El Cheapo harps to give them next time I visit. [My mother in law acted offended when I recoiled at the sight of her tasting some sauce she was making with a spoon and then plunging it right back into the sauce. Yech.]
It seems difficult to merely claim some admiration and give justice to a woman harp player...period. I don't think Kudzu is a macho but the last question leads to that idea...Too bad!
ignoring the obvious sexist overtones of the thread title..
what is it that make good tone? great deep vibrato? i think you alluded to that early in your videos adam as something that makes you sit up and notice a harp player...
Walter, and speaking as the friends I thought we were, have you actually read my various posts in this thread, explaining why I chose that title? If so, you wouldn't have written what you've just written about "the obvious sexist overtones of the thread title."
Every single thing I've posted in this thread makes clear that I respect Lauren as an equal. She can not only hang with the boys, she's better than most of us. That is the point. That has been the point I've tried to make since the beginning.
The thread title was generated by the unusual sociology of our instrument. My videos, according to Google analytics, are watched by one-tenth as many women as men. The actual number of women who play harmonica professionally, I suspect, is a far lower percentage than that. One out of a hundred? At every single jam camp and workshop I've taught, we're lucky if we get a couple of women--or one lone woman. And those are students, not people playing professionally. Not women in bands. In twenty-five years of private teaching, I've had a handful of female students. They exist, but they're very rare. And the harmonica, we know, is considered an extremely popular instrument. Millions and millions of them are sold. But at least in America, very fine women players are rare--not because they CAN'T play, because for some reason they choose not to play.
When a woman comes along and gives Deak Harp a run for his money in the tone-department, it's not sexist to point that out, and to acknowledge that she's a woman. Believe it or not, there are some sexist men out there who don't believe such a thing is possible.
Last Edited by kudzurunner on Feb 01, 2015 6:04 AM
yes, adam, i know you are not a sexist.. i just think that the title of the tread was a little ill conceived. you explain it well further down.. i know you did not mean it that way, but i still did a double take when i read.....and you are right, harmonica is a male-dominated field
one can say something that is mistakenly interpreted as having sexist overtones without being a sexist or intending that...
i probably should have not put that line in my post, and i am happy you consider me a friend, and hopefully my comment did not hurt you, that was not the intention
the main point of my post was actually to ask you to clarify how you, adam, define good tone regardless of who plays
Lauren Williams is moving on up. At last year's North Atlantic Blues Festival in Rockland, ME, one of the nation's best, she and her duo played between the national acts. L.C. Williams and the Driver:
Missed this post back in 2015, but ding dang darn right she's up there with the best of the harp tone masters. She's employs ever technique known within the blues harp world and does it all amazingly well. Oooh ooh ooh! ---------- Ricky B http://www.bushdogblues.blogspot.com RIVER BOTTOM BLUES--crime novel for blues fans available at Amazon/B&N, iTunes, iBook THE DEVIL'S BLUES--ditto THE OAXACAN KID--available now HOWLING MOUNTAIN BLUES--Ditto too, now available
Wow she is really good! There's lots of great female players stepping up as of late it seems. I'd love to see/hear some examples of strong repetition, simple concepts and good tone.
Adam I wonder if people would have reacted similarly if you wrote "The best tone of someone under 20 you've ever heard" or "Best tone from a senior", or better yet "Best tone from a nose I've ever heard". Are people without mouths supposed to have less tone than those rich in mouth Adam! Hehe. Would that have been ageist or face-ist or have gone unnoticed. Albeit a nose with good tone would be something to behold!
@Jinx -That is hilarious by the way. You gave me a belly laugh with that!
Last Edited by kham on Jan 15, 2018 6:40 PM
It is kinda spooky that you should revive this post Adam. Why? Because we were just talking about this post on Sunday. Who is “we”? “We” is none other than the subject of this thread - Lauren Williams and her husband Trent. They have left Maine and set up shop in St. Petersburg, FL, which is about 10 miles from where I live. After SPAH last summer I began searching for someone to help handle the workload with Blue Moon. I put up a “help wanted” type of post on the Suncoast Blues Society Facebook page and initially that led to Trent joining Blue Moon at the beginning of October. It took a little arm twisting but Trent and I have convinced Lauren to join us. In addition to other things, both are learning how to build custom harps. It is a process, but both are wonderful people and I am so excited about the opportunity to work with them.
And so, it came to pass that on Sunday we were chatting about something that was posted on MBH and Lauren mentioned that she was the subject of a thread about two years ago. Somehow, I either missed it or just didn’t recall so I made a mental note to do a forum search and find it. Then, out of the blue, Adam revives the original post and adds some more videos. Lauren is a great player and her skills will enable her to become a very good customizer. If there is any benefit to playing custom harps vs. stock harps, perhaps that will lead to even better tone than she already has. Maybe. We’ll see.
By the way, Lauren is a lurker here on MBH. She is a little shy. Perhaps we can coax her out of her shell and get her to start participating. What do you say guys? Lauren?
I've decided of my own volition--neither Tom nor Lauren has requested this--to change the title of the thread. Everything else that I've said in the thread stands; I trust that my admiration for Williams's playing speaks for itself.
@kham: The reason for the original thread title has to do with the sociology of our instrument, which for some reason has meant that there are very, very few excellent female blues harmonica players: working pros of the top rank. The ratio of men to women at that level is probably 40 or 50 to 1. There ARE excellent women players--I reviewed an anthology of about 25 female players a few years ago, and at least three of them were fine; the rest, for the most part, weren't very good. By the same token, there are quite a few good seniors who play. Rod Piazza, Bill Lupkin, Charlie Musselwhite, and Rick Estrin, for example. As for the kids: well, I'd be interested in reading a thread entitled "Best player under 20 I've ever heard." We've heard a few of those over the years, and, although rare, they're worth celebrating. Rohan, the Indian boy--and he is a boy of 10 or 11--is worth celebrating in precisely that way: as a rarity and somebody who is so good that he might keep us on our toes. Don't mess with Rohan! I felt the same way about Lauren on that particular day, and I was man enough to say it.
The title of your post was stating just how you felt; that Lauren had the best tone of any female player you have ever heard. There was nothing wrong with the title of your post. Don't let people brow beat you into not speaking how you feel. ---------- Wisdom does not always come with old age. Sometimes old age arrives alone.
