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Dirty-South Blues Harp forum: wail on! > Harmonica Backing Tracks
Harmonica Backing Tracks
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Kingley
4132 posts
Aug 07, 2019
6:30 AM
I'm looking for some decent backing tracks for harp. Anyone have any recommendations? Looked for the Little Walter ones by Mark Mumea over on the Devils tale site, but that site seems to be down. Any other decent ones anyone can suggest would be appreciated.
dougharps
1999 posts
Aug 07, 2019
7:20 AM
A while back I purchased two CDs of backing tracks from Jimi Lee at a SPAH convention. I still use them occasionally for practice or teaching at workshops. Jimi is from Austin and a really good guitar and harp player. He recorded the tracks with musicians from Austin.

I have never regretted buying them. They cover a wide variety of grooves in different keys. The groove information has been useful to me in working with bands.

https://www.jimileeband.com/jam_tracks/

No affiliation other than my purchase and being acquainted with him from SPAH and from Hill Country Harmonica.
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Doug S.
agarner
58 posts
Aug 07, 2019
7:45 AM
Hey,

Adam (kudzurunner) has some great backing tracks for sale through this website. Yea you have to pay, but I looked at it as financial support for all of the free stuff he has given me. And they are good because they are recorded live and teach you about different styles of songs, ie. Shuffle, Rhumba. Etc.

I bought both of the downloads:

The "Hills Blues Collective" is really well done with excellent sound. Each song is a different style of blues backed by a full band.

The Charlie Hilbert tracks are quite different, as they are more raw. The sound quality isn't as refined, but the playing is real and not "canned" at all. Lots of cool chords and changes, stops, and quirks that you get playing live Sometimes, its hard to figure out his rhythm, but thats the beauty of it.

For Youtube, Quist has a good channel, but I find it a bit boring, as its the same exact progression for 20 minutes.

Thats my 2 cents!

Last Edited by agarner on Aug 07, 2019 7:52 AM
snowman
477 posts
Aug 07, 2019
8:15 AM
tried to find "Hills Blues Collective" ???

tried to find mumea stuff on internet---I bought his stuff long time ago-----I had to bounce all over then, but was worth it excellent, if u can get

I also recommend Jimi lees---little bit of everything---love his swing backtrack I put it in audacity [changed to several different keys ie from G to A and tempo] I use it to practice "juicy" Rod Piazza

Until u can get mumea I'd get Jimi Lees
agarner
59 posts
Aug 07, 2019
9:26 AM
@snowman. Sorry for the confusion. The "Blues Harmonica Playalong Sessions" download as Hill Blues Collective. Worth a look.
gmacleod15
317 posts
Aug 08, 2019
3:44 AM
I have used www.shoblues.com and recommend his stuff.

For something a bit more polished (and a fee) try the following for great Little Walter backing.

http://www.halleonard.com/product/viewproduct.do?itemid=1334&lid=0&keywords=little walter&searchcategory=00&subsiteid=64&

Each track on the Hal Leonard CD has one with harp and one without which allows you to play along and learn and later play the harp part by yourself.
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MBH member since 2009-03-24
Sloppy1
45 posts
Aug 08, 2019
4:03 AM
Jon Gindick has some backing track cds.
Kingley
4133 posts
Aug 08, 2019
4:34 AM
Thanks for the suggestions everyone. I'll check all those out.
SuperBee
6108 posts
Aug 08, 2019
7:14 AM
In addition to those, there are some decent tracks in the Ultimate Jam Tracks set. Three volumes, the third of which is identified as a ‘harmonica’ specific set, but I’m not sure why.

The shoblues stuff that is readily available now is called ‘shuffles in 12 keys’. Or is it ‘Chicago shuffles in 12 keys’?
He used to offer 6 albums of song-specific tracks, which you could also purchase as individual tracks. These included mainly classic harp tracks with Little Walter well-represented.
Those are no longer offered online, however if you contact Mr Shoji directly he may provide them. He may require you to take the entire set though! (This is how I obtained them)

Denis Gruenling has some very serviceable tracks available on his bad ass harmonica site.

Last Edited by SuperBee on Aug 08, 2019 7:15 AM
snowman
478 posts
Aug 08, 2019
7:33 AM
Thanks agarner
Lou
81 posts
Aug 08, 2019
8:26 AM
Hi for the guys using the Jimi Lee tracks are you using the "tracks with harp" or the other set ?
Thanks
dougharps
2000 posts
Aug 08, 2019
1:34 PM
No harp on mine, just the rest of the band playing a variety of grooves.
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Doug S.
SuperBee
6110 posts
Aug 08, 2019
3:22 PM
Jimi Lee Band ‘Groovetrax’, subtitled ‘every groove a blues man needs to know’ is the album I use from JL.
I think that’s the title, it’s possible I’ve misremembered slightly. It’s a double album with accompanying document describing the grooves.
Majority of album 1 is in E and A. Album 2 has some other keys.
I think 30 tracks all up.

There’s no harp on it
Kingley
4134 posts
Aug 08, 2019
10:25 PM
For a few years I've been using the Lawrence Fritt tracks, which are very good. It's always nice to have a change though and mix things up a little. Shame the Mark Mumea site is down, because I remember hearing those tracks and thinking they were great.
snowman
479 posts
Aug 09, 2019
10:14 AM
Jimi lee has download for both "no harp" and "w/harp" I have both in different folders----use his harp one for new ideas
5smokey
10 posts
Aug 09, 2019
2:36 PM
I have Jimi Lee “Every Groove...” without harp. It’s great to practice with and also a kickstarter for songwriting. When I get a nugget of an idea for a lyric, I listen to Jimi’s tracks for ideas on what groove fits the vibe I’m looking for.
SuperBee
6112 posts
Aug 09, 2019
5:23 PM
I have not been keeping up! I did not know JL was selling a version with harp too.
One Palm John
54 posts
Sep 09, 2019
6:52 AM
I made a youtube playlist with backing tracks from a wide range of styles that I enjoy improvisiing to. Amazing how much a genre change will switch up your improvisational technique.


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