walterharp
202 posts
Jan 27, 2010
10:44 AM
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Hey all, I thought there was a discussion on this topic on this forum a while back but could not find it with search. Could someone smarter than me bump it, or recreate it from memory?
Thanks,
Walter
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eharp
461 posts
Jan 27, 2010
12:32 PM
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here's adams:
http://www.modernbluesharmonica.com/blues_harp_gods.html
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walterharp
203 posts
Jan 28, 2010
7:24 AM
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i found that, but it does not list the very best cd's of those players..(he lists an compilation from 20's and 30's) so if you have to list a top 5 harp cd's all time, what are they?
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Bluefinger
16 posts
Jan 28, 2010
9:22 AM
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Little Walter - Complete Chess recordings (I know its a 5 CD box or so but well worth it)
Sonny Boy Williamson II - Anything he recorded for chess. A "Best Of" would probably a good choice. Make sure Help me, Bring It On Home, Don't Start MeTalking, Nine Below Zero, Trust My Baby and Your Funeral And My Trial are included
George Smith - Harmonica Ace
Walter Horton - Mouth Harp Maestro
Jimmy Reed - Anything he recorded for VeeJay. "Big Boss Man - The Best Of" is a great compilation.
I know that there are many more great harp players but these guys are the foundation of modern blues harp IMHO.
Little Walter is the master of the amplified chicago style blues harp with all its unparallelled subtleties in phrasing and dynamics and he invented the typical chromatic 3rd position style.
Sonny Boy II is the master of the uncluttered straight forward accoustic style. Every single note has more meaning to it than 6 hours of MTV.
George Smith is the master of 3rd position and he refined the chromatic style.
Walter Horton is so smooth and his phrasing and his way of putting melodies against the vocal line (just check out Jimmy Rogers' Walking By Myself) are simply devine.
Jimmy Reed .. Yes, he's a one trick pony but everybody knows the Jimmy Reed 1st position style. If you are a harper, you gotta have that in your trick bag ... there's no way around it.
just my .02
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bluemoose
116 posts
Jan 28, 2010
11:34 AM
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This web page pretty well has it pegged:
http://diatonic.tripod.com/CDsBooks.html
Boils down to:
# Harp Attack - Bell, Branch, Cotton, Wells
# The Essential Little Walter
# Little Boy Blue - Big Walter Horton (import)
# The Essential Sonny Boy Williamson **
# East-West Live - Paul Butterfield
# Whoopin' The Blues - Sonny Terry
# Hoodoo Man Blues - Junior Wells
# Dealing With the Devil - James Cotton
# Live At B.B. King's - Rod Piazza & the Mighty Flyers
# Take It From The Turnaround - Paul deLay
# Tigerman - Kim Wilson
# Ace Of Harps - Charlie Musselwhite
** note: they have John Lee and Rice Miller mixed in together on the web page. You should get some of both.
Last Edited by on Jan 29, 2010 9:39 AM
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walterharp
204 posts
Jan 29, 2010
8:23 AM
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thanks guys, will help me fill in some holes
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barbequebob
403 posts
Jan 29, 2010
9:50 AM
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If you get George Smith's Now You Can Talk About Me, it also has two excellent examples of 1st position chromatic harp on it.
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Sincerely,
Barbeque Bob Maglinte
Boston, MA
http://www.barbequebob.com
CD available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bbmaglinte
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snakes
439 posts
Jan 29, 2010
2:24 PM
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I must say for pure tone I am smitten with Big Walter. Some of the notes on a version of "Easy" and at about the 3 minute mark of "Tin Pan Alley" on the CD called Can't Keep Loving You just mesmerize me when I hear them. There is some great stuff on his CD with Carrie Bell as well. I actually had someone ask me what instrument was playing the notes at the 3 minute mark in Tin Pan Alley once. They thought is was a saxophone! ...and not one from Mississippi...
Last Edited by on Jan 29, 2010 2:25 PM
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jodanchudan
29 posts
Jan 29, 2010
4:38 PM
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IC Special by Joe Filisko and Eric Noden is well worth checking out:
http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/jfen
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jodanchudan
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rbeetsme
166 posts
Jan 29, 2010
7:32 PM
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I found a tribute to Jimmie Rogers CD at the library about 5 years ago, copied it. It features Eric Clapton, Mick Jagger, Taj Mahal, Jimmy page, Stephan Stills, Jeff Healey, and others. Some great harp on about every tune, I listen to it often, well done. Anything by Paul Lamb. I think I have most of the above, all good choices. I really like Mike Nazerenko' harp on Voodoo Stew by Elliott and the Untouchables. Also, not mentioned often but Lee Oskar is a sneaky good player, not much blues but but pure tone.
Last Edited by on Jan 29, 2010 7:35 PM
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rpoe
61 posts
Jan 29, 2010
8:32 PM
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I agree with many of the suggestions. I've taken a liking to a couple raw on the street CD's offered by our host.
Nat Riddles and Charlie Hilbert "El Cafe Street Live" and Satan/Adam "Word on the Street"
Have a few, close your eyes and imagine standing there taking in the Buskers, their instruments and the City. Very cool.
Nat Riddles
Word On The Street
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Andrew
850 posts
Jan 30, 2010
1:28 AM
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Adam's recommended 1920s and 1930s compilation is very good, but I wonder who knows of this one:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Harp-Blowers-1926-1929-Various-Artists/dp/B000000J6O/ref=cm_cr-mr-title
Amazon have misdescribed it - if you look closely, you'll see that it should read 1925-1936.
These are original recordings (11 by DeFord and 12 by others), not the re-recordings DeFord did in the 1970s.
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Kinda hot in these rhinos!
Last Edited by on Jan 30, 2010 1:28 AM
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rpoe
62 posts
Jan 30, 2010
9:07 AM
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@Andrew: I'm working on "Up Country Blues" - track 7 on that CD. Great recommendation. Note, one of Adams latest lesson is similar in style to DeFord Bailey and that era.
Rob
Last Edited by on Jan 30, 2010 9:07 AM
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