We always hear about electric tone, but what about acoustic? Whose tone do you like the most? For me I absolutely love Sonny Boy Williamson II's tone. I think it is just plain awesome. I also have a liking of Howard Levy's tone, but I think blues players should be the goal here.
im new to the harmonica world of music but i listened to nothing else in the last year,I think the old school harp is great.And I agree with you Sonny boy 2 is great,His harmonica playing,his ruff but cool voice,even the gleem in his eyes when played,he's my favorite so far,I think the mellow jazz like bands that backed him was and is perfect for harmonica.
Last Edited by on Apr 07, 2010 3:20 PM
Rick Estrin, Jason Ricci, SBII, Chris Michalek-but the best I think I've ever heard is a local fella named Thomas Walker, who trained under Johnny Sansone. Wicked, deep tone. ---------- Todd L Greene. V.P.
Last Edited by on Apr 07, 2010 2:30 PM
I won't even fight over Kim,I love him too! But one thing is so cool about Rice Miller,watch his eyes when he plays.He keeps time with his blinking. I think BBQ calls it the groove. He is also about my Favorite player,besides all the rest :'} Phrasing & Almost Imperceptable going from vocals to harp,like he has 2 mouths.
Speaking of train pieces (dear me, I'm responding to my own posts, this can't be good), I don't think I've heard anyone play a harmonica with more power, precision and sheer "tone" than Deford Bailey...
At the moment - and it tends to change depending on the particular harp phase I'm going through - my favourite is Sonny Boy Williamson I. But also: SBWII, Big Walter, Rick Estrin, Joe Filisko, Sonny Terry ... and it goes on.
Howlin wolf i must check out his stuff im a newbie guys so dont laugh all i know about him was from the movie cadilac records and he seemed like the coolest cat in the movie.Howlin wolf yes im heading to utube right now.Glad you mentioned him amistak so much i need to exsperience so little time:)
I have to say, out of all of the harp players I have ever heard, Howlin Wolf had the deepest, grittiest, soul smoking tone I have ever heard. It come from deeper within hes being than I have ever heard any other player go. ---------- Brandon Bailey
I never thought of the Wolf. His tone was CRAZY. I'd say he has like the craziest tone, but playing WITH tone it has to go to Rice Miller or James Cotton for me.
Ditto on Howlin Wolf-I love his tone and his vibrato. Between his harp playing and his powerhouse voice, I bet he wreaked havoc on microphones, or at least all the recordings sure make it sound like he did;as if they were being pushed to their limit. ---------- Todd L Greene. V.P.
There is something about Slim Harpo's tone that I really like, I am not quite sure what it is though.
I don't think his tone is as thick or as fat as most of the players listed above, but to my ears it just sounds so sweet. I was trying to think of words to describe it, the word that came to mind was treacle.
My ears aren't very good at picking these sort of things up, you are probably right, I have been listening to Slim Harpo and wondering how he got his sound, but not realising that he was using effects.
I still like the tone of his early recordings and I think the were recorded before the echoplexes went on sale.
Last Edited by on Apr 08, 2010 12:26 PM
SBW II, Big Walter, Sonny Terry, Lazy Lester. Howlin' Wolf, acoustic or otherwise has the single baddest harp tone I ever heard. ---------- Sincerely, Barbeque Bob Maglinte Boston, MA http://www.barbequebob.com CD available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bbmaglinte
slim harpos tone was him. Rarely did they put the wild delay effects on his voice and harp. They used some sweet plate reverb, tube mics, and tube preamps. but, his playing has that vibrato his voice had. Most harp players singing vibrato comes through in their harp playing. One of my few regrets was not recording with Jay Miller. He was still running a record shop/studio in Louisiana when I was living in austin. the T Birds told me about it and his prices were very cheap. I just didn't have the $ to do it. Walter ---------- walter tore's spontobeat - a real one man band and over 1 million spontaneously created songs and growing. I record about 300 full length cds a year. " No one can control anyone, but anyone can let someone control them"
