Adam, do you have any feedback coming in from this? maybe in the form of last minute folks? there was quite a wholesome family take on it from the TV personalities. ---------- Kyzer's Travels Kyzer's Artwork
Brandon's rhythm playing on the first number is spot on, more harp players should learn this discipline (after all we're often complaining about guitarists that can't do it & back us how we'd like...it can often help to demonstrate what you're after) & how to play under other instruments. Chromatic can sound great too for this, especially for a bit more "pop" on rhythms that use the 1, 2 & flat 3rd like marches & "honky tonks".
@Bolide: Marine Band, OTS. That's all I use. I haven't touched a plastic-combed harp in years.
@tookatooka: Thanks! Last time I was on the show, two years ago, they told me to call them when I had something new going on. I had two new things going on--the one-man band thing, HCH--and so it made sense to kill those two birds with that big 'ol stone. I'm amazed that Memphis TV is willing to feature a couple of blues harp guys in prime AM time, but I ain't complainin'.
I agree with 5F6H, that rythm play was awesome. I love the second cut two, when you two play the same thing, It really sounds great and is not seen everywhere.
I'm not too fond of the singing through the harp mic, too distorted for me, but it's hard to judge on YT.
Gloth: I'll agree with you about the vocals. My wife agrees with you. But all I had to go on was the sound guy, who gave me a wink and a thumbs up during the sound check when I sang through the harp mic. That's something I've done to good effect at other times, but I don't think it was optimal here.
I actually liked the effect of singing through the amp. To me, that's the blues way of doing it especially with the solo set up you employ.
The distorted vocals adds to the whole experience and it's something I wouldn't change in that situation.
I didn't like Brandon's octave pedal but that's due to the pedal and not really on Brandon. Really the only octave pedal that works with the harp is the EHX HOG or POG.
Too bad B didn't get to do his beat box thing.
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"Musicians are the architects of heaven"
Last Edited by on May 21, 2010 7:07 AM
Prior to the advent of hi powered PA systems in the mid to late 60's, it was normal to plug your mic into an amp & sing through it, it's why many old amps have a "mic" channel, later evolving into the "normal" channel on Fenders. It is how musicians at bar & club gigs would have typically sung. Little Victor typically performs like that even nowadays.
40's & 50's tube PAs like Mascos & Bogens are basically budget tube amps, often with no more headroom than contemporary guitar amps.
Early 60's tube PA amps, like Marshalls, were often basically the same circuits as instrument amps, just with the speakers arranged in columns.
If you plug a SM57/58, with a lo to hi-z mic transformer, into the normal channel, input #2, of something like a Fender Twin you can use it for small to medium gigs quite happily, with reasonably good fidelity. The pick up pattern shuts down some & you have to get closer on the mic, but it works.
56FH, your first paragraph is the 100% truth and if you look on the control panel of many amps made in the 50's until roughly about 1956, you often saw two inputs, one marked instrument and one marked microphone and that is exactly the deal and whenever I say that same thing to many of today's players, they think I'm totally off my nut and lying to them, but that IS the truth.
The first "portable" higher powered PA was the Shure Vocalmaster in the mid 60's, and those were all tube and with hi-Z inputs (low-Z didn't hit the market outside of pro systems until the mid to late 70's).
The last all tube PA that also had only hi-Z inputs was the Fender PA-100, which was last made in the mid 80's.
Back when I started in the 70's, people were still using either a Twin Reverb amp with an extension cabinet or a Fender Dual Showman amp with two extension cabinets as an alternative to the Shure Vocal Master for a PA. ---------- Sincerely, Barbeque Bob Maglinte Boston, MA http://www.barbequebob.com CD available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bbmaglinte
Last Edited by on May 21, 2010 10:13 AM
Adam and Brandon, this was very cool! I dig the accompaniment/bass line Brandon was laying down, and the tandem Superstition was nice as well. Say hi to my N'Awlins guys tonight for me, and have fun this weekend. ---------- Todd L Greene. V.P.
Adam, I have to agree with Chris. Don't stop singing through your harp mic/amp! It really adds character to your vocals that you simply wouldn't have otherwise (that's a compliment, not a criticism!). A very few people can naturally get enough edge into their vocals to have that perfect mix of sweet and gruff that is perfect for blues, but for those of us who don't have that kind of ability, the distortion added by singing through your amp does a similar thing. Your voice is naturally pretty sweet sounding, so it's important that you "rough it up" a bit by singing through your amp. You'd loose A LOT of your one-man-band mojo if you added a clean PA or something for your vocals... and that'd be a cryin' shame! :) ---------- ------------------ The magnificent YouTube channel of the internet user known as "isaacullah"
Wow! Indeed that was great and fun. Adam's tone was unique through his "stuff". B was super as usual. Superstitious was out of sight. d ---------- Myspace: dennis moriarty
I liked the vocals through the harp mic, but if you wanted to experiment you could hook up a foot pedal and split the effects so you could fine tune them separately, and just flip them back and forth, although with your one foot going for your drum maybe something you could toggle with your hand. Just a thought.
