Think about who your favorite harmonica players are, and why? What is it about a particular player's style or licks that makes their playing enjoyable to listen to?
For the record, some of my favorite harmonica players aren't even overblowers. I listen for how well a harp player compliments a song (do they overplay, etc.), what notes they play over certain chords, their tone, vibratos, etc. In other words, just because someone can play the harmonica like Van Halen doesn't make them one of my favorites to listen to, though I do have a ton of respect for those who can play like that because this usually means that they've put in several hours of practice to be able to do so. But there are some players who just stand out as being unique because of certain things, and you can usually immediately tell when it's them playing. A perfect example of this was my all-time favorite player, the late Terry McMillan. I never heard him do an overblow, but he had one of the most unique, incredible tones of anyone I've ever heard. Being a studio musician in Nashville for several years, he knew just the right licks to play in the right places of a song to make people, especially non-harmonica players, say, "Wow!" He was famous for his 3 draw half-step bend growl, as well as his throat and hand vibratos. Being a percussionist as well only help ensure that his harp licks were always dead on with the rhythms, and he came up with some funky riffs, and the best train rhythms I've ever heard to date. The YouTube clips of him are awful - you have to hear his recordings to appreciate his train stuff.
Some of my favorite non-overblow players to listen to are:
PT Gazell - smooth, soothing, relaxing
Brendan Power - Precise, clean, melodic, amazing
Bill Newton - a local NC guy who is phenomenal - huge tone
Buddy Greene - Charlie McCoy style playing with such precision
Kirk "Jelly Roll" Johnson - gives the song what it needs
Peter "Madcat" Ruth - great rhythms and funky licks!
John Gindick - very expressive, especially in minor keys
Sugar Blue - the original "Popper" style player, but better
(I do realize that a lot of the guys above are capable of doing overblows, but you typically don't hear them in their playing very often.)
And some of my favorite overblower players are:
Adam Gussow - the guy does it all - a true modern bluesman
Chris Michalek - especially in 11th position - amazing dude
Carlos Del Junco - very clean, precise notes and overblows
Howard Levy - this one is obvious
Michael Peloquin - love his jazz licks
Sandy Weltman - WOW
Christelle Berthon - Plays with such emotion and SMOOTH overblows - one of the best I've heard
Jason Ricci - sometimes on certain songs more than others
TJ Klay - Jolly Rancher Rag - you gotta hear it
Alex Paclin - the world's next great harmonica player
Joe Spiers - more than a customizer - the guy can play!
Peter Elder - the best kept harmonica secret alive today
There are many others, too many to name here, but I'm curious to see what YOU guys hear in other players that make them stand out.
Last Edited by Todd Parrott on Aug 21, 2013 12:51 AM
Billy Branch - Amazing player and showman. I've been a fan since 1980. There are not many Blues players like Billy. He made it cool for young guys to play Blues on the South Side of Chicago in the 1980's. A musical historian and a true Bluesman.
James Cotton - It's cliche to say it, but James Cotton is a living legend. He is Blues history. He has an incredible recorded legacy. He's great.
RJ Mischo - He has a deep rich tone which is reminiscent of Big Walter Horton. An under-appreciated songwriter and harmonica player.
Kenny Neal - Beautiful acoustic tone and one helluva a singer/showman.
Bobby Rush - He's not the greatest harp player, but he may be the greatest entertainer.
Most of my favorite players have passed away. If I listed all of them, it would be a really long list.
Last Edited by on Jun 02, 2010 9:59 PM
Alan Wilson- Great feel for the music, never played too much or too little and what he did play was original and he obviously listened to the other musicians he played with. (also underrated). Best Album= Hooker and Heat.
Pat Ramsey- Also underrated. For the reasons Jason gives when he talks about him.
James Cotton......His raw, powerful style moves me. He can make notes fit that should not. Check out Slow Blues on youtube.
Mike Stevens.....Check out this bluegrass player if you have not. He tours a lot with Raymond McLain, professer of bluegrass at East TN State...he does the looping, beatbox, and his fast playing is incredible.
Terry McMillan....When I saw his youtube video of Amazing Grace I knew I wanted to learn to play harmonica. Another player that "feels" it. RIP Terry.
Jason Ricci....... Simply the best diatonic blues player ever. He plays licks and phrases that no one else can come close to. Watch him live to be blown away.
In no particular order: Adam: Of course his lessons, generosity and “on line friendship” have a lot to do with this choice. However I just love the way he swings. Whenever I hear him I want to pick up the harp and play.
Rick Estrin: He has such a unique sound. I love the tone and, again, I feel like he really swings.
Sonny Boy I: Although I tend to like the amplified sound of a harp SBWI has such a cool, raw acoustic sound it draws me in.
Magic Dick: Since I’m a Boston boy and grew up chasing Geils around from the Cumberland County Civic Center to the Cape Cod Coliseum MD might just be my favorite. He’s not JUST a blues harp guy and maybe that’s what I like about him. He sounds equally amazing blowing a solo as he does backing up Peter Wolf.
---------- "Take out your false teeth, momma, I want to suck on your gums."-P. Wolf
I accidentally left out Christelle, so I editted my post to include her. To me, she is such a smooth overblower that her overblow notes sound like natural notes. I met her last year at SPAH and have a lot of respect for her playing. She was neat to hear live.
Lee Sankey: He has such wonderful control of the harp. He attacks the instrument and has his own unique voice. If I had to describe his playing in one word, it'd be "confidence"
---------- I could be bound by a nutshell and still count myself a king of infinite space
Lee Sankey, Lee Oscar, William Clarke, Gary Primich, Paul deLay, Carlos when he gets latin-bluesey, Dennis G (monster tone) you:Todd- smooth, unadulterated, masterly! (it's probably obvious but not all players at all times on all songs). There is a jazziness or tone depth or surprise (wow! that was different) signature to some of these guys too......d ---------- Myspace: dennis moriarty
Thanks Dennis! Man, I forgot about Lee Oskar too! I love his stuff. And Dennis, from what I've heard from you on YouTube, you are a great player as well, and are one of those guys who is just nice to listen to. I think I've commented along those same lines before on your YouTube clips . I knew if I started listing people I would leave some out. (That's what happens when you try and write a post after midnight when you're sleepy.)
as far as favorite players the list is too long but what impresses me most is the players tone-there is a local harp player in east tennessee that plays in a band called slow blind hill named henry perry who has pretty tone and thats why I love to play harp because I think its sound is beautiful-flash does not impress me like a soulful sound that some harp players have
I have a long list but it goes specifically by genre because for me, every genre requires different things and what works in one often doesn't in another and my listening isn't just blues, as it includes damned near every genre, including classical and jazz, and so it's also not strictly diatonic players. It would be almost far too long to list and somewhere along the line, I've been influenced by nearly all of them in one way or another. ---------- Sincerely, Barbeque Bob Maglinte Boston, MA http://www.barbequebob.com CD available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bbmaglinte
This could be an endless list, but here's my Reader's Digest version, primarily folks who haven't been mentioned much thusfar:
Richard Hunter-his point/counterpoint just blows me away. I also enjoy his compositions utilizing the alternate LO tunings.
John Popper-I dicovered him when BT's first album was still in the college circuit, right when I was beginning to play. Hearing his hi-speed lines and also my delving into the blues greats at the same time deeply, gave me an interesting comparison of the capabilities of our humble instrument. He was a big influence on my playing early on.
Lee Oskar-his melodic playing as well as his WAR-era horn section work has always moved me.
Mike Stevens-I've delved into bluegrass harp myself over the years, and Mike's just great at it, period.
Paul Butterfield-his approach to the blues really caught my ear and held it. Same goes for Mark Ford. Fiery out-of-the-box lead style and amplified tone that showed an evolution from the earlier players, yet kept enough tradition in there to not sound trite.
Paul Butterfield woodstock what a time period. The man can capture you on a blue note.Make people stand up and pay attention.but most of all they were shaking it up.
Paul Butterfield Just think about Chicago music in the 60s.Befriended by Muddy Waters Something to the sounds of the city>s streets. Different times different sounds different people all around .Everyone doing there on thing. And Paul Butterfield making friends with the great ones.
Jason Ricci and what I stand most in awe of (and try to perfect myself) is what he does with his hands. He is a master of using the hands for tonal effects. Here's but a few.... Dom Sgro. He has tone and pizazz. Inventor of the delayed octave effect. Henry Whittier. Master of chords and tongue blocks, he could make those tongue blocks sing. I picked up a lot from Henry Whittier. Gwen Foster. Unlike Henry, I didn't learn a lot from Gwen, that's cause his stuff is way beyond me. One of the greatest blues harpers ever, definitely the best first-position blueser ever. Igor Flach. The guy's vibratto is incredible. Tony Sgro. Tony's tone on the chord harmonica baffles me. I first heard him on one of the Puleo Harmonica albums from the 1950s. The tones he could get killed me, excited me enough that I picked up the chord harmonica myself. Peter Ruth - Yeah, Peter took lessons from Big Walter, etc. But Peter's gone farther back than that. I hear a lot of the 1930s in his playing. It's an excellent and fresh mix of a century's worth of blues harmonica playing. David Naiditch - a pioneer, chromatic harmonica in bluegrass. As a bluegrass player, I am especially interested in what he's doing as I try to form my own sound.
He cannot be said to be a modern blues harmonica player, but I'm going to bring this discussion full circle by telling the truth: my favorite harmonica player is still Little Walter, has been since I heard his chromatic solo in the middle of Muddy's "I Just Want to Make Love to YOu". Here's what I love about him:
1. His creativity. The endless ideas, the constant invention. He did not repeat himself from song to song; he didn't even repeat himself from verse to verse!
2. His musicality. He unerringly played something that fit the song, whether backing up another singer or playing on his own records. His contributions to Muddy Waters' songs, long after he ceased to be a working member of Muddy's band, always fit, and always enhanced the message and mood of the song. He had the ability to channel just the right notes from the blues cosmos, time after time. (I believe even bluesmen/women channel something from "out there" guess that puts me with the mystics in this group, you know who you are.
3. On his own records, his firm conception of how a song should work; how it should sound. I'm going by a quote from one of his sidemen, can't remember who; probably one of the Myers brothers. He said Little Walter always had firm ideas as to how a song should sound; ideas that the sidemen didn't necessarily understand or want to do but when executed made believers out of them.
4. His groundbreaking use of electric amplification as an essential part of the harmonica's tone. He may not have been the first, but he showed the world, more than any other harmonica player, what could be done with amplification. I love his tone.
5. The depth of real emotion he summoned in every song he ever played or sang. No Muzak here, every note was real. Dare I mention "soul", a word not often used these days?
1. Howard Levy. I’d even prefer to give him first three places as he twice genius than all other harmonica players I listened too. He also plays piano twice better than all piano players in my (not so small) city, he is great modern composer, his tunes are full or uncommon progressions, odd metering and polyrhythmic tricks. He means his overblow and bends just like piano notes. It doesn’t matter if he plays slow ballade or fast precious fusion tune. I loved to play My One And Only Love till I’ve heard Howard’s version from Cappuccino album. It’s the best interpretation of this tune I’ve ever heard. On the other hand he can play fast tune with perfect pitch and rhythm, like he play Lady And The Tramp with Paco d’Riviera. I think he has the best sense of rhythm among harmonica players. When I listen to harmonica music I often listen to it at imagine the same music without harmonica. I sure I’ll listen to Howard Levy music even if he stop playing harmonica and starts playing saxophone (BTW, he can play sax too!). Any player shows his personality in his music. Howard has great intellect without doubts. 2. Jason Ricci. First tune I’ve heard was some slow blues, downloaded from archive.org. I decide that he is one of the imitators and decide not to listen to this recording more. Later I’ve found this recording on my hard drive and upload it to my mp3 player. I was shocked, especially when I listened to John Coltrane’s cover called Reverse Technology. Jason has very complex life, full of addictions, social incomprehension and other negative life experience, but he is open and honest with listener. I believe into his playing. Technically he find the best amped tone for harmonica I ever heard, I hardly can imagine the better tone, than he uses on Rocket 9 album. I’m looking for My Tone and I start buying the same stomp boxes as Jason, and I don’t know how to avoid imitation of his tone, e.g. how to find such good tone, not similar to Jason’s. He’s incredible fast and has a bunch of power and energy. I also really enjoy his working with effects. 3. Toots Thielemans. Great musical ideas, playing harmonica like guitar or like saxophone. Best phrasing ever, great intellect too. 4. John Popper. You can tell me he has no perfect tone he is too fast to understand what he’s playing. But I’m sure he really knows the place for each of his fast notes. He definitely have his unique own style, he has a lot of power. Besides harmonica he is powerful songwriter with pretty melodies, and great singer, one of my favorite male’s voice along with Chet Baker. I’ve seen Blues traveler live show and I was wondered that Popper sings, then plays solo, then sings, than play accompaniment for guitar solo using his great leslie effects to emulate Hammond like sounds. He never stop activity on stage, it’s great for my taste. 5. Richard Hunter. The unique player, who can play alone, without any accompaniment. He was taught as classical piano player and he really in his stuff. He can greatly emulate polyphonic playing using wider tongue splits like 10th and 12th, I start using them after him. He is great composer to my taste, he greatly mix classical music with jazz and folk music. 6. Chris Michalek. Great overblow player with great musicality, signature tone. You know him. 7. Bart Leczycki. Pretty good player from Poland. I'm not a fan of his blues stuff, but his jazz stuff is really great. 8. Lee Oskar. Great melodist with warm signature tone.
This list can be longer, if I find more modern players over internet, but I lost interest of searching new harmonica players, I listen more other music. ---------- http://myspace.com/harmonicaboris
Last Edited by on Jun 15, 2010 10:02 PM
Dennis Gruenling will always be one of my favorites because he was the first really good harp player I got to see live and in person. It was @ the Stanhope House ( reopening soon) probably mid->late 90s and he was playing w/ Filthy Rich and the Poor Boys. I was just blown away by his tone and phrasing, what a sound.
from strictly instrumental playing little walter was hard to beat he played like a sax player blue lights,juke, quarter to 12,sad hours and off the wall were beautiful instrumentals with jazzy notes thrown in
Hey Todd. I know u said list the "why" of the favorites, but just let me list only name this time. :)
1. The teacher of Little Walter and ALL Chicago harp players---- BIG WALTER. My favorite and the top of any list 2. Sonny Boy Williamson II 3. Sonny Terry 4. Jerry Portnoy (Could listen to him for hours) 5. James Cotton 6. Paul Butterfield 7. Junior Wells 8. Carey Bell 9. Billy Branch 10. Pierre Lacoque of Mississippi Heat (hoped I spelled it right) 11. George Smith
Even I think highly of Little Walter and put him up with Big Walter, I rather listen to the above list before Little Walter.
These are my 11 Disciples of the Archangel Gabriel.
Nice list DrC.....I love Pierre's style as well. The band is Hot as well !! ----------
Music is your own experience, your own thoughts, your wisdom. If you don't live it, it won't come out of your horn. They teach you there's a boundary line to music. But, man, there's no boundary line to art. - Charlie Parker
Gotta be LW at number one for me, because he was a genius, simple as.
I like listening to a player that makes me go "holy fuck! How did he just spill that out of his brain?!"
It's the same reason for which Jimi Hnedrix is my number one guitar dude.
Obviously, listenablity plays a big part too, as does technique, and, perhaps more-so, coolness. I love reading stories that colour the picture of LW's bad-ass persona in my mind. I guess I relate to it a little.
Paul Butterfield for his phrasing and note selection.
Sugar Blue for his sophisticated musicality and masterful technique.
Howlin' Wolf for the powerful intensity and authentic emotion of his musical statements.
James Cotton for his original creativity and TONE.
Madcat Ruth for his total command of the instrument and sophisticated ability to play masterfully in different musical styles.
Last Edited by on Jul 10, 2010 10:32 PM
I'll start with my eternal number one- because after 40 years, just one note can still make me weak in the knees. Rice Miller aka Sonny Boy Williamson II. 'playing the blues' may seem like an easiest thing to do. Playing blues that conveys something real is another thing - and not easy at all. Sonny Boy was the blues. The voice and harp spoke the same. Dangerous - sweet-nasty deep fried soul shakin jelly on a plate.
The instrument -and playing technique have come a long way since his time - but no one can just breath on that little thing - and convey what he did.
Butter influenced my style more perhaps - and I love him for some of the reasons others have already given. - I gave up on trying to sound like Sonny Boy many many years ago.
-Aussie - if you love C. McCoy - ya gotta love our thread starter Todd too! - He has taken that school of amazing country chops - and kept it moving forward.
perhaps more later -noam
Last Edited by on Jul 10, 2010 8:00 PM
Thanks MP Its great to see me on a list like this ..Its a good feeling to be listed with all these greats ....I even taught one of the guys n this list ... Denis Gruling ... he was coming to my shows ... He was realy interested in learnig from someone ... so i gave him my TB 101 .. then he came back the next week ... he wanted to learn some cotton licks on the verve albums ... i showed him some of that ... in all about 4 lessons ...by then he was showing me a few tricks he discoverd ....But he never stopped TB and it shows in his playing .. that what i showed him back in 91 still comes through his playing ... and whenever i see him listed it gives me pleasure ...As it is i think once you become a pro player ... there isent a who's beter ... its all diffrent ....Everyone has there own style ....I still would give it all back to be James Cottons Tour MGR again ... Sharing a room with Luther Tucker ... and hearing LW stories before i went to sleep .....
PS Silvertone ... Filthy Rich & The Poor' Boy's .. was The Deak Harp Band ... I lost that band due to my Adiction ....to Booze and other sorts ....got sober in 2001.. Made a CD in 2002 .. And still sober .. The blues world is a small world ... Denis had a nice band to gell with in his early years ....
We hold these truths , uh I mean these two, to be self-evident
Little Walter Howard Levy
others:
Lee Oskar - melodic, creative, ahead of his time in use positions and tunings , 'horn section' playing with War as mentioned Just caught the Low Rider Band (the Real WAR - with Oskar) a few weeks ago and Lee is still wonderful
Butter - energy, phrasing - rode the line of Blues and Rock to just the point where I still love it and - as mentioned - biggest influence in my playing style
Will Scarlett - his blues 'voice' on the early Hot Tuna is beautiful and unique
I am just finding out about many of the great newer players - except for the first ten years I started playing (long long ago) I haven't seeked out harmonica music any more (and probably less) than I have good music in general. Here's a few though that have caught my ear.
Jason, - the passion, the chops, the teaching
Jay Gaunt - the POTENTIAL, his playing on Ultimate Harp Jam alone. It's fun to watch a kid jump off the starting line at the level he's at. I am hoping he will mature and learn to leave more space in his music. Still got that 'more is better' thing a bit too predominant - but man talk about enfant terrible
Wade Schuman and Randy Weinstein - I just love what they are doing with Hazmat Modine - A band that is making great music - and happens to be fronted by two wonderful harp players
Christelle - personality an enigma - but the ballads just get me - and as Todd mentioned, rare overblows that actually sound sweet.
Randy Singer - Hadn't heard of him before last years SPAH, He led the Jazz jam in the lounge and played effortless jazz on both diatonic and chromatic - I haven't seen anyone else use both instruments so fully and easily.
Brendan Powers - precision , versatility - makes non overblowing harp still 'cool'
in case you missed it in the post above all time #1 - Sonny Boy II
The mention of Studebaker John, who I met once in passing at a gig but have never heard live, sent me to YouTube, where I came across a terrific video. I love the way he holds everything back until and yet manages to keep the energy--and tension--high until he cuts loose halfway through. This is a perfect blend of traditional and modern:
He is now on this website's honorable mention list. Great player.
Last Edited by on Jul 11, 2010 6:18 PM
Studebaker John is a fabulous player. He performs most of his own tunes. He's got tone for days. Additionally, he's a bad ass slide guitar player in the Hound Dog Taylor vein. He's really worth seeing.
I'll never forget the first time that I saw him. It was in the dive bar in Lyons, IL. He had played until 5:00am. Rick Kreher was in his band and is also a really good slide guitar player. Rick had played several Muddy Waters styled slide tunes throughout the night. That night was April 30, 1983.
On the ride home, I found out Muddy Waters had passed away.
