This is the Rod Piazza that I remember seeing some years ago back in New York. When you watch how he moves--like a snake!--in the opening minute of this video, you'll know why he was a dangerous man. Very intense.
I know he's playing a chromatic, but do you know what kind? I've tried to get his sound on mine, and I just can't go low enough. I'm guessing its a 56 reed? or something?
Nice video. Rod Piazza does move like a snake in that video.
I saw Rod play a few weeks ago in Brea, CA and he put on a good show. On one song, Rod went into the audience with a wireless microphone and still had some good moves.
For many years, the chromatics he used to use were Hohner 280's, Super 64's, and Hohner 270's (mainly Bb's), but for the last 5 years, he plays Hering harps exclusively and the chromatics he uses are the 5164 and the 5148. ---------- Sincerely, Barbeque Bob Maglinte Boston, MA http://www.barbequebob.com CD available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bbmaglinte
Last Edited by on Oct 01, 2010 10:33 AM
let's not forget, he has been a mic builder way before many of us even knew what an Astatic "Biscuit" was for, or a blackie CR, a CM, a Shure 707A, an R7, etc etc. In some of his youtube clips, you can see him singing and playing through a Astatic 200. He is the real deal in my book. The best years for me to try and immulate his style are the during the Bacon Fat, Dirty Blues, George Harmonica Smith, years. Hell, I just only discovered him recently. But since then I have been doing my homework om some of his songs. Worth the effort to listen to. Tone to the bone. I saw him, too.. at a bar in Hermosa last month. The walk out in the audience is his thing now. And his tone doesn't change one bit. I was wrong, before, when I said his Harp Kings are 80 watts each. They are 100 watts each... He's King...and Honey is Queen, of the West Coast Blues scene. IMHO. Play on! And make every note count. Check out his interview (with Honey) on youtube. It's funny to see him tell his story, and Honeys, too. They're such nice people, too. What a story. And get yourself on the email list. Honey is such a Honey when she tells all their fans about their latest adventures. They travel to Europe and play. Europe loves em.
No the Koch is an imposter, you need to send it to me! Actually, I have a couple of those. They are chromatics without the windsavers, so you can bend them. Most didn't play well, but with a little fiddling, they make nice harps.
rbeetsme wrote: " They are chromatics without the windsavers", they're perhaps best described as diatonics with a slide, tuning is as for a 10 hole blues harp, rather than like a 12 hole/16 hole chromatic.
George Smith was the teacher for Rod Piazza, William Clarke and Kim Wilson.
The Koch chromatics are richter tuned chromatics and are also tuned to 7LJI.
On LW's "Oh Baby," he's using one in the key of C, played in Ab, so it's in 2nd position, burt with the slide pressed in. ---------- Sincerely, Barbeque Bob Maglinte Boston, MA http://www.barbequebob.com CD available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bbmaglinte
Bob,"Oh Baby" is in G, as is "I Love You So (Oh Baby)". Harp on the former is so slathered in reverb it's very difficult to tell whether it is a Koch or a regular 10 hole...despite what the popular theory might be.
I'm not saying it definitely isn't, but there's no real to know whether it is either, reverb was added as the track went down, so there is no dry version of "Oh Baby" to compare to, "I Love You So" is dry however.
he did the same song twice i love you so (oh baby) is with a diatonic and Oh Baby is in Ab with the Koch you can definitely hear the chromatic on Oh Baby
Both are in G (or closer to G than Ab), my point is that it is virtually impossible to hear the source sound on the harmonica, apart from a couple of phrases (01:36 - which sound very much like "I Love You So"), the effect of the reverb serves to give the impression of a chromatic type sound, but as we will never hear the dry version, it is impossible to say with any certainty what he used.
Ask yourself, if he used a diatonic in G on "I Love You So", why use a harp that costs several times as much & is dreadfully leaky in comparison, to record a number that could more easily be played on a diatonic?
This strikes me as one of those "myth repeated enough becomes a fact" scenarios.
Last Edited by on Oct 06, 2010 2:43 AM
If you listen closely to his solo, some of the phrasings are actually easier to play on the Koch chromatic. Koch chromatics are not only tuned to the Richter type tunijng, but they're also tuned to 7LJI tuning as well. I've duplicated that phrasing on chromatic and played the same thing on a diatonic and some of the 1/2 steps used in some of the phrasing clearly works easier with fewer breath shifts with the Koch chromatic. ---------- Sincerely, Barbeque Bob Maglinte Boston, MA http://www.barbequebob.com CD available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bbmaglinte
of all my harps, the Koch is the biggest lemon i ever bought. even my hohner 260 is a gem in comparison. ---------- MP hibachi cook for the yakuza doctor of semiotics superhero emeritus
@MP. it depends what years they were made. The pre-1980's ones were far better quality. ---------- Sincerely, Barbeque Bob Maglinte Boston, MA http://www.barbequebob.com CD available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bbmaglinte
all of the koch were a little leaky. bob is right the ones made before 1980 were better. super 64 chromatic in the sixties sold for about 17 bucks ,marine band 1.25, then it was raised to 2.50. im not sure what the koch sold for but it wasnt much in the fifties or early 60's when little walter was playing them. were not talking about a big investement. Rice miller also used a koch harmonica i dont remember the song. The koch was a good idea it just didnt work that well but enabled the player to play it like a marine band with the addition of being to use the slide for instance on the major seventh which would only have been available with overblow
I think the tune Rice Miller used it on was "Dissatisfied."
BTW, most Hohner chromatics made before 1980 (on some before 1960) were better. Someone gave me an early 50's 270 about 20 years ago that was BRAND NEW in the old wooden boxes they used to come in and still in the inside wrapping and after playing it for about 2 minutes, it played so nicely you almost wanted to cry.
If you bought most Hohner chromatics being made in the 80's to the mid 90's, just like their diatonics, they weren't that great. ---------- Sincerely, Barbeque Bob Maglinte Boston, MA http://www.barbequebob.com CD available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bbmaglinte
hey bob. the koch is probably 1980. i have a 270 just like yours and the wax paper has a pic of the hohner factory on it. it is a better harp than a modern 270.
i have a 1920s hohner chro and it was missing coverplate screws so i took them from my koch.
hohners first chromatic is actually a richter set-up just like the koch. it had rotted leather wind savers and sports the slide spring on the outside. ---------- MP hibachi cook for the yakuza doctor of semiotics superhero emeritus
Last Edited by on Oct 06, 2010 1:58 PM
Just reviving this old, but relevant string because both the topics of chromatic harmonica playing and Rod Piazza (not necessarily connected) have been discussed in recent weeks, and this string started by kuzdurunner seemed to be under commented on.
Just saw Rod Sunday at his birthday party bash. Was fun to hang out with all of them. Rod is still extremely dangerous and swings like a pendulem. Cookin all evening.
Walking through the crowd with his wireless microphone, dressed in tight leather trousers. He's still able to stirn the ladies's senses, even at the age of 66. Maybe I'll leave miss Frans at home next time ;-)
Last Edited by Frans Belgium on Dec 19, 2013 12:23 AM
