It took me at least a minute to realize that he's playing a 10-hole diatonic in the video below. (If I'm wrong about that--if he's playing a 12-hole or other non-chromatic harp--please correct me.) It's definitely not a big chromatic, because of all the bends. Just a G diatonic. There's enough musical intelligence and inventiveness here, not to mention swing, to keep most of us in the woodshed for a good long while, chasing the 'trane:
>>>>"There's enough musical intelligence and inventiveness here, not to mention swing, to keep most of us in the woodshed for a good long while ..."
Amen, brother! Another thing I like about WC's approach is that he's one of the West Coast acolytes of George Smith (not to mention acolytes of acolytes of George Smith) who doesn't bring a "coolio, jive daddy," shtick approach. He swings without being "swing," if that makes sense.
Last Edited by on Dec 31, 2010 5:50 AM
When I opened for him a few months before he died, after the shows were over, he mentioned that he listened to a LOT of jump blues and big band jazz sax players, but also a lot B3 players as well, mainly the guys who do what is now called "soul jazz."
He did tons of gigs with George Smith, who was his teacher (Clarke also played guitar as well), and a few of things he ingrained in him was not to play so many notes all the time and play softer, and if you play really ahrd all the time, the swing licks jsut don't come off well. You also have think more along the lines of a horn player.
He was really goo dguy, personally, and he had to totally sober up and lose a lot of weight after he had congestive heart failure during one of his gigs, and his doctors told him his next drink could be his last.
When I first saw him in 1991 for his first East Coast tour, he was really hammered really badly and I wasn't that impressed with him and was disappointed after hearing a number of his LP's he had made years earlier, but the last two times I saw him, including the night I opened for him, he was totally sober, proud of it, and played his ass off.
He did use, as did his mentor/teacher, George Smith, quite a bit of 3rd position even on diatonics. ---------- Sincerely, Barbeque Bob Maglinte Boston, MA http://www.barbequebob.com CD available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bbmaglinte
he is one of my all time iconic heroes. i can't do 1/3 of what he did but he's an inspiration like no other. when i'm feeling like i really know something, i try and follow along on his version of "the work song". this cut here is another i will be using to stay my right size. 3rd position to me is made for swing and jazz lines. i try hard to emulate horn and b3 lines when i get the opportunity. but even i the roots/blues duo i find that 3rd fits very well in a lot of places i only hear others play in 2nd. mr. clarke was a true master.
I could listen to this stuff all day....Yes he plays a G diatonic in 3rd .
Listening to this live version I realize he is playing some of the licks that I thought were in the middle octave , in the low octave , I guess I was confused by the guitar , in the studio version all the harp parts are doubled by the guitar.
Like tmf said , I made a tutorial and a backing track on this song , some time ago , you can check it out following the link in my signature. ---------- Free video harp tabs and backing tracks
Last Edited by on Dec 31, 2010 8:52 AM
Most of his stuff I've seen on YouTube was recorded really poorly. This stuff is great. Swinging 3rd position....got my G harp out and I've already started my woodshedding! Thanks for sharing this one Adam.
Was thinkin "How does he get all of that out of that diatonic" so I came to MBH to see which cd Adam recommends. Bought "Blowin' Like Hell". Now found this thread. Gonna go blow like hell.
They both had the same teacher -- George Harmonica Smith. ---------- Sincerely, Barbeque Bob Maglinte Boston, MA http://www.barbequebob.com CD available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bbmaglinte
Jimmys mailbox letters on his Strat cracked me up. Not to mention the upside P-bass. Kim is one of my favorites. Just got "Smokin Joint" for christmas but haven't gotten to listen to all of it yet.
Hooray for you Kim Wilson. You should take a lesson from yourself in 1980. THAT LOOKS LIKE A PERFORMER worthy of a paycheck, (instead of some bum who just fought his way out of a biker bar). Nice cooking body language also. AND...that's probably some of the BEST chromatic you ever did. You're blowing your nuts out like George told you to do and I salute you. As for Bill Clarke, I will tell all of you a few stories about him and me, and show some personal pictures and letters from him (1990-1991) when I am at the Hill Country thing. What a guy he was....he helped me through the most horrible, stress filled, months of my life. Funny thing about his visits...we seldom even talked harmonica stuff. Just history and life in general and the overall phoniness of the music business. R.I.P. you big bear! (my son told me he thought some gangster from LA had invaded our home when he first met Bill). Too funny.
