Harmonica fans
- Thread starter H. Lecter
- Start date
Keith Richards says that Mick is one of the best harmonica players in all of rock n roll. Although he hates to feed Jagger's oversized ego by admitting it.
Legendary. I recognized Sonny Boy's performance from one of the tracks on the "American Folk Blues Festival 1962-66" DVD sets. Blues artists like Muddy Waters, Howling Wolf, Willie Dixon, Sonny Boy Williamson, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, and many more, were on this tour of Europe (England, Germany, France, etc.). Every filmed performance on these (2 or 3?) DVDs is great.
This was the early 60s during the British Blues craze. Most of these performers were almost unknown to American (white) audiences at that time having been recorded earlier on "race records". They were all getting old by the 1960s. Interesting seeing the prim and proper British youngsters in attendance and knowing the effect these Blues musicians had on the teenagers who formed groups like the Yardbirds, Animals, Stones, Butterfield, Zeppelin, etc.
Sonny Boy Williams was living in poverty when he went on this tour. Some English fans took him to Saville Row and bought him the suit, briefcase, umbrella, and bowler hat he is wearing here. He got kicked out of one hotel after attempting to cook a rabbit in a coffee percolator setting the room on fire!
This was the early 60s during the British Blues craze. Most of these performers were almost unknown to American (white) audiences at that time having been recorded earlier on "race records". They were all getting old by the 1960s. Interesting seeing the prim and proper British youngsters in attendance and knowing the effect these Blues musicians had on the teenagers who formed groups like the Yardbirds, Animals, Stones, Butterfield, Zeppelin, etc.
Sonny Boy Williams was living in poverty when he went on this tour. Some English fans took him to Saville Row and bought him the suit, briefcase, umbrella, and bowler hat he is wearing here. He got kicked out of one hotel after attempting to cook a rabbit in a coffee percolator setting the room on fire!
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The difference between a professonal musician and a amature is the amount of poverty you are willing to endure to play your music..........I opted for a full time job and fit my music around it........my buddy.......he could survive on cigarettes and beer........his playing went off the charts when he chose a career in music.....he stayed on the bus when they were not traveling.......that was his residence......and anywhere he could get a couch for a night or two.....he finally got tired of "a music career"........he got married and found a job......only a very small percentage make big money and get famous......
It drives me nuts when the judges on some of these "singing competitions" tell these kids that they have a long career ahead or that they have began on the journey of entertaining for a living. What is funny is very few of the ones on their shows make it over a few years and to be honest some of the ones who lose have had longer careers than most winners.
The 'talent' shows only prove one thing to me: anyone can be marketed and made into a 'star' even if only for a few months. The music industry is built around artists who make a big splash right out of the gate and then fade away because the industry controls most of the revenue for newer artists. When an artist shows some staying power and a solid fanbase, they gain a lot more control of the revenue and the record company receives much less.
Harmonica is one instrument I've wanted to learn how to play and haven't taken the time to do so. I've got a couple and honk on them every so often but haven't learned how to bend notes or anything like that that gives the harmonica (especially in blues music) its unique voice. Is it possible to learn how to play via YouTube videos or is it something that needs to be taught in person? From what I've learned, bending notes is something that takes a little while to learn the right way to do it but, once learned, it's pretty easy to duplicate at will.
I have never had formal lessons and am strictly self taught but for me the note bending has a lot to do with 1) how much force you breathe in or out and 2) using my jaw to also change the air. I am sure there are probably people on YouTube that could explain it better than I could but once you figure it out you will be amazed that it is so easy. It all has to do with air just like whistling does.
Terry McMillan was one of the best harmonica players ever. He played on lots of albums for huge stars in many different genres. Ain't going down by Garth Brooks was just one of the many songs he played on.
Trying to hear what the piano man has to say but that damn harmonica player keeps getting in the way.