Harmonica players

jewels santana · **Joined:** Thu Nov 04, 2004 2:36 pm **Posts:** 10198

i never really thought much about the harmonica until i started playing it myself, now my ear always perks up when i hear one.

these are a few of my favorites:

Neal Young - he is the person i sound the most like when i play and so i'm always curious to hear what he's doing. His style is not unlike his guitar playing - simple but effective.

Bob Dylan - he's not very good at what he does. Always seems to be hitting notes that he didn't mean to hit, but his music feels naked without it. So he must be doing something right.

Mick Jagger - he's actually very good technically - dude can really blow on that thing. I like when he uses it to add to the groove and not just solo (like on Midnight Rambler)

Huey Lewis - for real. he's a hell of a harmonica player.

i assume there are 100's of blues dudes i should know, but i don't.

robotboy · **Posted:** Mon May 23, 2005 2:41 pm

Yail Bloor · **Posted:** Mon May 23, 2005 2:41 pm

Neil Young is a good call. I think you may be undercutting Bobby D. a bit. Sometimes he does get a bit off (for good or ill) but he has some TREE-MENDOUS stuff that (like you mention) wouldnt be the same without the harp.

U2's "Running to Stand Still" has always been a fav. Bono nails that ish.

PopTodd · **Posted:** Mon May 23, 2005 2:56 pm

Toots Thielmann - jazz player, probably best known for playing the Sesame Street theme. In reality, he is a motherfucker.

Stevie Wonder - A technically brilliant player. A lot of people don't like his style - very precise and melodic, as opposed to blues wailing. To them I say: "Fuck you! That is mothafukkin' STEVIE WONDER!!!"

Cotton · **Joined:** Mon Oct 25, 2004 6:12 pm **Posts:** 17155

James Cotton
Little Walter
Paul Butterfield
Sonny Boy Williamson
Sonny Terry
hell, even Sugar Blue can put a hurtin on any of these guys

jewels santana · **Joined:** Thu Nov 04, 2004 2:36 pm **Posts:** 10198

PopTodd Wrote:

Stevie Wonder - A technically brilliant player. A lot of people don't like his style - very precise and melodic, as opposed to blues wailing. To them I say: "Fuck you! That is mothafukkin' STEVIE WONDER!!!"

Stevie has one of the most instantly recognizable sounds. You know its him within a note or two, and that's amazing. Also his notes are very intentional and precise and extremely melodic. (ha, i wrote that without reading what you wrote)

i forgot about him, he's the man.

PopTodd · **Posted:** Mon May 23, 2005 3:04 pm

jewels santana Wrote:

PopTodd Wrote:

Stevie Wonder - A technically brilliant player. A lot of people don't like his style - very precise and melodic, as opposed to blues wailing. To them I say: "Fuck you! That is mothafukkin' STEVIE WONDER!!!"

Stevie has one of the most instantly recognizable sounds. You know its him within a note or two, and that's amazing. Also his notes are very intentional and precise and extremely melodic. (ha, i wrote that without reading what you wrote)

i forgot about him, he's the man.

He IS the man.
And from the small portion of what I've heard of his new album, it sounds like The Man IS BACK!!!

Cap'n Squirrgle · **Posted:** Mon May 23, 2005 3:06 pm

How many hundreds of pounds has a guy gotta (formerly) be to get hisself remembered?

jewels santana · **Joined:** Thu Nov 04, 2004 2:36 pm **Posts:** 10198

he too has an instantly recognizable sound, i just happen to not like it.

Cotton · **Joined:** Mon Oct 25, 2004 6:12 pm **Posts:** 17155

John Popper: Sonny Boy Williamson
Mr. Bungle: The Jesus Lizard

jewels santana · **Joined:** Thu Nov 04, 2004 2:36 pm **Posts:** 10198

Cotton Wrote:

James Cotton
Little Walter
Paul Butterfield
Sonny Boy Williamson
Sonny Terry
hell, even Sugar Blue can put a hurtin on any of these guys

do you have any of these guys handy on your computer?

Elvis Fu · **Posted:** Mon May 23, 2005 3:13 pm

Lee Oskar

Cotton · **Joined:** Mon Oct 25, 2004 6:12 pm **Posts:** 17155

probably, but i'm not actually on my computer right now. I'll put some stuff up tomorrow or maybe if i have enough time tonight.

jewels santana · **Joined:** Thu Nov 04, 2004 2:36 pm **Posts:** 10198

cool, thanks.

Cap'n Squirrgle · **Posted:** Mon May 23, 2005 3:17 pm

jewels santana Wrote:

he too has an instantly recognizable sound, i just happen to not like it.

I'm not crazy about it either, but there's no denying the man can get around on a harmonica. I respect him for it, that's for sure... maybe the kind of respect you give people like Satriani or Vai on guitar. Like, "yeah, you're amazing on that thing, but no, I don't want to buy your record."

jewels santana · **Joined:** Thu Nov 04, 2004 2:36 pm **Posts:** 10198

Cap'n Squirrgle Wrote:

jewels santana Wrote:

he too has an instantly recognizable sound, i just happen to not like it.

I'm not crazy about it either, but there's no denying the man can get around on a harmonica. I respect him for it, that's for sure... maybe the kind of respect you give people like Satriani or Vai on guitar. Like, "yeah, you're amazing on that thing, but no, I don't want to buy your record."

true.

now i'm not excactly well versed in his style, but i also get the impression he doesn't have a whole lot of range. He does his style and does it well, but it always sort of seems the same to me.

f4df · **Posted:** Mon May 23, 2005 3:40 pm

Cotton Wrote:

Little Walter

check out 'Juke'

throw in early Junior Wells for good measure

and a token white guy- Charlie Musselwhite

Cotton · **Joined:** Mon Oct 25, 2004 6:12 pm **Posts:** 17155

Oh shit i forgot Junior Wells!
yeah that album he did with Buffy Guy in particular is kickass.

regarding popper:
he overplays the shit outta that thing. It's impressive, most definitely, but it's like where he should've realized he had the tools he needed to go out and form his own style he kept focusing on technique to the point where his style wasn't really a style but just overplaying. The guy is talented as fuck but i really just don't get the raw emotion other people tend to deliver so easily with this instrument. my 2 cents.

f4df · **Posted:** Mon May 23, 2005 3:54 pm

Cotton, Junior played a large part of his career besides Buddy Guy..

check out 'Superharps' which features James Cotton, Billy Branch, Charlie Musselwhite, and Sugar Ray Norcia...great album (Superharps II is good but not as good)....

Cotton · **Joined:** Mon Oct 25, 2004 6:12 pm **Posts:** 17155

oh, i know, it just happens that album is my favorite Junior Wells stuff. Probably because those guys just sounds so good together.

f4df · **Posted:** Mon May 23, 2005 4:03 pm

But Im saying.. which album are you talking about lol?

Buddy Guy & Junior Wells Play the Blues?
Alone and Acoustic?

Not trying to be a pain in the ass, just that Junior is one of my fav bluesman.. so I have a lot of his stuff.. so I was just wondering

Cotton · **Joined:** Mon Oct 25, 2004 6:12 pm **Posts:** 17155

I'm pretty sure it's called Hoodoo Man Blues? It's around '64 or '65. Buddy Guy wasn't originally credited with his real name.

f4df · **Posted:** Mon May 23, 2005 4:22 pm

oh yeah the classic (first) album by Wells.. Buddy appears as "Friendly Guy" lol... good choice...

PopTodd · **Posted:** Tue May 24, 2005 12:31 pm

Mark Feltham

He played on the The's Mind Bomb, and am not sure if he did all the stuff on their other albums, too. But it seems like ever the The album is FILLED with great harp!

FT · **Posted:** Sat May 28, 2005 6:19 pm

Robert Klein - "I Can't Stop My Leg"

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