Here's a terrific video I came across over the weekend. In 1951 The Original Harmonicats delivered this great performance on a variety show I'm not familiar with (anyone know it?). The Trio led by harmonica virtuoso Jerry Murad take a gypsy swing feel to Chopin's Fantasie Impromptu. Murad's harmonica work is phenomenal. Al Fiore plays a giant chord harmonica. While Don Les plays the bass harmonica. Most of Chopin's work has a reputation for being extremely difficult to interpret on piano, can you imagine on harmonica? They are all huffing and puffing away but it sounds great! You don't see innovative playing like this anymore. The other piece they playt is Kabalevsky's the galloping comedians, also another spot on stellar performance. Great act and a great video, enjoy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o7XmGiYBCBQ
sorry its not embedded!
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
News to me
In the summer 0f 2004 I saw Huey Lewis and The News perform at Rock-Fest in Cadott, Wisconsin. They put on a great show and played all of the hits. Lewis is a stellar song writer and an entertaining front man. I was extremely delighted to discover that evening that he also boasts some considerable harmonica chops.
Check out this great clip of Huey honking away during an encore in 1984. He rocks a Paul Butterfield-esqe tone, shows off his rhythm skills, and does some nice high end work. Who knew he could blow like this? Then, just when you think drumer and him are just jamming their saxophonist hops up and they go into some nice arranged riffing.
Huey Lewis and The News has won 2 Grammy's and were nominated for an Acadamey Award in 1986 for their single "The Power of Love" from the film Back To The Future. The guys continue to tour all around the world.
Welcome To Harmonica Musings
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I've Been Searching...
Today's video is an acoustic performance of "Heart of Gold" by Neil Young. This song contains one of the most recognizable harmonica lines in popular music. This is an enchanting solo acoustic version from 1971. The quiet that surrounds him in this video accentuates the haunting melody from the harmonica. The banter at the beginning of this video is very interesting and insightful to Young's relationship with the harmonica at that point in time. He explains that he required a different harmonica for each key he plays in and fumbles with his neck rack and numerous harmonicas he has stashed in his jacket. Young also then invited anyone else with a "G" harmonica to blow along with him.
He was 25 years old when he sat down in front of an audience at the BBC Studios in February of 1971. This was a stop on an acoustic tour he did at the beginning of 1971 the year after he released his third solo venture After the Gold Rush. Young also gained fame for his work with Crosby Still Nash & Young. They recorded the famous song "
Oragne Flor Especial
This video features two harmonica players from Chile playing "Orange Blossom Special". The man playing the diatonic harmonica is a harpist known as Leo Enry. I tried contacting him for more information but he doesn't speak English. Regardless he is one hell of a harmonica player! The other player is a man who identifies himself as best as I can tell as Jon Jon. Maybe it was Shawn Jon (Puff Daddy style!). He is playing some sort of concert chord harmonica. It is probably something similar to Hohner's 48 Chord Harmonica. Enjoy this excellent bluegrass performance from south of the equator!
The Oragne Blossom Special was a train operated by the Seaboard Airline Railway from 1925 through the early 1960's. It took passangers all the way from New York City to Florida. Ervin T. Rouse and Chubby Wise, two accomplished fiddle players in their 20's rode the train and had such an inspiring experience that they went home and tried to capture the experience of hearing the rhthym and sounds from the train. They composed "Orange Blossom Special" and later recorded it on RCA Records.
"Orange Blossom Special" became widely popular when Bill Monroe recorded it in 1941. Later, Johnny Cash named is 1965 album after the song. Here is an interesting story I discovered told by cash about the song which I found here
*I can't cofirm the credibility of this site but it is still a cool story
"I recorded 'Orange Blossom Special' in the mid '60s, and in those
days everybody that recorded it claimed the "arrangement" because
no one knew who wrote it. But Mother Maybelle Carter was at the
session, and I asked her, "Do you know who really wrote 'Orange
Blossom Special'?" She said, "Sure I do. Ervin Rouse and his brother
Gordon." And I said, "Where are they? " She said, "Last time I heard,
they were in Florida."
It was the only clue I had. I called a disc jockey down there named
Cracker Jim Brooker, and I asked Cracker Jim, "Did you ever hear
of Ervin Rouse?" And he said, "Aw, I know Ervin. He lives with the
Seminoles out in the swamp, and he makes swamp buggies for a living."
I said, "You got any idea how I could talk to him?" And he said, "Sure.
I'll announce it on the air: 'Ervin, call me and I'll give you Johnny Cash's
number."' It wasn't an hour till Ervin Rouse called me from some little
settlement in the swamps. I said, "Ervin, I happen to be coming to
Miami on tour. Would you come to my show and do 'Orange Blossom
Special' with me?" He and Gordon came in the clothes they worked in.
I brought Ervin up to play the fiddle, and he absolutely killed them. At
the end of the song, they were applauding and he literally got down on
his knees. He was such a sweet, humble man. Gordon's still living. I still
see him every time I'm down there." - Johnny Cash
The Oragne Blossom Special was a train operated by the Seaboard Airline Railway from 1925 through the early 1960's. It took passangers all the way from New York City to Florida. Ervin T. Rouse and Chubby Wise, two accomplished fiddle players in their 20's rode the train and had such an inspiring experience that they went home and tried to capture the experience of hearing the rhthym and sounds from the train. They composed "Orange Blossom Special" and later recorded it on RCA Records.
"Orange Blossom Special" became widely popular when Bill Monroe recorded it in 1941. Later, Johnny Cash named is 1965 album after the song. Here is an interesting story I discovered told by cash about the song which I found here
*I can't cofirm the credibility of this site but it is still a cool story
"I recorded 'Orange Blossom Special' in the mid '60s, and in those
days everybody that recorded it claimed the "arrangement" because
no one knew who wrote it. But Mother Maybelle Carter was at the
session, and I asked her, "Do you know who really wrote 'Orange
Blossom Special'?" She said, "Sure I do. Ervin Rouse and his brother
Gordon." And I said, "Where are they? " She said, "Last time I heard,
they were in Florida."
It was the only clue I had. I called a disc jockey down there named
Cracker Jim Brooker, and I asked Cracker Jim, "Did you ever hear
of Ervin Rouse?" And he said, "Aw, I know Ervin. He lives with the
Seminoles out in the swamp, and he makes swamp buggies for a living."
I said, "You got any idea how I could talk to him?" And he said, "Sure.
I'll announce it on the air: 'Ervin, call me and I'll give you Johnny Cash's
number."' It wasn't an hour till Ervin Rouse called me from some little
settlement in the swamps. I said, "Ervin, I happen to be coming to
Miami on tour. Would you come to my show and do 'Orange Blossom
Special' with me?" He and Gordon came in the clothes they worked in.
I brought Ervin up to play the fiddle, and he absolutely killed them. At
the end of the song, they were applauding and he literally got down on
his knees. He was such a sweet, humble man. Gordon's still living. I still
see him every time I'm down there." - Johnny Cash
Messin' With The Phish!
This video features a special collaboration between
This version has Phish's signature funky and playful feel. Sugar Blue sings with a soulful and engaging energy. A great moment comes when he throws his hand in the air and sings, "Good bye baby!" at around 1:28. Page McConnell's keyboards are also of note on this video. Although the camera work is shaky at time it doesn't take away from an effervescent organ solo. Sugar Blue gets the crowd amped with his high velocity solos and exciting riffs.
Sugar Blue is a Grammy Award-winning harmonica player currently living and touring in Europe. He is widely recogized for his work with the Rolling Stones most notably the signature harp riff on "Help Me." Recently he released his latest and long awated album titled "Code Blue." For more information visit Sugar-Blue.com
Super Harp
Today's video is James Cotton performing "Rocket 88". His distinct tone is one of the most recognizable honks in the history of blues harmonica. He is considered one of the great innovators of the harmonica and was an apprentice of Sonny Boy Williamson. Known for being a great showman Cotton's performances were gritty and energized. In this video, his vocals and harmonica growl and the band hits with an intense and purposeful fury.
This is one of my favorite songs of his and was ingrained into my mind after my father put it on a mix CD of blues harmonica performances. Originally written by Ike Turner, the song is considered by some (officially recognized in 1991 by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame...still debated) to be the first rock and roll song of all time. The song celebrates the joys of riding in an Oldsmobile "Rocket 88" reached #1 on the rhythm and blues charts for five weeks during the summer of 1951.
This is one of my favorite songs of his and was ingrained into my mind after my father put it on a mix CD of blues harmonica performances. Originally written by Ike Turner, the song is considered by some (officially recognized in 1991 by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame...still debated) to be the first rock and roll song of all time. The song celebrates the joys of riding in an Oldsmobile "Rocket 88" reached #1 on the rhythm and blues charts for five weeks during the summer of 1951.
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