MetaFilter posts tagged with Blues and harmonica

The Hoodoo Man

Joe Beese — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 10:55:59 -0800

"He was one bad dude, strutting across the stage like a harp-toting gangster, mesmerizing the crowd with his tough-guy antics and rib-sticking Chicago blues attack." - All Music Guide. He was also a sharp-dressing mofo who, at the end of his storied life, was buried in "his creaseless sky-blue silk suit and matching homburg, a shiny trove of harmonicas laid out beside him, a pint of gin nestled nearby to ease his journey home". In the opinion of many, he was the greatest blues harmonica player of all time. Junior Wells' universally acknowledged masterpiece is his 1965 debut, Hoodoo Man Blues. More excellent early work is found on Blues Hit Big Town. Favorites among his later work include Drinkin' TNT 'n' Smokin' Dynamite - a live performance with Buddy Guy at the 1974 Montreux Blues Festival - and Come On In This House. A January 1978 performance at The Bottom Line in New York City can be found here. (site is twitchy - be patient) And for specialists: his hippie cash-in "The Hippies Are Trying" is here.

A tale of two Sonny Boys

flapjax at midnite — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 07:39:45 -0800

It's just gotta make you feel so good to hear (and see) Sonny Boy Williamson sing and blow the harp. Keep in mind, of course, this is Sonny Boy Williamson II we're talking about here. Yes, there were two harp-blowing Sonny Boys, and here's a documentary on the legendary Sonny Boy the first: Part 1 and Part 2. You'll note that on "What's Gonna Happen To You" (the "harp" link) the bass player really drops the ball and flubs the entrance that Sonny Boy had set and cued for him, which is most unfortunate. All the other clips, however, feature Sonny Boy in the able company of blues musicians of his own caliber. And that sometimes includes bassist and "poet laureate" of the blues, Willie Dixon. Sonny Boy also played with the great Muddy Waters. Here's another performance of Bye Bye Bird. BTW, that same Sonny Boy (the first) documentary can also be seen in its entirety, uninterrupted, here.

High Sheriff on my heels. I better get on my way, yes!

1f2frfbf — Thu, 08 May 2008 12:37:49 -0800

The full length of Tom Davenport's "Born for Hard Luck" featuring Peg Leg Sam, the last of the great medicine show singers/dancers/musicians. Too busy to watch? Read the transcript with footnotes. Other films in Davenport's American Traditional Culture series available here. Tip o' the hat to hortense for the pointer. Previous Folkstreams post.

Little Walter makes it to heaven

fellene — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 20:01:49 -0800

Little Walter ushered into Rock and Roll Hall of Fame As I heard about the entry of Madonna, Leonard Cohen, the Ventures and the Dave Clark 5 into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame yesterday, one name way at the end of the list brought music to my ears. Little Walter Jacobs was only the best blues harmonica player ever to come out of Chicago from the Delta. Ever. Period. He has influenced everyone you every thought was a good blues harmonica player. After learning to play growing up in Lousiana, he made his way as an itinerant musician throughout the south, finally ending up in Chicago. He developed an innovative technique of cupping a microphone while playing harmonica which allowed him to compete with the newly-amplified blues emerging in south Chicago after the war. As a regular Muddy Waters sideman, he was blowing his heart out at the center of the blues universe. Then he died in a bar fight in 1968.

Personal favorite of his include My Babe, Flying Saucer, Boom Boom, Dead Presidents. Here are a couple clips on You Tube performing with Hound Dog Taylor and Koko Taylor.

KudzuRunner's Blow Out Harmonica Lessons Sale - 'Folks, He's Giving Away The Store!!!'

y2karl — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 22:29:32 -0800

Well respected as a player, instructor and scholar, Adam Gussow teaches blues harmonica online at Modern Blues Harmonica. For a fee.
On YouTube, as KudzuRunner, he also gives lessons. For free. He's put up around 145 videos now--145 videos with like about a million hits in return...
via Tom Muck's Blog