Play Along With One Of The Greats
Just in case you are unfamiliar with the work of Junior Wells, I have two places you need to visit:
1) Hoodoo Man Blues is his 1965 release, and you should race right out to secure a copy. While I can't provide a personal review of all of Junior's work, I can tell you this CD is a hit.
2) Alone & Acoustic was released in the United States in 1991 by Alligator Records. This is Junior playing with Buddy Guy, and this CD shakes one of the foundations of this little blog. Let's rewind. The purpose of this blog is to offer opinions to the beginner blues harp player. And we began with the opinion that "play along with records" is common and silly advice. I label it silly because: a) you must first understand music/blues rules, and b) the harp players good enough to record are too good for you to accompany. You can't keep up when you are a beginner. I stand by that theory, but I also have an open enough mind to say, "You really can learn by playing along with Alone & Acoustic."
Junior isn't getting paid by the note on the CD. The harp sound is clean (rare, right? . . . we love it when the blues harp sounds rough). The result: you can follow what he is doing. There are 15 tracks on this CD, and these are the numbers that a beginner blues harper would find interesting:
• Give Me My Coat And Shoes
• Big Boat (Buddy and Junior's Thing)
• Diggin' My Potatoes
• Rollin' And Tumblin'
• High Heel Sneakers
• Wrong Doing Woman
• Cut You Loose
• Sally Mae
• Catfish Blues
• My Home's In The Delta
• Medley: Baby What You Want Me To Do / That's Allright
Looks Like A Novelty Harmonica But Plays Like A Champ
Not long ago, I Voxed about ignoring holes 7 - 10 on your diatonic harmonica. See below. I have a German buddy in this campaign: Seydel offers a harp called Big Six.
You can accurately guess how many holes this harp has, can't you? Six. What an efficient little blues machine. Let's talk about it.
Price
I paid a little more than $30. That's on the high side for me and harp purchases. I tend to shop in the $15 - $25 harp aisle.
First Impression
The harp arrives sealed in a can. You pop the top like you are getting ready to enjoy some mixed nuts. You instead find your Big Six and a lanyard which allows you to wear your Big Six around your neck. Fun and novelty-ish.
Feel
The small size feels odd. But not for long. Fool around with your Big Six for a couple of days, and you will discover a grip you like.
Sound
I avoid rating a harp's sound because I believe the player is most responsible for sound. Instead, I focus on responsiveness. Does this thing respond to my efforts? Do I have to work too hard? I am pleased to report my Big Six is indeed responsive. It's available in the key of C.
I am happy with my Big Six purchase. I like moving up toward the six hole knowing that I am not going to drift into seven hole territory. This is a neat option, and it fits into the "compact car only" space in your harp gear.
P.S. I have a CD on my shelf by a British rockabilly act called The Big Six. This 1996 release called Ready To Rock is highly recommended. It's got nothing to do with beginner blues harp playing or Seydel or anything. They just share a cool name.
Do you know his work with Jimmy Rogers?
Little Walter is a 2008 inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. You already knew that. You have probably even made your opinions known about:
a) the quality of the Little Walter musical tribute at the Hall of Fame ceremony (you thought it was too sloppy)
b) the ridiculous "Sidemen" label that greeted Little Walter at the Hall of Fame door (you used curse words)
If we were playing word association and I gave you the words "Little Walter" and "sideman," your reply just might be "Muddy Waters." I would find no fault with your reaction. But I strongly suggest you begin thinking: "Jimmy Rogers."
If you aren't listening to Little Walter's work with Jimmy Rogers, you are missing a truckload of tunes. I recommend without reservation . . .
Artist: Jimmy Rogers
Title: The Complete Chess Recordings
Released: 1997
The above is a two-disc set. Not every song features Little Walter, but rest assured that these songs are all super.
Instructional Materials From Two Brand Name Players
Scroll around through your choices of blues harp instructional books/CDs/videos, and you will find a bunch of stuff. Overwhelming even. Where do I start? Which of these is worth the investment? Let's take on a doubleheader:
1) John Sebastian Teaches Blues Harmonica (DVD. Homespun Tapes)
This one was done in the pre-DVD era, so you will also see it on VHS tape. Sebastian is strong with illustrating the basics. For example, he presents the concept of I-IV-V blues super clearly. You will "get it." I'm suggesting this is worth checking out if you are a beginner. But I don't think you will walk away feeling like a blues harp hero.
2) Paul Butterfield Blues Harmonica Master Class (Book and CD. Homespun Listen and Learn Series)
Again, this feels like repackaged material. My guess is that you will be entertained by the CD but you won't learn much. Maybe I should jump all the way out there and say you won't learn anything. The teaching technique is poor. The accompanying book is not designed for the beginner. To be avoided . . . unless you just like Butterfield.
Eliminating 40% of Your Harmonica Woes
A diatonic harmonica has 10 holes. But let's pretend that all your blues business is done in holes 1 - 6, and those pesky high notes are just for decoration.
The experienced blues harper has a reason to cross the border and work in the high notes. The beginner should stay home and navigate through holes 1 - 6.
If you ignore holes 7 - 10, I promise your harmonica playing will be plenty bluesy. I'm betting you could spend the rest of your blues life strictly in the first 6 holes and neither you nor your listeners would feel like something is missing. This advice comes to you from the same Voxer who gave you permission to forget about tongue blocking and just work the pucker process. You see, I'm trying to simplify this blues harmonica world a bit. You can make blues harp as simple or as complicated as you like. But let's get really good at walking before we run, OK?
Lo-Fi and Lo-$$
The sound of blues harmonica is the sound of amplified harmonica. Save your arguments about Sonny Terry or other blues legends who played without being snuggled up against a microphone. Come on, let's agree that a killer blues harp sound requires an amp.
If you have swollen up checking account, you can take care of the microphone + amplifier challenge any way you want. But if you live in the Common Man Blues Harp World, don't get discouraged by the chunky price tags that accompany the pro audio gear. Even modest tools like a Pignose amp and Hohner harp microphone will lighten your burden by a couple hundred dollars.
What about the deep discounts? I urge your to experiment with unconventional amp ideas. For example, I have been fooling around with an old Radio Shack amplified speaker (catalog no. 32-2040). Don't know what the original purpose of this cheap little speaker was, but this guy makes a fun alternative to pro gear. I partnered it with a cheap lavalier microphone, and I have a fat, overdriven, rough sound.
Other bargain ideas: microphones that come with a child's electronic keyboard or other audio toy, microphones from thrift shops that accompany old tape recorders, etc.
American Folk Blues Festival: Vol. 1 - 3
Just a brief and heartfelt suggestion for you: point your Netflix over to this three-disc set. We're talking Germany in the early 1960's. We're talking about elaborate/stereotypical stage sets and stuffy-looking audiences . . . but feel free to ignore those elements. Instead, focus on the performances of blues giants like Big Walter, Sonny Boy Williamson, Junior Wells, etc.
One moment to look out for on the Vol. 2 disc: the concluding harmonica session. Big Mama Thornton brings out a heavy-hitting bunch of harp sluggers to join her. There is a (dancing!) Big Walter Horton ready to take his turn . . . there is the great Dr. Ross with harp in hand . . . there is J.B. Lenoir . . . and then there is John Lee Hooker. Erm, we all admire John Lee Hooker's singing and guitar playing, but his membership in this harp gang makes no sense. I'm no expert, but I do know what sounds good to me. And poor John Lee Hooker looks/sounds like he is only on stage because he lost a bet.
In conclusion, you need to see American Folk Blues Festival: Vol. 1 - 3. There you go.
Raw and Brilliant Duo
In the early 1970's, the great Big Walter recorded with guitar player Jimmy DeBerry. The sound here isn't so perfect. And that's a compliment. The guitar sounds can be rough and simple. The harp sounds are, well, the best thing in this world.
If you're going to label these recordings 'the best thing in this world,' it would help to provide a purchase link. Sorry. I don't think these are that easy to track down. But do keep an eye out for these albums. You are looking for the Crosscut label, with albums titled EASY VOL. 1 and BACK VOL. 2.
A Look At This Trendy Harp
The Bushman Delta Frost harmonica has been around for years. In harmonica high school, the Delta Frost is the pretty new girl who transfers in during the middle of the semester -- everybody is curious about her. So they talk and talk and speculate and speculate. Sure, the guys have been happy dating their Hohner Special 20 harps, but there's something about this new girl that makes them all so curious.
Call me curious. I had read the Bushman Delta Frost and the Suzuki Harpmaster were cousins. And you know how I love the Suzuki Harpmaster.
• Do these cousins look alike? Yes.
• Do they cost the same? No, the Delta Frost will likely cost you a few bucks more.
• Do they sound the same? Similar, sure.
Regarding the above, what does a harp player get for those "few bucks more"? In my opinion, you gain nothing. I stand by my old pal the Suzuki Harpmaster. I say this harp is responsive. I say this harp sounds terrific. I say the Bushman Delta Frost is a fine harmonica . . . but I will keep buying Suzuki Harpmasters. That's what I'm saying.
Your Lesser Harmonica Is Riding Shotgun
I suggest you try different brands of harmonica. You will identify a favorite. Along the way, you will build up a small stable of rejects. What should you do with those harps? Take them for a ride.
While these harps play for your junior varsity, that doesn't mean they have zero value. Send your also-ran brands out to the car. You won't worry about excessive heat/cold because you have little love for these harps.
Tuck a couple of different keys into the console and play a lick during your red light waits. Big Warning: Do not play while actually driving. This is strictly a down time activity.
