Re: [Harp-L] Can y'all figure out what is special about this?

["Jim Greenwald" <staggerin@xxxxxxxxx>]

Hi Dave

Excellent ears ! The beat-up fragment on Honking Duck makes it sound even 
more like a single "chorused" harp - hence the Digitech crack. With a 
cleaner dub you can hear the second harp start after about seven seconds, 
then they're locked just like you say.
The Crook Brothers String Band only made four sides (two 78rpm records). You 
can get three of them, including 'Going Across The Sea' on the CD "Nashville 
Early String Bands, Volume 2" (County) - plus four DeFord Bailey and a whole 
lot of other incredible material from mostly Opry people.
I've played 'em all several times, but not so much this last year or so - 
definitely overdue.
According to Tony Russell's discography, there were two guitars at the 
session, with the guy doing the dance calls playing one of them. But my only 
claim to hearing two on this track is when a little run is put in here and 
there.

Cheers,
Jim

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "David Payne" <dave@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: "Harp L Harp L" <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Sunday, September 07, 2008 7:01 PM
Subject: Re: [Harp-L] Can y'all figure out what is special about this?


> Crooks Bros harp:
> http://honkingduck.com/mc/audio/by/title/going_across_the_string
>
> You ought to put some Crooks Bros. on your roots station Jim, if they 
> aren't there already, which I plug despite your festive mood;). Perhaps I 
> was wrong to assume what was going on was obvious, simply because I just 
> happened to pick up on it quickly. If folks want to try to guess it, they 
> should go there now and don't read further, because all will be revealed.
> Despite my love of this old music, I'd never heard the Crooks Bros. before 
> tonight. When I first heard "Going Across the String," I thought 'that 
> sounds weirdly cool and that tone is very rich. What's the deal?'' For 
> about a half second, I thought maybe I was hearing some tongue-block 
> octaves, but no, that sound was consistent throughout and it was not an 
> octave. About halfway through, it hit me, I was hearing two identical 
> notes played at the same time.There's not one, but two harmonicas there 
> playing a very complicated series of notes in perfect syncronation and 
> identical tone. Even the bends are hit precisely the same way to where it 
> sounds like only one harmonica, but a very, very rich one.
> After that, I googled the Crook Bros., twin harmonicas was their trademark 
> sound.
> This is only conjecture, but it is possible Bill Monroe borrowed his 
> twin-fiddle idea from this... Bill was very aware of just about everything 
> that was happening musically... and he did try the harmonica out before 
> the fiddles by having Curly Bradshaw a full-time Bluegrass Boy on the 
> harp.
> As for the Crook Bros., it is an amazing, to me, demostration of 
> tightness.
> On the rhythm, all I can hear is one guitar and a ukulele. Anybody hear 
> anything else?
> Dave
> __________________________
> Dave Payne Sr.
> Elk River Harmonicas
> www.elkriverharmonicas.com
>
> ----- Original Message ----
> From: Jim Greenwald <staggerin@xxxxxxxxx>
> To: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
> Sent: Sunday, September 7, 2008 9:06:53 PM
> Subject: Re: [Harp-L] Can y'all figure out what is special about this?
>
> WOW ! Honking Duck's dubs really do sound like crap !
> And, no Dave, that's not evidence of the first white man in West Virginia
> playing harp through a Digitech RP200 ;>)
>
> In a festive mood,
> Staggerin' Jim
> Listen to Roots Harmonica at http://www.live365.com/stations/staggerinjim