SUGAR BLUE

[BassHarper@xxxxxxx]

I just talked with Michele Whiting, Sugar Blue's better half, and she told me
that she thinks the big mystery harp on the album cover is a bass poly, but
she wasn't sure.  Blue (as she affectionately calls him) was just going out
the door on his way to a gig in West Chicago and didn't have time to talk to
me, but will return my call tomorrow evening, and will give me the straight
scoop - he promised as he was leaving.  He said to tell everyone on the
Harp-L "Hello", and thanks for all your support.  Michele tells me the new
album was released in Japan on Oct 25, and will be released in the U.S. next
March - she says it's great and should be a good seller.

Someone mentioned a while back also that Blue plays Hohner harps for the most
part - that may be true, but I know he endorsed Huang's Silvertone for
several years, as did also Madcat and Don Les.  I'm sure Madcat still uses
them, but I will get the answer from Blue tomorrow night as well.

Meanwhile, until we get it from the horse's mouth, I might mention that I
have in my collection a single reed bass harmonica that is labelled a 266.
 It is a poly-type, all-blow with 14 holes that range from low C to C#.  It
was given to me as a gift in 1979 by the late Jimmy Warner of Pomona, CA, who
was a collector and player.  He said it had a retail value of $24 in 1976.
 My 1972 Hohner (Germany) price list showed it valued at 36 DM, which at that
time converted to $11.42 U.S.!

I also have one of the now infamous "UFO" Chromonica II De Luxe 12-hole
chromatics in my collection.  All the negative things that have been said
here on the net are true - it's looks better on the shelf.  I doubt seriously
that Toots actually used one on his "Man Bites Harmonica!" album, unless it
was totally reworked for him, which is of course a huge possibility.  Maybe
you know the answer to that one, Winslow??

Until tomorrow -     BassHarp (Danny Wilson)