RE: Old Mystery

[Jack Ely <IMS_ELY@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Jack writes...

>Subject: Old Mystery
>
>Years ago I found a couple of albums in a dimestore bargain bin titled
>"Happy Harmonica."
>
>Turned out to be a Harmonicat-style group doing Harmonicat-style tunes
>totally anonymously. The artists were not identified either on the
>album cover or the disk label. There were no album notes on the back
>cover.
>
>The musicians were pretty highly skilled - at least to my ears - but
>the recordings were unpolished in that grunts and teeth clicks were
>audible on some songs.
>
>Does anybody know who the heck these folks were? Might I have stumbled
>onto some Harmonicat outtakes or bootleg tapes?
>
>Jack Getz

Hi Jack,

	These were released as part of a series of HAPPY (instrument) albums - 
HAPPY ORGAN, ...HAPPY whatever. (There were two or three in the harmonica 
series). The HAPPY HARMONICA albums were usually stuffed in with the HAPPY 
ORGAN albums in the music stores. These albums  came out in the early to 
mid-seventies - at least at that time you could find them in the stores.
The primary artist on these was Stagg McMann (Hugh 'Pud' McCasky) of Chicago. 
One of these albums was multi-tracked by Stagg (who played all the parts) and 
was originally released as an 8-Track (remember those?) album titled Big Band 
Harmonica. I believe Jerry Murad teemed up with Stagg on one or two of the 
later HAPPY HARMONICA albums (which may explain the grunts) - Not to be 
derogatory but Jerry plays with such force that sometimes you can hear these 
noises. I'll look when I get home and see if I can verify the information I 
just gave you - I have these albums.

	I also have a Stagg McMann Trio Album (incredible display of virtuosity 
by Stagg and the others, Paul Stagerwold sp? on bass is just phenomenal! and 
Manny Smith on chord). You can see from these names how Stagg derived his stage 
name - this was probably recorded in the 50's or early 60's).
									Jack

       Jack Ely - Columbus, Ohio  --New Addr--> IMS_ELY@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx