Re: Good CD's

[Mike Curtis <wd6ehr@xxxxxxxxxx>]

> 
> My two favorite cd's for pure harp are...
> Keep it to Ourselves-SBWII
> Living the Blues-James Cotton
> 
> On Mon, 27 Feb 1995 TimS81@xxxxxxx wrote:
> 
> > Which tapes or CDs have good harmonica music on them? I don't know many that
> > have REALLY good music

Well, it's not a CD, but the tape Chris Michalek sent me has some of the
best harp I've ever heard on it.  With his overblows and nice, clean runs
and arpeggios, he sounds not unlike Howard Levy (who I also like.) It's
the best cassette swap I've ever made. 

Anyway - as far as good blues harp CD's, the dual CD of Little Walter is
excellent. There's not a bad cut on it.  Also, everything I've heard with
Kim Wilson (Fabulous Thunderbirds) has good harp on it - check out the
"Tuff Enuff"  CD, the last cut "Down at Antoines", a really tasty harp
jam.  William Clarkes "Serious Intentions" is good, as ar all his CDs -
check out "Chasin the gator".  The only Paul DeLay CD I have is "The Other
One", and it's quite good, especially his chromatic work - really nice and
tasty. 

Also check out "Blues Masters volume 4: Harmonica Classics.  This has one
of the greatest harp tunes of all time, Big Walters "Easy".  It also has
the Fabulous Thunderbirds and Kim Wilson doing a really offbeat version of
"Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White", Little Walters "Juke", the tune
that sold amplified harmonica to the blues world, and Charlie Musselwhites
classic "Cristo Redemptor".  But all the tunes on this one are good. 

Charlie Musselwhites "Signature" and Gary Primich's "Gary Primich" are a 
couple more of my favorites.

If you like offbeat jazz, check out Bela Fleck and Flecktones albom of 
the same name, with Howard Levy.  Bela Fleck plays jazz on a (believe it 
or not) banjo.  The "drums" are played on a Synthaxe, a MIDI guitar.  
Howard Levy plays chromatically on Golden Melodies, and they have a 
conventional bass player (boy, talk about a party pooper :-)  Great album 
if you're into jazz/fusion type stuff, or just want to hear some 
unbelieveable harmonica.

This is by no means a complete list - just what I have in my library that 
I feel is exceptional.  Hope this helps.

 -- mike