Re: Nineteenth century harmonica players

[Pat Missin <pat@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Predating all of the players Winslow mentioned is Pete Hampton, an
African-American who was a very popular performer on the English
vaudeville scene around the turn of the 20th century. He recorded at
least one piece featuring harmonica on an Edison cylinder in the early
1900s. This track is due to be reissued on CD in the next few months.
More details as and when.

I've also read tantalising references to performers such as J.K.
Emmett, Professor Wallach and Anton Kratky-Baschik (born in the
1820s), who graced the concert stages of Europe and America in the
late 1800s, but I have no idea of the repertoire they performed. 

In his 1905 booklet "The Art of Mouth-Organ Playing", John Simmonds
("A Champion Player") talks about using the vamper (Richter) and
tremolo models to play "Annie Laurie" and "Whisper and I Shall Hear",
as well as decrying such tricks as tossing them in the air or playing
two at once as being "... only juggling, not playing good music".
Despite that, Simmonds is not above giving advice on how to make the
harmonica sound like bagpipes...

 -- Pat.