Hendrix and the harmonica

[jazmaan <dmf273@xxxxxxxxx>]

Rather than continue the debate about Hendrix and Zappa, let me impart a little harp
content.

Jimi recorded with two different harp players.   His first harp player was a friend
named Paul Caruso whom he'd met in Greenwich Village just before he went to England and
got famous.   

Paul Caruso played some very tasty harp on the unusual blues progression "My Friend" on
Jimi's album "The Cry of Love".   Caruso can also be heard on "Roomful of Mirrors" and
on the unreleased "Bright Lights, Big City".

Jimi's "other" harmonica player is the notorious "Don".  No one seems to remember the
last name of this rather mediocre player who's biggest fault was simply not knowing
when to give it a rest.   It's not that Don is completely incompetent.  It's just that
he has the incredible poor taste to play OVER Jimi for chorus upon chorus so that when
its finally time for Don's solo, you really can't distinguish his solo from the rest of
his incessant blather.    Most of Don's recorded output seems to come from one marathon
session where the tape was left rolling for several hours.   Don was up to the
challenge and he rarely seems to need a rest or even a breath of air.

Jimi seemed completely unphased by Don's droning.  In fact some of Jimi's best work can
be heard on "Country Blues" even though Don wails over every chorus.   Don can also be
heard on "Blue Suede Shoes", "7 Dollars in my Pocket", "Once I Had A Woman", and
several other tunes from the same session.  When these tunes have been officially
released, Don is blessedly mixed down or completely out.   But masochists and Don
completists can find the unedited tapes in circulation among traders.