Re: Blues on Chromatic

[Jp Pagan <jpl_pagan@xxxxxxxxx>]

- --- In harp-l-archives@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, "Omar Colocci"
<smoky@xxxx> wrote:

>  I simply could not find any reference to a
chromatic blues player. >The only band I recall that
play the blues featuring a chrom player >(despite some
may disagree on how "bluesy" they actually sound) are
>the Blues Travellers. Any other references you could
suggest me?
> 

first a correction: John Popper, of Blues Traveler,
DOES NOT play a chromatic harmonica. he doesn't even
play the diatonic chromatically, as far as i know.
he's a diatonic player. 

that said, there's MANY blues musicians who play the
chromatic, though there aren't any, to my knowledge,
exclusively chromatic players. in order, more or less,
of "most chromatic use" to "least chromatic use" you
have: George "Harmonica" Smith, Rod Piazza, Paul
Delay, William Clarke, Mark Hummel, Carey Bell, Little
Walter, and Paul Oscher, as well as, at one time or
another, Charlie Musselwhite, James Cotton, Jerry
Pornoy, Kim Wilson, and Jr. Wells.  there's others,
i'm sure. all these guys are heavyweight blues
musicians and all of them play chromatic (most much
less often than others). there's newer guys too, like
Dennis Gruenling and Ryan Hartt. and there's other
chromatic players who, though i wouldn't call them
"blues musicians" necessarily, are worth mentioning:
Bill Barrett, Damien Masterson, and i guy i wish had
his own CD, Randy Weinstein ;) if you're looking for
CDs to get, start at the top of the list and work your
way down ;)

as for instruction, there's currently David Barrett's
course, but from what i understand he focuses on
playing chromatic in one position only --3rd. this is
the main position for blues on chro, but you can also
play blues in 2nd, 1st, and presumably, all the other
positions. just a word of warning so you know what
you're buying. 

good luck on your new adventure.

  cheers,
           --Jp 

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