[Harp-L] Harmonica Listening(s): Jelly Roll Johnson

[<alliance@xxxxxxxxx>]

I do most of my listening in the car these days, and while going back and
forth between these new cd?s, I found myself stopped again at Kirk (Jelly
Roll) Johnson?s:  The Old Harpoon. I?ve had it in my 10-slot cd player for
three or four years now; and have never gotten around to taking it out.
Once or twice each year since, I end up getting stuck on ?All Jelly Roll,
All the time? for a couple of weeks; I literally can?t stop listening to it.

The Old Harpoon is collaboration between Jelly Roll and several of the great
singer-songwriters he plays with in Nashville.  As you all might know, Jelly
plays with all the big-time Nashville talent (The Judds, Trisha Yearwood,
Randy Travis etc), but this compilation shows the other side of Nashville;
all the great talent that are writing great songs that may or may not (yet)
be heard by the general public.  

I remember one night a few years ago when Jelly Roll took me to The Radio
Café in Nashville to hear him play with the brilliant/psychotic Malcolm H,
one of the artists in this compilation.  It was without a doubt, one of the
greatest nights of music-making I?ve ever experienced; great band,
unbelievably original songs, and great pure playing by one of the finest
gentleman ever to play our instrument.  It was a night I?ll never forget.

Every time I listen to this cd, I rediscover the power and beauty of these
songs, and dig deeper into Jelly Roll?s playing.  If you are interested in
hearing pure, unamplified, completely tongue-blocked harmonica playing of
the highest order (even a great tune playing deeply emotional chromatic),
then listen to The Old Harpoon and you won?t be disappointed.

 

Paul Messinger/Chapel Hill NC