Re: [Harp-L] Are there any legendary harp players from Texas?

[HASHBB@xxxxxxx]

In a message dated 2/22/06 1:54:42 PM, mfugazzi67@xxxxxxxxx writes:

<< Just wondering.  This guy called my band a jump-blues

band, which we are not.  We don't sound anything like

a jump-blues band.  I said we are definelty more of a

Texas blues band.  To that he replied, we can't be

compared to guys like Freddie King or Albert Collins

and since we have a harp player. He said we must be a

Chicago blues band then.


Idiot! Sorry to vent.  I just hate when people act

like they know everything, and then don't.


At any rate, it got me wondering if there are any

Texas-blues harp players out there.  Are there?


Mike Fugazzi

vocals/harmonica

NiteRail

Well, your friend the idiot is right and wrong, and so are you. 
Freddie King, and Albert Collins are not the only styles of Texas blues.
T-Bone Walker, who did most of his big band horn generated blues records on 
the west coast(CA) was from Dallas,TX; as we're quite a few of the early jump 
blues players
in general. South texas music has a distinct louisianna flavor to it, and 
Jerry Lacroix and some others we're doing it in the late 60's.
There are plenty of Texas harp players, if you are speaking
of the modern day; IE: today. I would have to venture that almost all
modern blues harp players in Texas we're either not born here, or got much of 
their
styles/inspiration from the Mississippi/Lousianna/Arkansas/Tenn/Ala. schools 
of harp playing.
That includes Kim WIlson, Sam Myers, Gary Primich, etc.
I guess you could also say that most ALL blues harp 
players(California/chicago/Texas/eastcoast/etc.) are all either from or influenced by those harp 
players from these areas.
Now given these facts, and the way music evolves constantly, you can say that 
different areas of the country have a distinct influence and flavor on music 
and the way it is performed/evolves.
The only TEXAS blues harp player i can think of(before 65') is Billy Bizor, 
who played some with lightnin Hopkins. There may be others. Anyone else?