Re: [Harp-L] Bass Harmonicas

[BassHarp <bassharp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Oh Tom,

You make me blush! But thanks for your kind words - you make me sound 
like someone I wish I could be!

There are, and have been, several superbass stars, and I can only hope 
to stand among them. That is my dream - lumped together with my dear 
friend, Johnny Thompson of Las Vegas, Dick Gardner, the late Don Les, 
etc. Johnny may be better known as The Great Tomsoni, who teamed with 
his lovely wife Pam, are the tops of magic in the world. Johnny is the 
mentor for Penn & Teller, the Amazing Jonathon, Lance Burton, etc, etc. 
(Did anyone see the recent Penn & Teller TV special, in the Caribbean, 
when they made a full-size submarine "disappear"? There on camera was 
Johnny, as always with Penn Gillette. I discussed this with Penn in Las 
Vegas last month, and we had a good laugh.) And yet, Johnny is a "lowly" 
bass harmonicist, as a former member of the Harmonica Jazz Trio, with Al 
Fontana on chromatic lead, and Bob Herndon on chord and Harmonetta 
(quartet when they included a drummer). All members still living - wish 
we could get them all together again. The last time they played together 
- unrehearsed, but to perfection! - was at the 1992 SPAH Convention in 
Chicago! Johnny does play - and prefer - the Hohner single reed #264/29 
"G Bass", and I have been told that he is interested in playing again. 
Can this be true? Please, Johnny, say it is so.

Tom - I am anxious to get together with you, and do a bass duo! Hey, it 
could happen! And thanks again for your kind words, Friend.

- Danny
===================
Tom Ball wrote:

> Colin asks:
> I have been considering building my own bass harmonica for a while. 
> What are peoples opinions about single vs. double reed? I would love 
> it if people have sound files with each type playing. Maybe one song 
> with a single and one dong with a double that you could send me. Or if 
> you own could you record yourself playing it a bit on them and send it 
> to me that would be great also. Thanks a lot everyone!
>
> =-=-=-=-=-=
>
> Hi Colin,
>
> My preference is for the double-reed instrument -- fuller sound. But 
> then I'm a rookie at the bass, and I feel foolish to even approach 
> this subject when the true master of the art dwells right here in the 
> L.  For a short primer on the bass (with a discussion of all the 
> various double-reed octave and single-reed choices,) check out "Bass 
> Harp 101," an extremely well thought out treatise on the subject by 
> the Lord Of The Low Frequencies Himself, our own Mr. Danny Wilson. 
> It's at: http://www.coast2coastmusic.com/orchestral/bass.shtml  And 
> Danny's own website is at: http://www.bassharp.com/
>
> Danny is one of the finest practitoners of the art alive today, not to 
> mention one of the friendliest and most giving cats I know. Also there 
> are many discussions about these topics (much of it from Danny) in the 
> Harp-L archives... well worth a visit.
>
> cheers, beers and Happy New Years,
>
> Tom Ball <--- short harp by profession, but fledgling bass tyro
> http://www.tomballkennysultan.com
--
BassHarp
PO Box 5061
Hudson, FL 34674-5061
http://www.bassharp.com/bh_itin.htm