Re: [Harp-L] Blues And C&W

[Richard Hunter <turtlehill@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

"Haka Harri" wrote:
<Country music contains lots of harmonica but who can name really 
<prominent C&W harp players in the same sense as blues harp players. In 
<other words, who might be the country music equivalents of Little 
<Walter and Sonny Boy Williamson? Or masters of today like Rod Piazza, 
<Kim Wilson, R.J. Mischo, Rick Estrin, Charlie Musselwhite, Mark Hummel 
<and lots of other blues harp players?

Charlie McCoy's album "the Real McCoy" won a Grammy in 1973. That's the 
Grammy, folks.  And it was an INSTRUMENTAL record featuring harmonica as 
the lead instrument.  Charlie was also elected CMA Awards 
Instrumentalist of the Year in 1972-1973  and Academy of Country Music 
Instrumentalist of the Year in 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1983, and 
1988. I'd say that's more than slightly prominent.

Today's widely heard country harmonica masters include Jellyroll 
Johnson, who was a featured instrumentalist with the Judds, and who 
performed live with the Judds at their farewell concert, which at that 
time was the most-watched live music broadcast in history, and who was 
featured prominently recently on the best-selling Christmas CD by Texas 
Star (I think that's their name, anyway).  And of course there's always 
Terry McMillan, who's performed on more gold records than I can name, 
and Mickey Raphael, who's played on all of Willy Nelson's records. 
You've heard of Willy Nelson, right?  And Phil Gazelle, who posts to 
this list occasionally.  And more.

And in that list of "really prominent" blues harmonica players above, 
how many people who aren't really, really into blues could name half of 
those guys?  All of the people named above are fine players, but only a 
few have any kind of instant recognition out there in the world at large.

I'm getting a little tired of this 
the-harp-is-blues-and-only-blues-and-blues-is-the-only-music-that-counts 
stuff.  How about a little respect for the guys who are playing great 
music on the harp that doesn't happen to be blues?

Regards, Richard Hunter