RE: [Harp-L] Toots harmonica patterns

[Richard Hunter <turtlehill@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

My book "Jazz Harp" contained a transcription of Toots's chromatic solo 
on the Fabulous Rhinestones's "What Becomes of Your Life" (in D major),
plus analysis of passages from that solo and others he's recorded.  In 
general, Toots uses the slide very effectively in conjunction with 
simple breathing patterns to get a lot of movement without a lot of 
effort.  In that sense, he's got something in common with Stevie Wonder, 
though of course their musical approaches and roots are very different.

In my 1979 interview with Toots, he told me flatly that you can't play 
Charlie Parker on the chromatic.  I was floored, given that I'd just 
been listening to Toots's recording of "Au Privave" on the Montreaux 
live recording of Oscar Peterson's Big 6.  Sure sounded like the real 
thing to me. But I agree that playing Charlie Parker licks at high tempo 
on the chromatic is not easy, mainly because, as Toots pointed out to 
me, the accenting doesn't work.

But then Toots doesn't use Robert Bonfiglio's corner switching 
technique; if he did, the accenting might just work.  As I noted here a 
while ago when some of us were posting our takes on "A Night in 
Tunisia," I think corner switching is the best, if not the only, way to 
get the accenting right on that melody, which jumps around a lot more 
than is comfortable to handle otherwise.  This technique hasn't been 
heavily explored by most jazz players, but I've tried to play some of 
Clint Hoover's stuff, and I bet he uses it.  Whatever he's using, it's 
very good stuff -- the best post-Toots jazz chromatic I've heard.

Thanks, Richard Hunter
hunterharp.com