[Harp-L] Harmonica in bluegrass, thanks for all the possibilities!

B Boggs <ceudoazul@xxxxxxxxx> · Thu, 9 Aug 2007 21:55:23 -0700 (PDT)

      Thank you very much for providing all this.
  Brian

  Cara Cooke <cyberharp@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

  Bluegrass has a fair amount of blues and jazz in it by design (and accident).  So you should be able to find melodies and such to work with that are somewhat familiar, if not recognizable.  

  The population of harmonica players in bluegrass has been thin over the years, though the numbers of recordings are probably on par with their population in the overall scheme of things.  Some bluegrass musicians do not record unless their band is the focus, and many harmonica players seem to be like that, too.  Be that as it may, here are some things you might want to look for: 

  a couple of CDs I am on (I am one of those that tends to record with other bands.):
         K. R. Wood's "Crockett Chronicles"  (www.texannarecords.com)
         Manchaca AllStars "First Attempt"  (http://manchacaallstars.tripod.com)  
         High Stakes Rollers "Live"  (I think that was the title, anyway.  The correct title is probably on my website (www.cyberharp.isonfire.com).
         Ledbetters "Early Morning Train"  (currently available also on the CTBA compilation CD -- www.centraltexasbluegrass.org) 

  Bob Meehan (He is on the bluegrassharp list addressed on this post, so maybe he can tell you more.)   www.bobmeehan.net

  George Thacker ("Bluegrass Harmonica", if memory serves)

  Tony Eyers  (an Australian academian and a wonderful player who plays as much bluegrass as he knows and fills in from their with Celtic tunes)  www.harmonicatunes.com 

  Glenn Weiser  "American and Irish Fiddle Tunes for Harmonica"  (http://www.celticguitarmusic.com/celHarrm.htm)

  Charlie McCoy (www.charliemccoy.com) 

  P. T. Gazell  (www.ptgazell.com) 

  Flatt and Scruggs (though I cannot remember which ones have harmonica) -- They have had at least two harmonica players: Earl Taylor and Charlie McCoy

  Mike Stevens  (www.mikestevensmusic.com) 

  Wailin Wood (www.wailinwood.com)

  Buddy Greene (www.buddygreene.com)

  Mark Graham 

  That is a start, anyway.  Not everyone listed above is known as a bluegrass player, but they can play bluegrass or country music that is very similar to bluegrass.  (Originally, country and bluegrass had no real names and played in the same places.)  You might also find some of the older string band era stuff interesting, like: 

  Double Eagle String Band (harmonica/fiddle = Tim Wooten)

  Ernest Thompson (1924) => typical player for the time period, but played in a fashion quite conceivably "bluegrass"  (www.archive.org)  
  http://www.archive.org/details/Ernest_Thompson-Red_Wing
  http://www.archive.org/details/Ernest_Thomoson
  http://www.archive.org/details/Ernest_Thompson_Wreck_Of_97

  There are some other interesting players from the early days that are worth listening to on www.archive.org and on www.honkingduck.com.  

  You may also find DeFord Bailey's recordings interesting.  They are more in the typical presentation of the harmonica as a solo instrument in the 1920's, but they are educational.  I believe Marcella Pry (a friend of Lonnie Glosson's) still has some of the 1928 and 1929 recordings available for sale: marcellapry@xxxxxxxxxx 

  Lonnie Glosson recordings ought to be of interest to you, also.  Many in the central US considered him a bluegrass harmonica player, and he was a wonderful player.  He approached the harmonica melodically from the blues side, just as you described that you did, so he may be a great source for you.  Write Marcella and see if she cannot help you get some Lonnie Glosson recordings ( marcellapry@xxxxxxxxx).  

  [Please use a large font for Marcella.  She is a wonderful lady, but is getting on in years.]

That ought to get you started.

  The most important things to know in bluegrass are: stay in time, stay in key (and mode), listen to the other players -- how you blend with them -- and how you affect the overall sound, and have fun!!!

  Cara Cooke
  www.cyberharp.isonfire.com
  http://manchacaallstars.tripod.com

  On 8/7/07, B Boggs <ceudoazul@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:   Hi Cara,
Could you list a few good CD's that have good bluegrass harmonica on them?
I was invited to a gig with a band that did a lot of bluegrass (banjo, mandolin, fiddle, bass, guitar,vocals) and found that a lot of the songs I could play from blues plerspective. 
Anyway, very fun music.
Thanks,
Brian

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