[Harp-L] Was:Rhythm Willie: Wow/Don Les

["Rick Dempster" <rick.dempster@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Rhythm Willie, Blues Birdhead and Gwen Foster are three players  whose
respective styles I have been attempting to combine ( glued together
with my own ideas and the odd overblow/draw) for some years now. It's a
kind of old jazz thing and a desire to get some of that stuff that
clarinet and brass players have (except that with the Foster element you
have a keyboard/accordion thing going as well) I have heard Don Les'
name mentioned over the years as a great 'jazz' diatonic player, and I
see Mo Vint has a CD of him available. I guess I should just buy it and
see for myself; but I would really appreciate some opinions/evaluations
from anyone who has heard these particular recordings before I go to the
trouble of ordering it (mail order only) shelling out etc. The CD I am
talking about is available through this website:
 http://www.bassharp.com/lescatsr.htm 
Can anyone tell me if tbis is a good example of the playing that Don
Les seems to be highly regarded for? If not, any other suggestions?
Thanks in anticipation,
Rick Dempster
Melbourne,
Australia

>>> John Kally <jkally3@xxxxxxx> 6/02/2007 14:42:28 >>>
Hi James,
Thanks for putting up that link.  There was an extensive discussion  
of Willie here some months back.  I'm especially glad to have that  
link to I got Rhythm.  I owned that record over 30 years ago, and  
it's great to hear it again.  Willie had such great first position  
chops!  Reminds me a little of another player who really could  
control those high bends, Don Les.  His recordings are worth checking 

out too.
James wrote:
http://www.patmissin.com/78rpm/78rpm.html 

The above site has some valuable though not well known artists. If  
you scroll down toward the bottom (I believe the harp players are  
arranged alphabetically) you will find two Rhythm Willie Gems. The  
first is Willies Boogie.He is accompanied by The Earl Bostic  
Orchestra Earl Bostic was a famous Alto Saxophone player from the  
50's. Check out the interplay between him and the horn lines. He  
imitates Benny Goodman or Sidney Bechet
The other tune is I Got Rhythm on a diatonic. Cool when you think  
this is 50 years before Howard Levy and his school of overblowing.


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