[Harp-L] Re: Subject: The Last Waltz/Muddy Waters,

["Jonathan Metts" <jonathan@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

The Last Waltz is a great concert movie...maybe the greatest.  Some 
clarifications on the harp content -- Paul Butterfield's main song in the 
movie is "Mystery Train".  He also plays on "Mannish Boy" with Muddy Waters, 
but Butterfield is just droning a note through the entire song via circular 
breathing, which is a technique he was studying at the time.  From what I've 
heard, most players these days consider it a pretty worthless skill for 
harmonica.  (Maybe not so for saxophone and some others.)

In addition to what Elizabeth mentioned, there is also a brief acoustic 
backstage performance by some members of The Band in which Levon Helm (the 
drummer) is playing harmonica.  Levon's excellent autobiography, called This 
Wheel's On Fire after a song they wrote with Bob Dylan, mentions that the 
five members of The Band could play 18 instruments all told.  If you are 
really interested in The Last Waltz (both the movie and the concert itself), 
I can highly recommend Helm's book, as it has a large chapter about how the 
concert was put together and how Scorcese made the film.  Of course, it also 
packs a ton of interesting anecdotes about Bob Dylan...that's why I picked 
it up.

Jonathan Metts