Re: [Harp-L] country/western



FYI.. last year in Milwaukee, Cara Cooke and Lonnie Jo Howell were in the hallway during the day to help anyone learning country music on harp. In the evening, when the blues jam was going on, those same two, along with 3 or 4 of us who like country and didn't want to endure the huge circle at the blues jam, played for a long time in the hall. Cara and Lonnie Jo are extremely knowlegable about country music and Lonnie Jo plays in a style similar to Charlie McCoy. It was very helpful to me.
ALso, as far as Charlie McCoy was concerned, it was his recording of "Today I Started Loving  You Again" that was being played on the radio in the early 70s that influenced me heavily. That and the country playing of Don Brooks on Waylon Jennings album. I have a lot of Charlie McCoy music and have frustrated myself to no end trying to figure out a decent version of Orange Blossom Special. When I got to meet him in person a couple years ago at SPAH in Kansas City, it was a big thrill for me. I figured he was down to earth, and he certainly is. Most of the country music I play today has his style in mind.
Steve Webb in Minnesota, where I'll be playing outside Thursday night in what looks to be a very hot gig. And I mean temperature, not my playing.

---- Joe and Cass Leone <leone@xxxxxxxx> wrote: 
> 
> On Jul 15, 2008, at 1:23 AM, Rick Dempster wrote:
> 
> > Strange that Joe. To me, drenched in old local-style vamping,  
> > Chicago blues, Louisiana Blues etc etc., plus  all the pre-war  
> > style US greats. black & white, the old-style country guys like  
> > Wayne Raney, Onie Wheeler, Lonnie Glosson etc., 'country harp' was  
> > blown wide open by Charlie McCoy, who not only demonstrated the  
> > possibilities of harmonica in country music, but also the broadly  
> > applied melodic possibilities of second position.
> 
> When I started playing harmonica, I started on chromo first, so I had  
> no idea about diatonic. Then when I eventually started playing it, I  
> did the same thing I had done with chromo. I sucked instead of  
> blowing. So, in retrospect, I started playing chromo in 3rd position.  
> The I started diatonic in 2nd.
> 
> Somewhere along the way, I decided there were too many missing notes,  
> and so I retuned a reed on my diatonic. Then I retuned another.  
> Imagine my shock when, in 1970 a program came on TV and there was a  
> fellow who was playing diatonic that sounded similar to me. It was  
> Charlie McCoy.
> 
> Ironically, it was in 1962?  when I was in the navy and was spending  
> a weekend at a place called Virginia Beach Va. and Roy Orbison was  
> appearing at the Peppermint Top Hat lounge. I told Orbison that I  
> could do the harp part on Candy Man if he wanted to do it. Roy  
> brushed me off. I didn't know it was McCoy on that record at that time.
> 
> I don't do the fast stuff he does. P.T. Gazell is so much better at  
> it. Listen to Phil do the Flintstones if you think I'm kidding. Rocky  
> Top & Bobby McGhee is as fast as I go. So, if you don't do those  
> crowd pleasers (like OBS & John Henry), you won't get the big bucks.
> 
> > He really turned it into a 'voice', and really made me think very  
> > differently about the instrument.
> 
> I ALWAYS thought about it that way. I suppose listening to Neopolitan  
> love songs, gave me an idea of where I wanted to go.
> 
> > McCoy's playing had a dramatic effect on me,
> 
> It gave ME encouragement.
> 
> > and I'm certain, amongst harp players generally. Obviously, because  
> > I'm not a US resident, there may be a lot I have missed; maybe  
> > there were other unknown players (yourself, perhaps?)
> 
> No, don't start. Forget the 'yourself' thing. I am just average. I  
> don't want to impose upon your life but check out my video 'After The  
> Lovin' at   http://youtube.com/user/snarkus  before you let THAT pop  
> into your head again. Then tell me if you think I can handle country.
> 
> > influencing things at the grass roots level.
> 
> Grass is about the level that I'm at. Very good  lol
> 
> > But for those of us members of the 'cargo cult' (ie buyers of  
> > imported records) McCoy's influence was huge. I see Jason Ricci  
> > cites Pat Ramsay (hope I'm right here!) as his major
> >  influence, but listening to Ramsay, I'd say that without McCoy,  
> > Ramsay wouldn't be playing like he did, and perhaps likewise,  
> > therefore, Jason.
> 
> I have heard Ramsey at the Buckingham Blues Bar in Ft. Myers Florida  
> and I don't see the connection to Jason. Jason's style is different.
> 
> > I'm sure I could extend this parallel. Thus the dearth of 'country'  
> > players amazes me, and the rareness of references to McCoy on the  
> > list likewise.
> 
> I would mention him but I don't want to tick anyone off. Spent his  
> 67th  birthday with him, (he's a year older than I) had a wonderful  
> day, and I wouldn't do anything to cause him any loss of esteem by  
> constantly bringing up his name till someone got annoyed and wound up  
> taking it out on HIM. I profoundly admire him.
> 
> > No country harp at SPAH? Incredible! (hey...it's none of my  
> > business anyway; no offence intended)
> 
> Well, I didn't mean to give the impression that there's NO country  
> harp at spah. There is, but it is naturally limited by the resources  
> available. There are players but they practically have to play  
> Acapulco. Mainly because they can't bring their bands. The usual  
> routine is for a country harper to lay down the head and bridge. This  
> may take 45 seconds. Then another instrument (like a guitar) comes in  
> for a phrase (30 seconds) and maybe a THIRD instrument (dobro/fiddle)  
> comes in for the bridge (15 seconds). Then the harp finishes with  
> another 45 seconds. Total time= 2 min 15 sec. So if you want to pull  
> the tune out longer, you can stretch the guitar & dobro or fiddle  
> parts to 45 seconds. Total = 3 minutes. A tune almost HAS to be 3  
> minutes.
> 
> Otherwise the poor harp player has to blow his brains out for 3 solid  
> minutes all by himself. That gets old real quick. For the player AND  
> the audience. The key is to keep it diversified. Too much of the same  
> timbre isn't good.
> Jo-Jo
> 
> 
> > Cheers,
> > RD
> 
> _______________________________________________
> Harp-L is sponsored by SPAH, http://www.spah.org
> Harp-L@xxxxxxxxxx
> http://harp-l.org/mailman/listinfo/harp-l




This archive was generated by a fusion of Pipermail 0.09 (Mailman edition) and MHonArc 2.6.8.