RE: [Harp-L] Bob Dylan as harmonica player

[Winslow Yerxa <winslowyerxa@xxxxxxxxx>]

At the very end of "I'm  Not There", the fictionalized film about four different characters, none of whom "is" Bob Dylan (although Cate Blanchett's character comes very close) is a live clip of Dylan playing some very interesting harmonica. Again, not viruoso stuff, but he gets a rhtyhtm groove going (in that uptempo 2-beat 1962-folkie way) that has its own logic and integrity, and does some interesting things.

I think Dylan is one of those intuitive players whose lack of studied technique (or even parameters of quality) lead him to sometimes play pretty well, and and sometimes appallingly badly.

Winslow

Winslow Yerxa

Author, Harmonica For Dummies ISBN 978-0-470-33729-5

--- On Sat, 9/6/08, Michael Peloquin <peloquinharp@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
From: Michael Peloquin <peloquinharp@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: RE: [Harp-L] Bob Dylan as harmonica player
To: "Richard Sleigh" <rharp@xxxxxxxxxx>, "Richard HarpL Sleigh" <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Saturday, September 6, 2008, 10:35 AM

Sir Richard The Harmonica Sleigher wrote:

> I've seen Bob Dylan in the last couple of years, and everything I  
> hear him play on the harp falls into the category of "why
bother?",  
> but I would like to point out that at one time he put down some good,  
> if not great rack harp in the tradition of Woody Guthrie and Ramblin  
> Jack Elliot. His first album, with the (reversed) photo of a 19 year  
> old Bob Dylan, titled Bob Dylan, produced by John Hammond, Sr. has a  
> number of tight harp interludes and solos with a fierce driving  
> rhythm. It is not everyones cup of tea, but if you like the vibe of  
> Woody Guthrie, this recording has a lot of it. By the way, Woody  
> Guthrie plays some harmonica on the Library of Congress recordings  
> that has a very right on feel, especially when he does a train  
> imitation. Not virtuoso stuff, but a haunting and evocative vibe.  
> When I listen to these recordings, i feel like I am going back to one  
> of the wells that I draw from.

great post Richard, it gave me great insight into what people see in Dylan/Neil
Young/Tom Petty style harmonica "playing"

Michael Peloquin 
http://www.harpsax.com 
http://www.myspace.com/peloquinharpsax 
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