RE: [Harp-L] Re: Bob Dylan as Harmonica Player

["Bradford Trainham" <bradford.trainham@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Though I have to stop short of defending the harmonica technique on It Takes
A Lot To Laugh..., that one is the Highway 61 take and I've always gotten a
strange Jimmy Reed feeling from that song.
Dylan's harp stuff there doesn't really resemble anything I know about Jimmy
Reed, and the whole "mood" may be more a result of the backup band
(Bloomfield? Cooper?)but I've always imagined Jimmy Reed singing that song
and having it work. 
  And I still say... In abject subjection to my subjectivity... That harp
technique or not, on an autumn morning, (whether we ever get a real one in
Austin or not)that the cooler drier air and that song being played might
sometimes combine to become a palpable force!!!
Brad (Flappable farce) Trainham


-----Original Message-----
From: harp-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxx [mailto:harp-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf
Of Jonathan Metts
Sent: Saturday, September 06, 2008 4:45 PM
To: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [Harp-L] Re: Bob Dylan as Harmonica Player

If anyone is interested in learning more about Dylan's harp playing, here
are some great samples from YouTube (some are videos, some just pictures
with music).  If you think all he can do is blow and draw sloppy chords,
please listen to a few of these.  I think you'll be pleasantly surprised at
what he can do.  These are some of the songs that inspired me to start
playing harmonica six years ago:

Gospel Plow
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3q9l3VpV82g

Silver Dagger (he is playing sideman for Joan Baez)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VDXtxSVSEmk

It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vn4cl50kBsA

I Shall Be Released
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCiHBmj-0Pk

Every Grain of Sand (long, very melodic harp solo starts at 2:48)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-EOGef0xtTo

Mr. Tambourine Man (the clip from I'm Not There and Eat the Document)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y7nHsmIN2tQ

Many of these were on a Dylan harp mix that I gave to Jason Ricci a few
years ago.  I think he was fairly convinced.  Not all of it may be your cup
of tea, but I think these songs prove his technical proficiency and diverse
set of playing styles.  As a bonus for Harp-L, some of these are also great
blues songs.

Jonathan Metts
Boulder, CO
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