[Harp-L] Subject: Re:Jazz-Blues Fusion/Compilation Album/what would YOU choose...

[EGS1217@xxxxxxx]

haha....yeah. I do believe 'Little Johnny' Walter, is Little Walter?  The 
song is 'That's It', which is his?  Sounds like him, anyway....not  that I'm 
by any stretch of the imagination an expert on him or any other of the  
great blues players.  I did a search for 'Little Johnny or  John Walter'. All 
that comes up is a couple of album credits on which 'he'  was a 
performer...with no other info. I wonder if anyone else here knows if he  was LW's alter 
ego...or was this just another error on this otherwise well  put together CD?
 
I'm surprised if no one picked up on it when the album was first  
released...but now after giving it a more recent listen (with new 'big  ears')...why 
the heck would  a 'Little Johnny Walter'  be included  among all these other 
greats..and playing LW's song? Didn't anyone  ever question it? Funny, if 
not...
 
Jean Jacques got something else wrong on this CD as well and I  remember 
either Tom Ball or Winslow correcting it: No. 19 'My Driving  Wheel' by Lee 
Brown, played by Robert Lee McCoy (later Robert Nighthawk),  Wasn't...it was 
played by Rhythm Willie and has never been 'officially'  corrected by JJM. 
 
Are any other boo-boos on the album? Despite these, the music is wonderful  
and the CD is well worth owning.  Each time I play it I hear something new. 
 
Smokey, you may not remember, but you were very impressed with Eric Chafer  
when I played a couple of cuts from the CD for you while I hadn't really  
paid attention to his 'Intro'.  I haven't found out much more  on him than 
this, though: 
 
_http://www.planetharmonica.com/EricChafer.htm_ 
(http://www.planetharmonica.com/EricChafer.htm) 
 
After playing the entire album again, it got me thinking about what I would 
 put together as a 'great harmonica 'compilation' of my own...especially if 
I  wanted to play a 'best of' album to a friend or family member to let  
them hear what it is I personally love about this instrument of ours: :) 
 
I'd want to include Bluesette by Toots...would have a very  difficult time 
choosing only one of Jason's to include: -  'Broken  Toy'..probably need at 
least three then: one to showcase his vocals as well  (maybe 'Loving Eyes'), 
another showcasing his pyrotechnics on the harmonica, yet  another his 
sweet acoustic side (remember this is MY cd) ;); Robert Bonfiglio's  Thais 
Meditation....something from Randy Singer's 'Harmonica Dreams' album (I'd  still 
have to choose just one - a difficult task)...I'd re-include 'Voice' from  
Michel Herblin since it's still THE most beautiful diatonic harmonica cut  
I've ever heard. Something from Stevie of course...but what? Still  
pondering...probably 'My Babe' from LW and something from Sonny Terry  to make it 
well-rounded: 'Whoopin' the Doop'?
 
I'm a huge fan of Phil Caltabellotta's and love the direction  he's going 
with jazz..maybe something I've just heard him play at the last GSHC  club 
meeting, but also really dig his trio playing with Wally Peterman and  George 
Miklas as The Harpbeats...so some of their chord and bass work with  Phil's 
chromatic is just SO good - I'd love people to hear  them and not assume 
it's the same old, same old.. far from it! 
 
Kirk 'Jellyroll' Johnson's version of Ashokan  Farewell.. ...something by 
Madcat and Kane .. 'Angel from Montgomery'? -  maybe 'Take Five' from Madcat 
as well..I haven't put a lot of thought into this,  am just freefrom 
thinking of some harmonica music I love...am  sure I'm omitting so many people I 
really like.
 
Will Galison's Baghdad Cafe (or something more recent)....Hendrick  
Meurkens...Michal Adler's new foray into a smoother jazz sound - I've heard some  
tracks that are gorgeous ...(now that's a lady I'd love to see brought back 
to  either SPAH or GSHC, since her sound is quite beautiful as is she..(she'd 
sure  wake up the audiences if one of her latest videos is any 
indication)...
 
Mind you I'm talking about a personal compilation for my own listening  
pleasure, it doesn't have to please anyone else....and it isn't open for  
criticism. This is what 'I' like/enjoy. I don't care if you don't agree.  <G>
 
You/all can like something entirely different. That's quite cool. So for  
once can we agree to simply talk about what we DO like and not  rip apart 
each other's choices?  
 
Zo! ..going into this Christmas Day/day after ..when you'll all have time  
to ponder the question: what would YOU put together as a compilation album  
- what do you think: cut it off around 15 - 16 or so ?  (JJ had 22 cuts but 
some of those were much shorter in the 'old'  days).  No rush.....I'd be 
interested in other folks' 'best  of's...
 
Elizabeth
 
 
 
 
Smokey writes:
 
"Thanks Elizabeth. I listened to all 22 cuts. Little Johnny Walter  was  
a big surprise.
smo-joe"

On Dec 20, 2009, at 9:27 PM,  egs1217@xxxxxxx wrote:

>
> Grant:  There are a few  French/Belgian (of course leading off with  
> the  one
>  and only Toots Thielemans) harmonica players with their best
>  (subjectively) works on the Inspirations album produced by Jean  
>  Jacques  Milteau...Great
> album.
>
> Michel Herblin's  'Voice', Thierry Crommen's 'Mellow Man', Olivier Ker
> Ourio's 'Sur le  Ciel de Paris', 'Moody' by Greg Szlapczynski...with  
> songs  by
> others of JJ's choices: Stevie Wonder, Sonny Boy Williamson,   
> Charlie McCoy,
> James Cotton, Magic Dick, Deford Bailey, Sonny  Terry, Walter Horton  
> and
> others...you can't go wrong with  this album.
>
> here's a link where you can also hear  clips:
>
> _http://www.cduniverse.com/search/xx/music/pid/5508552/a/  
> Inspiration:+22+Gre
> at+Harmonica+Performances.htm_
>  (http://www.cduniverse.com/search/xx/music/pid/5508552/a/ 
>  Inspiration:+22+Great+Harmonica+Performances.htm)
>
>
>
>  or its tiny url:
>
>
>
> _http://tinyurl.com/ykag4r4_  (http://tinyurl.com/ykag4r4)
>