Re: [Harp-L] Charlie McCoy


On Feb 26, 2009, at 9:32 AM, IcemanLE@xxxxxxx wrote:

Charlie vacations in FL every winter

Right, Foot Myers

and does a few small shows w/acoustic
guitar/singer and/or small local back up band at RV Parks around the state.

Small, right. On Monday night. he did an RV park in No, Ft. Myers. The crowd was around 260-265 paid attendees.

Vicki and I saw him last night in Eustis, FL. While it is not the setting
for which he can use first class musicians, it is a relaxed and appreciative
audience - reminded me a lot of SPAH - most in the audience with white hair.

Right. White hair on the women, NO hair on most of the men. We have all seen older hippies. This was more like a group of older skin heads. lolol. In fact, the chance of finding anyone older than MY 66 years, was roughly analogous to finding a bag of grass at a Grateful Dead concert.

The RV crowd is also like SPAH in that it is its own mini community of extended
friends and family, all traveling around the country crossing paths as senior
citizen nomads.

Right. I got the call at the last minute, and when I got there, I saw a lot of people I knew. All the usual suspects.

He finally recorded a CD that he's been wanting to for a while (especially
after his time spent w/Toots in Belgium) - all jazz and contemporary
standards, using an excellent group of back up regional jazz musicians - entitled
"Somewhere Over the Rainbow".

I wouldn't go so far as to call it jazz. It is all pop & standards. Even some Latin. The material is similar to some of the stuff I do. I found out about it at Charlie's birthday party back in May 08.

In typical Charlie fashion, he kept talking up the
abilities of these musicians and downplayed his own contributions (leaning
towards me and saying "and would you believe that all I had to do was play the
melodies?").

Right. Class act all the way. During the ENTIRE show, he would make (complimentary) faces and comments when the other musicians took their turns. Even going so far as to touch someone and then act as if he was burned.

This CD is a great musical demonstration on how to let the melody tell the
story without embellishment.

Right. If you're looking for flash/bang, this CD ain't for you. If you're looking for showoff , this CD ain't for you. If you're looking for an ego trip, this CD ain't for you. If you're looking for the usual Charlie style pizazz (like in OBS, Rocky Top, John Henry, Bobbie McGhee, this CD ain't for you.

What IS for you is pure, clean sound, ON pitch, ON timbre, and bends hit ON the fly that sounded like the real note and not some facsimilie thereof.

I found it very similar to Peggy Lee's approach to
 melody - pure, unadorned, with a subtle and original sense of swing.

Right, Peggy Lee, Julie London, and yes, even Doris Day.

Charlie uses mostly country tuned harmonica and is not afraid to use all the
notes created through bending technique on the two and three inhales, so
there is a lot of real music created, not just through "avoid notes" and note
substitutions, although he does have a great sense of note substitution when
necessary.

Something I have been saying for years is that diatonic is NOT easier to play than chromo. I feel that the opposite is true. I think Charlie put that old saw to rest. Playing both harps, I could immediately see that his sound on this CD is VERY difficult to achieve.

I am moving more towards Richard Hunter's assessment of harmonica music
created using altered tunings rather than OB, OD, It sounds so sweet. Just listen
to Charlie play beautiful melodies.

The tunes:
1... Just the way you are. (good tune BUT, many years ago I heard this tune done by a harmonica group. It turned me off to the tune. ). Not to worry, it's good.
2... Cry me a River. Jeeeeeeezus, the first note is a KILLER. I actually died. My friends called the para-medics, they pumped me full of Ringer's Lactate, and D5W, (and maybe some WD40), and shocked me back to life.
3... Lover's Key. Not my cup of key.
4... My Funny Valentine. Good, nice bends.
5... Wind Beneath my Wings... Excellent.
6... The Nearness of You. Great. I do this tune, but my version has a lot more notes (Don Les style)
7... Somewhere Over the Rainbow. Great. Very sweet pure playing.
8... How Insensitive. I was pleasantly surprised. I have always played it on a chromo.
9... You Belong to Me. Pretty..very pretty
10. Maybe You'll be there. I wasn't familiar with the tune. But it was pretty.
11. Meditation. Again, I was pleasantly surprised.
12. Hard to Say Goodbye. Another mystery tune..but nice.

Now I have made it no secret that I won't buy a CD unless it makes a certain level of acceptance (to ME). that level is: 8 out of 12. This one passes.

The CD is self produced and available through Charlie McCoy at shows and
through his web site.

Charlie also tells great jokes.

The Iceman
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