Re: [Harp-L] James Montgomery

[icemanle@xxxxxxx]

 James was one of my first influences - an early recording called "First Time Out" - cover had a picture of someone getting shot out of a cannon. I used to cover a tune from this album - called "Son of Jump", that started out "Got home late last night, tried to wake my baby in bed." Great arrangement - not typical blues changes - and a great harmonica solo. His brother used to bartend at Tom's Oyster Bar in E. Detroit, another great hang out, so I got to meet James through him when James came to Detroit. What I remember is that James live was the master of the endless song endings and segues.

James, Corky Siegel (live version of Hush Hush) and Lee Oskar (live War recordings) were who caught my imagination as I came out of the chute and headed in the diatonic direction.

The Iceman


 


 

-----Original Message-----
From: Barry F. Cohen <kates-cohen@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Fri, 2 Jan 2009 10:52 am
Subject: [Harp-L] James Montgomery










Hi List,

Got to see a terrific New Years Eve show in the Greater Boston area featuring 
James Montgomery with the "Uptown Horns."  James is quite the consummate 
performer and a very nice gentlemen who spent a considerable amount of time 
chatting with me about 'everything blues' backstage before the show about (we 
even had a friendly debate about the best version of Caldonia ever recorded; I 
said Muddy with Portnoy http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zd0tUHHjCMU  he thought 
Muddy & Cotton!).  

James is a 'blues-god' around these parts and has been for decades. Doesn't seem 
to get much (any?) talk on Harp-L and I was wondering how familiar the rest of 
the country is with him, and what folks thought of his harp playing??  He has 
studied with James Cotton and Junior Wells to name two, but really has a 
distinctive style all his own (plays clean thru an sm57 into the PA).

Barry
http://www.myspace.com/gracieblues
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