Re: [Harp-L] Country Western harmonica players

[IcemanLE@xxxxxxx]

I attended a Bluegrass Festival last week to see Ralph Stanley (he still  
sings like a bird, but has to lower the key of his songs when he is a little  
hoarse - he is in his mid 80's - real sharp dresser, too).
 
One music vendor had two harmonica DVD's on the table, one of them being  
David Barrett's Blues Harmonica instructional. I asked the vendor how well  
harmonica instruction books/DVD's sell - he told me there was very little  interest 
in harmonica at these festivals and that harmonica was not really part  of 
this music scene (after all, Bill Monroe didn't have a harmonica in his  band). 
It got me thinking about how this music came together and the instruments  
involved.
 
Upright bass - plays roots/fifths defining chords and plays on downbeats  one 
and three.
mandolin - plays rhythm chops on upbeats two and four
guitar - plays bass note (roots/fifths) on one and three and strums chords  
on two and four
banjo - plays "picky" notes constantly throughout
violin - reinforces beats two and four and arcs melodic lines during  tunes
 
of course, the vocals are unadorned (no vibrato, for the most part) and are  
straightforward and clean
harmonies - nothing really denser than dominant seventh or a sus chord and  
sounds like angels
 
It occurred to me that this really covers all the bases w/out duplicating  
efforts using five instruments. Where would a harmonica fit in - what would it  
add to the structure? I concluded that it would duplicate something that was  
already in place and was therefore unnecessary to the overall sound. At most, 
if  the mandolin player was absent, a harmonica could add that back beat on 
two and  four.
 
So, harmonica is an odd man out, at least in this format. Therefore, no  real 
interest or focus on harmonica, unless it is the bandleader's instrument a  
la Buddy Greene or maybe Mike Stevens.
 
Bluegrass may be considered a sub genre of CW music.
 
 
In a message dated 1/6/2009 10:46:09 A.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
gonz1@xxxxxxxxxxxxx writes:

Dear  Harp-l

After watching the CMA awards recently, I was disappointed that  there were 
no harmonica 
players at all.  At least I didn't see  any.  Most of the recent country 
releases I have heard do 
not have  any harmonica on them either.  There is still plenty of violin, 
steel,  guitar and the 
rest of the traditional instruments found in CW  music.  

Does anyone know who, if any, new or current harmonica  players are coming 
out of 
Nashville?  Who IS playing on any new  releases out there.  I hear plenty of 
new blues players 
out there but  no C&W.  Any names?

regards,
Roger  Gonzales
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