[Harp-L] Melodica

[Mick Zaklan <mzaklan@xxxxxxxxx>]

   Many years ago, when I used to hit some of the jazz jams on Chicago's
South Side, there was a guy I would often bump into that played the
melodica.  He put a strap on it and played through surgical tubing, holding
it horizontally like a normal keyboard.   If I remember correctly, he had it
tricked out with pickups and played it into a portable amp which he carried
around his shoulder.  He told me that he was an average Hammond organ player
and got tired of waiting for other organists or pianists to play before he
got a chance to sit in.  This way, he was such an oddity that he was welcome
at all the jams and put onstage quickly.
   Speaking of oddities, I used to also run into a very good Hammond organ
player around this time who had painted all of his keys black.  He told me
that he was tired of guys bugging him to sit in on paying gigs and trying to
upstage him.  So he painted the keyboard black so some of these guys would
get lost or feel uncomfortable on his Hammond.  Especially in a dark
nightclub.
   I never could verify this, but the coolest melodica sound (if it was a
melodica) that I think I ever heard was on Benny Latimore's swinging version
of "Stormy Monday".  To me, that sound was as infectious and soulful as
Stevie Wonder's harmonica work.  The tune was a big hit long ago in the
African American community and I'll bet it spiked melodica sales at the
time.

Mick Zaklan