Re: [Harp-L] Alan Wilson

["Patrick Lines" <plines@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

In case you haven't seen it, there is an authorized Alan Wilson Facebook 
page along with pages for the other members of the band. Besides all that 
has been said about him musically, there are his inovations also. The much 
talked about filing of the 6 draw reed and now you can see in several 
pictures his volume control for his mic. He is the reason I started playing. 
I saw the Hooker and Heat tour at the Eagles Auditorium in Seattle and it 
was weird not having him with the band.
----- Original Message ----- 
From: <tacopescado@xxxxxxxxxxx>
To: "harp-l L" <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
Cc: <the_jukester@xxxxxxxx>
Sent: Thursday, December 16, 2010 4:01 PM
Subject: Re: [Harp-L] Alan Wilson


> I have to concur on Alan Wilson. He is arguably (in my mind) my  favorite 
> blues harmonica player this side of Little Walter. His tone,  phrasing and 
> technique is above reproach. He died at the ripe young  age of 27 and it's 
> a shame he didn't have the chance to share with us  his prowess as he 
> became older, more experienced and more musically  aware. Like Rob, I also 
> have all the LP's including a few that Pete  didn't mention including 
> "Living The Blues" and "Live In Europe"  among others. The latter is mostly 
> a throw away but the former is a  jewel. It includes Rob's mentioning of 
> "Parthenogenesis."  Parthenogenesis is a medley that includes "Five Owls" 
> that has Alan  Wilson overdubbing five harmonica parts on one track. 
> Another gem is  "Huautla" from Hallelujah. After more than 35 years I still 
> appreciate his version of Sonny Boy II's "Help Me." When I was in  college 
> I was in a band that played Canned Heat's version of Jimmy  Rogers' 
> "Walking By Myself" where the bass and the harp play the same  line into 
> the harp solo. I wish there was more.
>
> I had never heard the suicide thing before. I'd always heard the it  was a 
> booze and barbiturates accident.
>
> Taco in Baja
>
>
> On Dec 16, 2010, at 7:02 AM, Rob Paparozzi wrote:
>
> > Thank You Pete,
> >
> > This was nice to read and terrific to spend some time on harp-l  talking 
> > about such a monumental Blues Figure from the sixties that  never got 
> > enough attention.
> >
> > There is much to be learned from listening to to Alan's work and I  own 
> > all those LP's and always enjoyed playing along as I was coming  up on 
> > years ago on the harp.
> >
> > My favorite Owl song I loved to play on gigs years ago was 
> > "Parthenogenesis"...like Butterfield & Musselwhite, Owl was always 
> > looking for ways to present a classic art form in some new  'wrappings' 
> > for a Rock Generation to listen to...it worked!
> >
> >
> > That is why Muddy & Hooker had tremendous respect for these men who 
> > carried the torch to keep the Blues alive for the next generation
> >
> > Long Live his Music and Spirit,
> > Rob Paparozzi
> > www.robpaparozzi.com
> >
> > ----- Original Message ----- From: <the_jukester@xxxxxxxx>
> > To: <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
> > Sent: Wednesday, December 15, 2010 11:41 PM
> > Subject: [Harp-L] Alan Wilson
> >
> >
> >     There have been few references to Alan "Blind Owl" Wilson's  harp 
> > playing in recent postings, so I thought I would take this  opportunity 
> > to reintroduce his legacy to the forum. While not as  much of a household 
> > name as Paul Butterfield, Rod Piazza, or other  younger players who first 
> > came to prominence in the "blues revival"  days of the Sixties, Alan was 
> > one of the most soulful harp players  of this era. In addition to having 
> > great tone, a wide vocabulary of  licks, and extraordinary arranging 
> > ability, he was also an  accomplished guitarist and piano player. A real 
> > scholar of the  blues, he was extremely knowledgeable about a musical 
> > form that was  unknown to most people of his age and cultural background. 
> > When  interviewed by Pete Welding for Down Beat magazine in the late 
> > Sixties, he proved to be extremely well versed in the historical 
> > development of the blues and the range of styles by the artists who 
> > performed it, dating back to the earliest days of blues 
> > recording........<snip>
> >
> > Pete Sheridan
> > www.petesheridan.net
> >
> >
> >
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