Re: [Harp-L] Little Walter

[Michelle LeFree <mlefree@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

 SONNYTONE@xxxxxxx analyzes:
> E harp, key of B... Take notice, Little Walter we know does his warble with
>   is hands and not his head, said he got dizzy.. He Also plays and moves the
>   harp to his mouth, or 50/50, I did not see him with stagnant hands and his
> mouth  all over the harp...<clip>

Sonny, I'll join you in being unable to resist the temptation to dissect 
this delicious bit of harmonica history. It's the best video clip I've 
seen of Little Walter, period. It's the only one I know of where he is 
playing up front -- the American Folk Blues Festival footage that I've 
seen is of him backing up Koko Taylor and Hound Dog Taylor (whom the 
AFBF liner notes say he hated to play with). This one is a blues 
harmonica masterclass in a single song. I wish I knew the name of it.

His phrasing and timing are just impeccable. It's so cool how he plays 
one isolated note ahead or behind the beat to accentuate it against the 
rest. It's amazing watching him weave together a tapestry of color, 
tension and release in such a rhythmically tight piece.

When I study his playing I think I see Walter seamlessly switching back 
and forth from TB and pucker embouchures. Looking at the position of his 
mouth relative to his hands, I think I see him using pucker on the lower 
holes and TB'ing the rest. That lays to rest in my mind the notion that 
Little Walter used TB solely.

I'm gonna be watching this video a whole lot! I'm sure there has been a 
lot of analysis of this video going on amongst Harp-L'ers with better 
eyes and ears than mine. I'd be very interested in hearing ~all~ of it!

Thanks so much for posting this, Hash.

Michelle