Re: [Harp-L] Toots Blues with Les Thompson

[Winslow Yerxa <winslowyerxa@xxxxxxxxx>]

Man Bites *Harmonica* is from about 1957-58. Before that his main really good 
album is called The Sound, which came out on Columbia in 1954-55. It has some 
stuf with just a trio anchored by Ray Bryant on piano, and several more highly 
arranged cuts where harmonica melody is backed either by a trombone choir or a 
group of clarinets.

While Toots was a member of the George Shearing Quintet as guitarist, he cut 
several harmonica features on MGM records, including Body and Soul, Undecided, 
Caravan (live and studio takes), and The man I love. Some of these have been 
reisued, sometimes on Shearing compilations and some on Toots compilations.

One verything I mention above, Toots the bebopper is to the fore, but always 
sparkling and accessible to the non-fanatic.

Winslow
 Winslow Yerxa
Author, Harmonica For Dummies ISBN 978-0-470-33729-5
Harmonica instructor, The Jazzschool for Music Study and Performance
Resident expert, bluesharmonica.com
Columnist, harmonicasessions.com




________________________________
From: michael rubin <michaelrubinharmonica@xxxxxxxxx>
To: harp-l <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Sat, February 5, 2011 10:11:49 AM
Subject: [Harp-L] Toots Blues with Les Thompson

Bought this album on harp-l's recommendation.  I have many Toots
records and have seen the Les Thompson video recently posted.  I put
on the CD and listened to the first four cuts, clearly Thompson, very
much in the Larry Adler vein, much straighter almost cartoonish swing,
with flashy harmonica, double stops and plenty of humorous quotes.
And it was incredible!  This Thompson guy was a find!

Then I read the liner notes.  It was Toots in 1950-1952!  Almost no
recognizable Toots elements until a live cut of Stardust.  This blows
my mind that a master could change direction so sharply yet his early
stuff is also incredibly masterful but in a totally different way!

Are there any other earlier Toots besides Man bites Dog, which I still
do not have?  Is Man bites Dog more in this vein?

By the way, the Thompson cuts are very good.  Amazing.  But not as
attractive to me.
Michael Rubin
Michaelrubinharmonica.com