Re: [Harp-L] Group Arrangement

[Winslow Yerxa <winslowyerxa@xxxxxxxxx>]

I just happen to have the booklet open for Little Walter: The Complete Chess 
Masters 1950-1967. This is the most recent compilation, with notes and 
discography by Little Walter biographers Scott Dirks, Ward Gaines, and Tony 
Glover.

The discopgraphy in the notes reveals that Willie Dixon played bass on the great 
majority of Little Walter's recordings, Big Crawford on some of the early ones, 
and various players on some of the later ones. The only Little Walter sessions 
to exclude bass are the 1952 sessions that produced Juke, Can't Hold Out Much 
Longer, Blue Midnight, Mean Old Word, Boogie, and Sad Hours.

That said, Dixon usually confined himself to a very simple part that gave 
underpinning to the chord; seldom do you hear something like a walking bass line 
from him - that part tends to be left to one of the guitars, playing a sort of 
"upper bass" line.

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: The Iceman <icemanle@xxxxxxx>
To: william.lifford@xxxxxxxxx; haliwan@xxxxxxxxxxx; harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Mon, January 31, 2011 12:39:38 PM
Subject: Re: [Harp-L] Group Arrangement

One of the guitar players played a bass line, if memory serves me..bass 
representation is pretty important one way or the other, as it tends to "ground" 
the music and define the chord changes.


I believe Little Walter recorded most of his songs with no bass, just the Meyers 

brothers on two guitars.







-----Original Message-----
From: william.lifford <william.lifford@xxxxxxxxx>
To: Hal Iwan <haliwan@xxxxxxxxxxx>; harp-l-bounces <harp-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxx>; 
Harp-L <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Mon, Jan 31, 2011 10:25 am
Subject: Re: [Harp-L] Group Arrangement


Hi Hal,

I believe Little Walter recorded most of his songs with no bass, just the Meyers 

brothers on two guitars.

Bill
------Original Message------
From: Hal Iwan
Sender: harp-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxx
To: Harp-L
Subject: [Harp-L] Group Arrangement
Sent: Jan 31, 2011 3:13 PM

Hello All

Anyone one on this list just use harp, guitar and piano or harp, guitar, drums? 
In both arrangements the bass is not represented. Any hidden pitfalls from your 
prior attempts with either of these configurations?? 

Thanks as always,

Hal in MI


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