Re: [Harp-L] Open letter to toots - questions requested from you-TOP TEN WHOLE QUESTIONS

[Richard Hunter <turtlehill@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Randy singer wrote:
> I am always in touch with Toots and I came up with a small but  
> powerful
> idea.  He as agreed to answer a few questions from me.
>
> This is an idea i had years ago to do a TOP TEN WHOLE QUESTIONS to  
> famous
> harmonica players.
>
> Before I submit my list to him, I thought I might open it up to the
> community.
>
> Here are a few of my questions....if you have a question you would  
> like me
> to ask him, please email me (and Harp-L) at the same time.
>
> I will compile the best questions and we shall have more insight to  
> the
> father of the jazz harmonica, IMO.
>
> 1.    what artist and producer did you never have a chance to record  
> with
> that you always wanted to
> 2.    what type of music project would you have liked to record that  
> you
> have not?
> 3.    how do you record your harmonica in the studio?
> 4.    tell us something remarkable about Dirk that no one knows
>
>        5. who was your favorite artist you have recorded with?
>
>       6. Which of your many wonderful records is your favorite?
>
>       7 What advice would you give to an aspiring harmonica player?


To which WVa Bob replied:
<Obviously Toots plays what he hears and has for decades. I'd be  
<interested to know about his formative years. Did he study harmony?  
<Did he learn licks from records?

And Tom Stryker replied:
> Great Randy.. I would love to know about the recording technique and  
> effects

I did something like what Randy proposes above a few years ago with my Pro Pages, which can be found at:
http://www.hunterharp.com/?s=pro+pages

In the Pro Pages, I asked harmonica players four questions:
- What are your 5 favorite harmonica records?
- What instruments (harmonicas) do you use?
- What amplification and other gear do you use, on stage and in the studio?
- Whatâs your discography?

I didn't interview Toots for this series, but I did interview Toots in 1979 for my book "Jazz Harp."  Among other things, he mentioned in that interview that he was heavily influenced by John Coltrane.  I'm sure that Toots studied harmony--he came up in the bebop era, where players were expected to know harmony very, very well--and he undoubtedly learned a lot from records.  He specifically said in the interview that he did NOT copy phrases from Coltrane--he said that what he got from Coltrane was a kind of language or grammar.  Regardless of what he picked up from Coltrane, there would have been no way at the time for Toots or anyone else to study Coltrane except through listening to recordings.

Regarding Toot's recording technique, he provided lots of details in this piece ("The taming of the Shrill"), originally published a few years ago in Recording magazine:
http://emusician.com/tutorials/emusic_taming_shrill/

This article also contains pointers on recording harmonica provided by Lee Oskar, Norton Buffalo, and Mike Stevens.  Anyone who wants to get a good recording of a harmonica is well advised to read that piece from end to end.

I'd like to ask Toots how he thinks jazz harmonica has changed since he began his recording career, and which players on the current scene excite him the most.

Regards, Richard Hunter
  

author, "Jazz Harp" 
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