Re: [Harp-L] Is Junior Wells over-rated?

[David Brown <nonidesign@xxxxxxxxx>]

Oh! such third position playing. I love Junior.

In 1988 I saw Buddy guy play at The Palomino Club in north LA. There were a
lot of celebs there to see Buddy who was in ascension. Junior was out for
bear that nioght and was amazing. He did what he did best: he placed sharp,
controlled, perfectly placed licks that cut like a knife and groaned low on
command *. I saw him play several more times over the years and near the
end you could tell (on that night anyway) that he was tired. Then again, if
I had his years and life... I would be tired too.

* (I gotta brag: I bought Jr a brandy to get a chat going and I ended-up
getting toasted with actors Hervé Villechaize (Tattoo of Fantasy Island)
and Roscoe Lee Brown. Thanks Jr.! ;-))

Still, I stand up for Junior if for no other reason than he was one if, if
not THE, best harmonica players to use "silence" as a considered and
important part of his style's impact. I like Rice Miller's playing and hear
a lot of him in Jr's playing, but Jr had his own version of it (how can I
say it...more "punchy" on the attack?). It fit well with the sharp edgy
west-side sound guys like Otis Rush, and Magic Sam were doing in the 60s.
It was* perfect* with Buddy. They played together like they were in a knife
fight.

........and Jr wore those bad-ass fedoras!

Concerning the other comments:
- As far as his playing being "inconsistant"....who isn't? Ever heard
Little Walter's live recording with Otis Rush?
- If nothing else his style is almost always easily identifyable as "his"
and that's worht a lot unot itself.