Re: [Harp-L] WHO IS THIS HARP PLAYER?---Hall & Oates: August Day 1978 Part 2 - YouTube

[Joseph Leone <3n037@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

It's Les......... in his mature..not so much pyrotechnics phase. 

I have an old side of Les playing back in 1952. It is LP, RCA, LPM 3102 Mono.
Les Thompson      Harmonica
Dexter Gordon      Ten Sax
Don Bagley            Bass
Bob Harrington      Piano
Wardell Gray          Ten Sax
Conti Condoli         Trumpet
Bobby Tucker         Piano
Bill Douglas            Drums
Red Callender       Bass

These were all top notch musicians at the time. And seems to have been recorded live at a concert: Gene Norman presents "Just Jazz". Thomson, while an astounding player as far as speed goes..AND I don't recall ever hearing anyone faster, played in what I call Harsh tone.  And he was probably pretty young at the time. And I would have classed him in my : "I can only listen to 2 tunes at a time from him" category. 

I have another side from 1972 (20 years later). Called 'Harmonica Madness'. 
Les Thompson     Harmonica
Lee Charlton        Drums
Dan Morehouse  Mixer
Bryce Rohde        Piano
Harry Babasin      Bass

In other words, people I had never heard of. This one is much MUCH better. And shows what 20 years can do. One tune is repeated in both time eras. 'You're undecided now'. The second version is a lot smoother than the first. In fact, the whole side is smoother. And he had risen to my: "I can listen to 7 tunes". I do Undecided now every couple weeks but I do a chorus in firsts, then one in fifths, then one in eighths. It's a kool tune.  

smo-joe 

On Apr 9, 2013, at 12:17 PM, Wilbur Euler wrote:

> I have Les Thompson listed as playing harp on that song.
> Regards, Wil
> 
> Sent from my iPad
> 
> On Apr 9, 2013, at 8:03 AM, Randy Singer <randy@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> 
>> GREAT SOLO..
>> 
>> almost sounds like toots......
>> 
>> who knows?
>> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXvw536UaLw
>> 
>>