Re: [Harp-L] Les is More !,-)

[Rick Dempster <rick.dempster@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

I started writing this email months ago, when Rob Paparozzi posted about
the Youtube Don Les site; thought I might as well hit 'send':

I continue to be amazed at the lack of knowledge or interest in Don Les.
However, one reason I can see for there being a low number of 'hits' for
this Youtube
upload, is that the whole CD is in one unmanageable useless single track,
and to top it off, it starts with a very schmaltzy 'Peg of My Heart'
rendition.
Now I suppose Don recorded that because it was such a big hit for the
Harmonicats, and probably he and/or Mo Vint made it the opener to catch the
interest of Harmonicats fans.
But for most people who read harp-l, 'Peg' is not going to be of much
interest, I'd have thought.
For the great swing jazz improvisation that Don was capable of, you need to
listen to On the Sunny of the Street, After You' ve Gone, All of Me, The
World is Waiting for the Sunrise,
The Nearness of You,  to name a few. Admittedly a lot of people will
probably not dig the general style of these recordings; some of it is just
plain hokey...always a matter of taste, I suppose, but I could do without
'The Impossible Dream', 'Charade' and a few others. 'Orange Blossom
Special' is awful! Maybe if you like your polkas it mightn't seem so bad,
but a wild mountain fiddle tune, it ain't. Speaking of polkas, I dig Don's
'Cat's Polka', so don't say I'm anti-polka.
Listening to Don makes me think 'Of course! C on C! it's all there! And it
is; but to do it like Don did, you just have to have great melodic ideas!




1 - Peg O' My Heart
2 - On the Sunny of the Street 2 mn 05
3 - Please Release Me 4 mn 49
4 - Cat's Polka 7 mn 12
5 - The Impossible Dream 8 mn 56
6 - After You' ve Gone 12 mn 35
7 - The Nearness of You 13 mn 57
8 - The World is Walting for the Sunrise 17 mn 08
9 - Charade 20 mn 45
10 - All of Me 23 mn 35
11 - More 26 mn 16
12 - My Blue Heaven 29 mn 15
13 - It's a Wonderful World 30 mn 29
14 - Star Dust 33 mn 10
15 - Orange Blossom Special 35 mn 53
16 - After The Lovin' 37 mn 47
17 - Around the World 41 mn 34
18 - As Time Goes By 43 mn 41
19 - Mack the Knife 46 mn 34
20 - Fascination / Tennessee Waltz 50 mn 09
21 - Back Home in Indiana 53 mn 18
22 - Cheek to Cheek 55 mn 50
23 - I'm in the Mood for Love 58 mn 55
24 - Peg O' My Heart 01 h 01 mn 57

On 18 September 2012 22:23, Rob Paparozzi <chromboy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> Fellow Harpers,
>
> Years ago my good friend Danny Wilson provided me with a copy of this
> recording on Cassette tape, I was blown away!
>
> I always make sure my students know who Don Les was and what he could do
> on a Diatonic Harmonica sans Overblows mostly in 1st Position...Don was a
>  Bass Harmonica Player for Jerry Murad's Harmonicats but loved the Diatonic
> and really mastered this style on it,
>
> Here's a little bio on him:
>
> Don Les (Born Dominic Leshinski, 15 November 1914; Died 25 August 1994,
> Madison, Wisconsin)
>
> "Don Les weighed only one pound at the time of his birth in Lorain, Ohio.
> He died shortly thereafter but was massaged back to life by a quick
> thinking doctor. Don was blind until the age of 12 when an operation
> repaired his vision. During recuperation he was given a trumpet, but he
> bliew out his lip from too much practice. On a dare from a schoolteacher,
> he took up the harmonica and practiced day and night, even in bed under the
> blankets.
>
> Don was the first to play jazz on the harmonica in the 1930's, and the
> first harmonica player in the musician's union. He coined the name
> "Harmonicats", and played bass harmonica for 27 years before emerging as a
> lead player. He has performed with nearly every major brand and on many
> T.V. shows."
>
>
> Also, take note of the Chord & Harmonetta work by the terrific Mo Vint who
> simultaneously played Electric PEDAL Bass on these recordings....this is
> some real heavy musicianship folks and wonderful playing....Today Mo Vint,
> Bud Boblink and Frank Warner tour as the "Cats" and if they are playing
> near you check em out...I see had had a date last May 2012 so hopefully the
> touring will continue!
>
> http://www.harmonicats.net/**index.html<http://www.harmonicats.net/index.html>
>
>
> Someone posted this on the tube, only 645 hits!:
>
> You Tube of the complete Don Les Harmonicats Vol  I & II recordings
>
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?**v=db9NVm54rX8<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=db9NVm54rX8>
>
> Thank You, Thank You Thank You.... Danny Wilson!
>
>
> Enjoy,
> Rob Paparozzi
> www.robpaparozzi.com
>
>


-- 
Rick Dempster
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