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

[Joseph Leone <3n037@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

I have the master tape, so I occasionally listen to it (actually a copy). Don was truly a master at straight harp. 
smo-joe

On Jan 3, 2013, at 8:06 AM, Rick Dempster wrote:

> 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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