[Harp-L] Dylan on harp playing

[Mick Zaklan <mzaklan@xxxxxxxxx>]

   Just finished Clinton Heylin's 720 page biography of Bob Dylan, "Behind
the Shades...Revisited" and a couple of harmonica-related quotes kind of
jumped out at me.  The author states:

"More than any other instrument, the harmonica would always seem tailored
to his musical ideas and it remains the only 'lead' instrument he can play
with any confidence."

Dylan on his own harmonica playing:

   "This sounds a little vague, but sometimes, like most of the time, I
would blow out on the harmonica because Little Walter or Sonny Boy
Williamson would play---which would be to cross it---and I found myself
blowing out more because nobody was doing that...And that's what defined
that harmonica and guitar sound, which I hadn't heard until that point.  I
just stumbled on it one day."  (1978)

I also thought Bob's description here of Jimmy Reed's playing might provide
an insight into his own approach to the instrument:

"Jimmy Reed blew out instead of sucking in on (the harmonica).  He had his
own style of playing---he'd play like three notes, sometimes the whole solo
would be like three notes."

   I'll readily admit that as a player I'm not particularly interested in
Bob's style; but the man has probably helped sell a lot of harmonicas and
harmonica racks for the Hohner Company over the years.  I give him credit
for popularizing our instrument and developing a unique harmonica style
that fits his own music quite well.

Mick Zaklan