[Harp-L] Harp with bluegrass (bob piscura)

[Trip Henderson <trip.tunes@xxxxxxxxx>]

Hi Bob,

This is Trip from the Whistling Wolves and I should first thank Lockjaw
Larry for directing you towards my band's YouTube page.  Our band is not
strictly speaking a bluegrass band, but more of a early country (1924-1940
era), old time and early blues, folk group.  That said I play a lot of
bluegrass here in the home of bluegrass music, Brooklyn, NY. If your not
looking to play traditional bluegrass, and there are many who would tell
you that harmonica has no business with bluegrass, then I would recommend
listening to the people I learned from.


   - My first and most important influence was Doc Watson.  Doc's known for
   his guitar work but was a stellar harp player, using both straight and
   cross positions.
   - The album WILL THE CIRCLE BE UNBROKEN by the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band.
    This came out in the 70's and is just a great record. The band hosted all
   the significant living players from the golden age of southern American
   music, including Doc Watson, Merle Travis, Mother Maybelle Carter, Jimmy
   Martin, Roy Husky Jr., Earl Scruggs, Vassar Clements...on and on. That
   would be reason enough to buy the record but its a schoolin' in how amazing
   harmonica can be in a string-band setting. Jimmy Fadden, the band's drummer
   is also a super tasty harp player and over three LPs plays what is still my
   favorite backup and lead work, blending into the ensemble in the most
   beautiful ways, all live with no overdubs - amazing!
   - PT Gazell, a contributor to this list set the bar way high with his
   record PACE YOURSELF, and you'll need to - for speed, tone and swing he's
   my favorite "bluegrass harmonica player".
   - Charlie McCoy, if you want to really tighten your chops up go download
   a song called "Out On A Limb", you'll need a country tuned D harp and a
   program like the Amazing Slow Downer to learn this piece. I'm a bit on the
   lazy side and still keep very busy as a sideman so I rarely do the hard
   work of learning a challenging piece note for note. A couple months back I
   was feeling motivated and worked this tune up - what a ball! I now know the
   ego gratification of knocking an audience out with a display of joyful
   virtuosity - its a cheap trick, but wow what fun!
   - Tony Ayers, also on this list, is a killer bluegrass harp player who
   turned me onto an excellent learning tool called "Steve Kaufman's 4 Hour
   Bluegrass Workout".  It has something like 40 of the most popular bluegrass
   instrumentals in musical notation and also on CD with the tunes played at
   full speed and half speed - I still use this as chops builder (thanks
   Tony!).
   - You should also check out the piece that Rick Dempster just posted
   here - its more Cajun than bluegrass but his tone, phrasing and use of
   octaves are super fine and all that technique is transferable.
   - Last three, George Pegram & Walter Parham - "Pickin' & Blowin" -
   insane banjo and harp duets - the real deal. Inspired by that record is the
   album by Mark Graham and Tom Sauber called "Thought I Heard it Blow", also
   a stunner. The Improbabillies with harp-l member Grant Dermody - superb
   playing in an old time setting - that record set the old time snobs running
   to their record store - a modern classic.
   - Ok, one more - Bill Monroe, go to the source.  No harp but steal your
   rhythm work from the mandolin and your leads and fills from the fiddler -
   can't go wrong there.

Ok, get to work and have some fun!!!

-- 
*Trip Henderson*
https://soundcloud.com/trip-henderson
https://www.youtube.com/TheWhistlingWolves