[Harp-L] What first attracted you to harmonica? Why did you learn to play it?

Sat Mar 4 12:54:24 EST 2017

I've told this story before but my Mom took me on a trip from L.A. to Yosemite National Park when I was about 11 or 12. It was a long drive in our 1940 Chevy, and at a gas station/grocery store somewhere along the way they had Hohner Marine Bands for $2 or $3 (!) and she bought me one to keep me amused. 

That got me started. But it didn't really grab me until I was a student at L.A. State College circa 1961. As editor of the Night Times I got to dispense and use the freebies we got as journalists. They included passes to the Ashgrove where I saw Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee and was, like Madcat, just literally blown away, especially by Sonny's harping. The long, slow but hugely enjoyable process of learning to play continues to this day and I'm now 78.This year I'm making a return to rack harping in my farmer's market gigs and featuring songs from the '60s in honor of the 50th anniversary of the so-called Summer of Love.

Keep on harpin',Bob LoomisConcord CA 

    On Friday, March 3, 2017 1:31 PM, "harp-l-request at xxxxx" <harp-l-request at xxxxx> wrote:

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Today's Topics:

  1. Re: Jazz crossover tunes (Michael Rubin)
  2. Jazz Cross Over Tunes (philharpn at xxxxx)
  3. Re: Jazz crossover tunes (Richard Hunter)
  4. Re: Overbending vs. Half-Valving (Richard Hunter)
  5. Re: What first attracted you to harmonica? Why did you learn
      to play it? (John Kally)
  6. Re: What first attracted you to harmonica? Why did you learn
      to play it? (Peter Madcat Ruth)
  7. Playing Led Zeppelin?s - When the Levee Breaks (Degregorio, Jeff)
  8. What first attracted you to harmonica? Why did you learn to
      play it? (jrumbaug at xxxxx)

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Message: 1
Date: Fri, 3 Mar 2017 13:31:37 -0600
From: Michael Rubin <michaelrubinharmonica at xxxxx>
To: Michelle LeFree <mlefree at xxxxx>,    Mike Wilbur
    <mike at xxxxx>
Cc: harp-l <harp-l at xxxxx>
Subject: Re: [Harp-L] Jazz crossover tunes
Message-ID:
    <CACQv+tzU5M4S8vH2igKrqGiVaE0qsyRXjFQbkJRvC4ReHBtrdQ at xxxxx>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8

Herblin is the most on pitch harmonica player I have ever heard. It was
unnerving.
Michael Rubin
Michaelrubinharmonica.com

On Fri, Mar 3, 2017 at 7:42 AM Mike Wilbur <mike at xxxxx> wrote:

YouTube :
Michel Herblin " Art Space", J.J. Milteau " Lonely Croud", Mariano Massolo
" Blues
Pat'a "
All Diatonic , Herblin on Golden Melodys
Michel Herblin was at SPAH in St. Louis a few years ago.

Mike Wilbur

> On Mar 2, 2017, at 12:32 PM, Michelle LeFree <
mlefree at xxxxx> wrote:
>
> Robert Hale asked:
>
>> What are some tunes I can prep for a jazz-oriented jam? Chrome and short
>> harp.
>
> Robert, you have gotten some good suggestions but I didn't see The Duke's
"Don't Get Around Much Any More." It's a fun song to play with a diatonic
and not very difficult. Check out Walter Horton's version.
>
> Michelle
>
>

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Message: 2
Date: Fri, 3 Mar 2017 14:40:02 -0500
From: philharpn at xxxxx
To: harp-l at xxxxx
Subject: [Harp-L] Jazz Cross Over Tunes
Message-ID: <15a95afad9a-4e25-2fd5 at xxxxx>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8

"Creole Jazz Band Fake Book" is a free pdf book of public domain jazz tunes pre-1923 (public domain=no license fees, no copyright issues).

I just downloaded my copy of  version 2.4 . It's 322 pages (thick as an old phone book!)

<http://creolejazzband.com/Fake%20Books%202/CJB%20Fakebook%2024%20-%20C%20TREBLE.pdf>

BTW: Once this pdf is downloaded on your computer you can send it to your iMac with the "Send to Kindle" APP. 

Creole Jazz Band tunes are in a variety of keys -- but that's why you have more than one harp!

Hope this helps,
Phil

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Message: 3
Date: Fri, 3 Mar 2017 14:56:08 -0500
From: Richard Hunter <rhunter377 at xxxxx>
To: "harp-l at xxxxx" <harp-l at xxxxx>
Subject: Re: [Harp-L] Jazz crossover tunes
Message-ID:
    <CADnofm97fE02r2HCgj_dOirYe8qgvmnnONocUiK4g3f2RQXJzQ at xxxxx>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8

Robert Hale wrote:
>On Thu, Mar 2, 2017 at 10:32 AM, Michelle LeFree <
>mlefree at xxxxx> wrote:

>> "Don't Get Around Much Any More."

>Hi Michelle,

>I DO like that one! and have played it at jazz events. You're right, fun
>tune.

Tom Ball performed a solo harmonica arrangement of this piece a few years
ago at SPAH, and it was delightful--equal parts country blues and swing-era
jazz.  As I recall, Big Walter Horton also recorded a version of this piece
with accompaniment. Either way, it's a can't-miss number for either
diatonic or chromatic harp.

Regards, Richard Hunter
-- 
"The Lucky One" 21st century rock harmonica project at
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/richard-hunter-s-the-lucky-one/x/5259889#/
Author, "Jazz Harp" (Oak Publications, NYC)
Latest mp3s and harmonica blog at http://hunterharp.com
Vids at http://www.youtube.com/user/lightninrick
Twitter: @lightninrick????????????????????????????????????????????????????

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Message: 4
Date: Fri, 3 Mar 2017 15:04:35 -0500
From: Richard Hunter <rhunter377 at xxxxx>
To: "harp-l at xxxxx" <harp-l at xxxxx>
Subject: Re: [Harp-L] Overbending vs. Half-Valving
Message-ID:
    <CADnofm924rRXXW=776=y5f=p1kt9nu9dVBYkMtwbQ-DMnOHbew at xxxxx>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8

The discussions so far of these different techniques for achieving
chromaticity on the diatonic harp haven't directly mentioned what I think
is the most important thing: you get different sounds with these
techniques.  As Vern has mentioned on one or two occasions, process is
product. Valved reeds sound different from non-valved.

I suggest that anyone who wants to explore chromatic playing on the
diatonic should make a point of comparing the sound of a valved harp to
their more-traditional diatonics to see which they prefer.

The only other thing I can add is that the learning curve on overbends can
be steep--at least it was for me.  I use the technique now on most of the
material I play, but it took a long time to get there.  Maybe that's
because I grew up as a harmonica player before overblowing entered the
mainstream, so I had a lot of previous learning to overcome.  I see people
in their late teens/early 20s now who've mastered the techniques in a
fraction of the time it took me, thanks to Youtube (and thanks also to a
new generation of instruments that are designed to be easier to overblow
out of the box).

Anyway, a different sound is a different sound, so make your choice and
take your chances.

regards< Richard Hunter

-- 
"The Lucky One" 21st century rock harmonica project at
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/richard-hunter-s-the-lucky-one/x/5259889#/
Author, "Jazz Harp" (Oak Publications, NYC)
Latest mp3s and harmonica blog at http://hunterharp.com
Vids at http://www.youtube.com/user/lightninrick
Twitter: @lightninrick????????????????????????????????????????????????????

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Message: 5
Date: Fri, 3 Mar 2017 14:15:32 -0700
From: John Kally <jkally3 at xxxxx>
To: harp-l at xxxxx
Subject: Re: [Harp-L] What first attracted you to harmonica? Why did
    you learn to play it?
Message-ID: <6BDF1A17-4F2F-4EB6-9786-46B704C88B1C at xxxxx>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8

FWIW, when I was a kid back around 1970-early 71  there were a couple of records that got a lot of airplay on the Chicago area ?underground? fm stations. John Mayall?s ?Room to Move? and Siegel-Schwall?s live  version of ?Hush Hush? were the ones.  I also was given a copy of Muddy Water?s ?Fathers and Sons? that  Christmas besides the  Mayall lp. I went to see Siegel-Schwall right around then  at a little place called ?Alice?s Revisited? in Chicago (I was 15) and that sealed the deal for me on playing harp. It was also lots cheaper than buying a guitar.  Years later I ran into Corky Siegel  when he was doing a solo gig at Cal State LA  and told him about how he influenced me when I was a teenager. His response was ?Great. Now I feel really old!?  

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Message: 6
Date: Fri, 3 Mar 2017 16:25:22 -0500
From: Peter Madcat Ruth <madcat at xxxxx>
To: Harp-L <harp-l at xxxxx>
Subject: Re: [Harp-L] What first attracted you to harmonica? Why did
    you learn to play it?
Message-ID: <39441C6F-60D3-44C6-A2D9-2105AAD987FC at xxxxx>
Content-Type: text/plain;    charset=us-ascii

In 1964 I heard Brownie McGhee and Sonny Terry on the radio and I was hooked.

Peace & Joy,

Peter Madcat Ruth

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Message: 7
Date: Fri, 3 Mar 2017 21:27:26 +0000
From: "Degregorio, Jeff" <jeffery.degregorio at xxxxx>
To: Harp-L <harp-l at xxxxx>
Subject: [Harp-L] Playing Led Zeppelin?s - When the Levee Breaks
Message-ID: <f264c465d28a4b70a73dfbabee4fc191 at xxxxx>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="Windows-1252"

Hello fellow harpers

(*****Could not determine if this message went out earlier today, maybe keyed something in wrong on the address*****)

Led Zeppelin?s song ?When the Levee Breaks? has an iconic harp part that I would like to play on diatonic harp with members of a band.  Does anyone have harmonica tabs from what you may have used for this song or could write out a tab for me.  Ideas and tips are welcome of what position, tabs, etc. to use for this song.

Thank you

Jeff DeGregorio

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Message: 8
Date: Fri, 3 Mar 2017 16:32:48 -0500
From: <jrumbaug at xxxxx>
To: Harp-l <harp-l at xxxxx>
Subject: [Harp-L] What first attracted you to harmonica? Why did you
    learn to play it?
Message-ID: <71F63920D32E4EBAA0DB886E9B60E965 at xxxxx>
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="UTF-8";
    reply-type=original

the attraction:
I had just started a long trip in 1997 when we stopped in a Cracker Barrel. 
I saw the $5 harmonica and thought, this will give me something to do for 
the next 6 hours. I then turned around and bought a $15 book on how to play 
the harmonica by Jon Gindick. I became a harmonica owner that could barley 
tweet out a standard tune.  In 2001, 2 guys in town started a harmonica 
club. They taught me how to play, and it stuck.

Why:
I have played bass guitar since 1970. I never play melody or lead on bass. 
Also, the harp is SOOO portable.  It's been a good ride.

Jim Rumbaugh
The Harmonica Club of Huntington, WV 

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