[Harp-L] harmonica news

[Mick Zaklan]

   Just a couple of harmonica related items I spotted in the newspaper
recently.  Since nobody reads newspapers anymore, I assume this would be
new info to harp-l.org readers.
   Was skimming through a Miranda Lambert interview and saw a description
of one of her latest tunes as "rocker" with harmonica.  Since our
instrument is pretty much absent from today's music and Lambert regularly
tops the Country charts, I thought I'd give it a listen.  Found it
depressing, don't know if I've ever heard a harmonica buried farther down
in a mix.  If it wasn't for a few notes leaking out at the end, a casual
listener would have never known it was in there.  Couldn't find the
identity of the harpist:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QisWQbzn0Sc.
   On a more pleasant note, I saw a Billy Branch interview in the Chicago
Tribune that announced an upcoming Little Walter tribute CD called "Roots
and Branches".  Apparently Billy's wife had been pressuring him for some
time to do a Walter-themed recording.  Pretty hip lady; I doubt most of our
wives would even know who Little Walter was!  Anyway, the CD is actually up
on YouTube.  Most of the tunes have been modified and tinkered with in some
way.  Which isn't a bad thing.  There is actually a track by Little
Walter's daughter reminiscing about her dad, a nice touch.  And she
introduces the band's video of "Mellow Down Easy":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajrB-sC_MsI.
   Finally got to watch the new documentary on the 2018 Nobel Prize winner
in medicine, Dr. Jim Allison.  Allison came up with an effective cure for
cancer and apparently is also an avid harmonica player.  He looks like he'd
fit right in at the SPAH blues jam circle.  The movie is an inspirational
story of perseverance and thinking out-of-the-box; I recommend it.  An
added bonus is a soundtrack composed by Mickey Raphael and featuring quite
a bit of Mickey's playing.  Here's the trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TfwiyqhC92U.
   Happy holidays to everybody!

Mick Zaklan