[Harp-L] Famous "Harmonica players"

[Ronnie Schreiber]

" I always felt that Lennon, Jagger, Young, Dyllan, and several more 
played appropriate harp for the music they did. Some primitive to be sure."

Their playing serves their music well, that's true. Rudimentary playing 
can be very effective.

However, if you asked 100 people who a good guitar player is/was, they'd 
name someone like Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Slash, or John Mayer, 
actually good guitar players. If you asked 100 people who a good 
harmonica player is/was, they'd mention the names above, musicians who 
use the harmonica as a secondary instrument and play styles that aren't 
generally highly regarded by actual harmonica players and enthusiasts. 
Even musicians don't know about harp players. I know one guitar player 
who knows who Jason Ricci is because he was on a blues cruise where 
Jason played. Some might know of Musselwhite because he played on a lot 
of seminal Chicago stuff, otherwise they know the old Chicago guys like 
the Walters and then Butterfield, but current or recent harp virtuosos? 
Not likely. Around here, the Detroit area, a few might know about Peter 
Ruth since Madcat lives in Ann Arbor. If I mentioned George Smith or 
William Clarke, I'd get a blank response.