[Harp-L] Famous Harmonica Players?

[Joseph Leone]

> On Jan 5, 1980, at 12:24 PM, Aongus Mac Cana <amaccana at xxxxx> wrote:
> 
> Thanks for your response Rick
> 
> I am not making a comparison between chromatic and diatonic. I love them both.

I do too. Proper tool for the job syndrome. Chisel, riffler, saw?

> I was trying to reflect the attitude that prevailed when I was first made aware of the “mouth organ” for which harmonica was just a posh name. We were informed that “serious musicians” would only consider the chromatic.

It was March the 20th. 1956. I was in the navy PX in Naples Italy and went to buy a Swiss army knife. I decided to try a Hohner Marine Band. While checking out, the Italian cashier (whom I spoke with in a combination of broken English & Italian) said to me: “Why you wanna buy theesa toy? you should get una REAL armonica. you should get uno Chromatico”. Over the years I have noticed that this is more prevalent in Europe. Here in the 
‘Stato Unito di Merdeica’, no one ever came up with that statement. Not that I ever heard. 
> 
> I can understand your preference for Tommy Reilly. He always sounded sweeter and purer to me. He came across as a gentle and pleasant personality, but Adler seemed to push the boundaries a bit further.

Never heard of Tommy Reilly until 1991. Exceptional player. Maybe the best ever? 

If God had meant you to play a C instrument in the key of G he would have given you a hole with F#. 

Interesting statement. It was the fall of 1960 when I was singing with a doo-wop group and playing a bit of harp. The Richter tuning wasn’t working for me. SO I re-tuned the #5 draw reed UP one sharp (F# on a C tuned)
It allowed me to play a plethora of tunes..CORRECTLY. That I hadn’t heretofor been able to do. It always made me chuckle when Charley McCoy would have to use TWO harps on ‘Londonderry Air/Oh Danny Boy)’. He used a D crossed and an A straight. I was using ONE. Of course when we modulated up a half step, he added two harps and I added one.

They now call that country tuning. 

Al Jeers 
> 
> Beannachtai
> 
> Aongus
> 
> 
> 
> From: Rick Dempster [mailto:rickdempster33 at xxxxx] 
> Sent: 26 January 2019 18:40
> To: Aongus Mac Cana
> Cc: Harp-L List
> Subject: Re: [Harp-L] Famous Harmonica Players?
> 
> 
> 
> I prefer Tommy to Larry, frankly Aongus. I have a beautiful recording of him with Indian harpist
> 
> Skaila Kanga. 
> 
> Frankly, I don't like comparison between diatonic and chromatic; makes as much sense to
> 
> be as comparing penny-whistle to flute. I like both instruments, but thay ar completely different.
> 
> RD
> 
> 
> 
> On Sun, 27 Jan 2019 at 04:13, Aongus Mac Cana <amaccana at xxxxx> wrote:
> 
> Am I the only guy on the list old enough to remember when Larry Adler was
> the only famous harmonica player?
> 
> Maybe if you were interested enough you might have heard of Tommy Reilly as
> well. 
> 
> As for Tremolo and Blues Harp What are they?
> 
> Besides there was no such thing as a Blues Harp we call that a Vamper.
> What's all this First and Second Position stuff?
> 
> If God had meant you to play a C instrument in the key of G he would have
> given you a hole with F#.
> 
> Is that what they call "the Good Old Days"?
> 
> Beannachtai
> 
> Aongus Mac Cana
>