[Harp-L] Charlie McCoy's first recording session as a harmonica player
JOSEPH LEONE
3n037@xxxxx
Sat Jul 4 13:43:44 EDT 2020
> On 07/04/2020 11:14 AM George Miklas <harmonicat at xxxxx> wrote:
>
>
> Ah hem.... Joey... My dearest friend....
>
Ahoy my superist collosalist BIG GEORGE. :)
> You might recall our mutual friend, Jack Allison.
>
Back in the early 60s when mama Cass (the live one) and I were dating, we used to go to Lash's Lounge and Mt. Royal Lounge and dance to Jack's band. I only knew Jack to know 'Of'. We weren't actually friends. I knew him because I worked construction and he worked for his father at the real estate agency.
> Jack used to play electric bass guitar with his left hand on the fretboard,
>
So..what you're saying is that Allison merely used his left hand to press DOWN on the frets and that this would make the strings sound? Ok, makes sense to me. As I know nothing about bass. AND what also makes sense is that Allison probably NEEDED to learn to do that because he DID have to use it in his work.
My thought was: Why would someone need to put in the time to do such a thing on the premise that one day in the future they may need to do it on a session. The word 'session' was what got me. I would have thought that on a session one would want to do the very best that one could do. And doing such gymnastics would leave something to be desired. Quality wise.
> and with his right hand played chromatic harmonica in any key too!
>
I recall an evening where someone told Allison that 'I' 'also' played chromatic. And that he should invite me up to play. He never did. In fact, on any given evening he would onlyu play chromatic on ONE tune. The tune? Ruby Gentry.
> Where did you think I learned to do it?
>
Then I learned something new here. I remember on the several times I heard you play bass with the Sgro Bros. you never played trumpet too, and since I never saw Charlie do it, I needed E V I D E N C E.
Thanks for the correction, disregard anything I wrote.
smo-joe
> Sincerely Yours...
> --------------------------
> George Miklas http://www.georgemiklas.com/ , M.A., M.Ed., B.M. in Ed., and Candidate for DME (2021)
> Harmonica and Tuba Performing Artist www.GeorgeMiklas.com http://www.georgemiklas.com/
> Harmonica Gallery www.HarmonicaGallery.com http://www.harmonicagallery.com/ Click here for Sales http://sales.harmonicagallery.com/ or Repair http://repair.harmonicagallery.com/
>
>
> On Fri, Jul 3, 2020 at 6:41 PM JOSEPH LEONE < 3n037 at xxxxx mailto:3n037 at xxxxx > wrote:
>
> > > I wasn't trying to be a wise guy when I said what I said. I dissected the case as if I were taking it to court.
> > 1.. I play trumpet. Yes it's possible to play one with one hand. But one would need a strong hand while maintaining fingers supple enough to actuate the plungers.
> > a. OR they could play a few notes by just changing embouchures and playing
> > it like a bugle. That seems backward to me. Especially on a session.
> > 2.. I was under the assumption (possibly wrong), that it took TWO hands to play a bass.
> > a. OR a body could feasibly play singular 'thrumps'. Which I would suspect
> > would sound ...empty-ish. Again..backward. Especially for a session.
> > 3.. I suspect that the wording: Charley played one handed bass and trumpet at
> > the same time, may have been misinterpreted FROM: Charlie played one handed bass and trumpet on the same TUNE. Which is different.
> > a. Playing BOTH instruments at the same TIME could be accomplished by
> > using TWO tracks.
> > b. IF the two instruments were playing at the same time.
> > 4.. I would think that playing TWO instruments would be something that someone would have to 'work on' to get it all to mesh. I had a hard time ratioinalizing why a person would DO that. On the premise that they may have to use it some day? Seems pretty strange.
> >
> > In conclusion I tried to visualize the whole enchilada and didn't have eyes for it. In other words I couldn't see it. Of course if it was actually done I would be pleasantly surprised. As Charley is a hero of mine. And nothing would give me a bigger chuckle than to find out that I am a completey wrong.
> >
> > But I would have to see it to believe it. Just an opinion you understand. No biggie.
> > smokey-joe
> >
> >
> > > > > On 07/03/2020 11:16 AM Mikael Bäckman < mikael.backman at xxxxx mailto:mikael.backman at xxxxx > wrote:
> > >
> > >
> > > There is some truth to that story, but it didn't happen that way. Charlie played one handed bass and trumpet live for a while with his road band and he showed Al Kooper how he did that on a Dylan session. Kooper mixed up the story/demonstration and the session and told people that McCoy did this on the session which Charlie denies in his autobiography.
> > > So Smo-Joe is right as usual... 😉
> > >
> > > / Mikael
> > >
> > > Mikael Bäckman
> > > PhD Student
> > > Luleå University of Technology,
> > > Piteå School of Music
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > ---------------------------------------------
> > > Från: JOSEPH LEONE <3n037 at xxxxx mailto:3n037 at xxxxx >
> > > Skickat: den 3 juli 2020 16:40
> > > Till: George Miklas <harmonicat at xxxxx mailto:harmonicat at xxxxx >; Rick Dempster <rickdempster33 at xxxxx mailto:rickdempster33 at xxxxx >
> > > Kopia: Mikael Bäckman <mikael.backman at xxxxx mailto:mikael.backman at xxxxx >; captron100 at xxxxx mailto:captron100 at xxxxx <captron100 at xxxxx mailto:captron100 at xxxxx >; Harp-L at xxxxx mailto:Harp-L at xxxxx <Harp-L at xxxxx mailto:Harp-L at xxxxx >
> > > Ämne: Re: [Harp-L] Charlie McCoy's first recording session as a harmonica player
> > >
> > > Sorry, I don't believe it.
> > > smo-joe
> > >
> > > > On 07/02/2020 9:48 AM George Miklas < harmonicat at xxxxx mailto:harmonicat at xxxxx > wrote:
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > Rick,
> > > > I've heard the same story. I believe it to be true.
> > > > *--------------------------*
> > > > *George Miklas < http://www.georgemiklas.com/>, M.A., M.Ed., B.M. in Ed.,*
> > > > *and **Candidate for DME (2021)*
> > > > *Harmonica and Tuba Performing Artisthttp://www.GeorgeMiklas.com
> > > > < http://www.georgemiklas.com/> *
> > > > *Harmonica Galleryhttp://www.HarmonicaGallery.com
> > > > < http://www.harmonicagallery.com/> Click here for **Sales
> > > > < http://sales.harmonicagallery.com/> or **Repair
> > > > < http://repair.harmonicagallery.com/>*
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > On Thu, Jul 2, 2020 at 1:09 AM Rick Dempster < rickdempster33 at xxxxx mailto:rickdempster33 at xxxxx >
> > > > wrote:
> > > >
> > > > > I recall a story (true or not, I have no idea) of a session with Bob Dylan
> > > > > where they wanted a trumpet player in the wee small hours,
> > > > > and none were available. On the next take, McCoy played bass, one handed,
> > > > > and trumpet with the other.
> > > > > Good story anyhow!
> > > > > RD
> > > > >
> > > > > On Wed, 1 Jul 2020 at 22:02, captron100--- via Harp-L < harp-l at xxxxx mailto:harp-l at xxxxx >
> > > > > wrote:
> > > > >
> > > > > > Peter Madcat Ruth wrote: Charlie McCoy's first recording session as a
> > > > > > harmonica player was in 1961 when Charlie was 20 years old. The song was
> > > > > "I
> > > > > > Just Don't Understand", by Ann-Margret.
> > > > > > About a year or so ago on Harp-L, Mikael Bäckman from Sweden, posted an
> > > > > > offer to send any of us a research project he is working on - a
> > > > > > comprehensive list of all recordings that Charlie has participated in.
> > > > > At
> > > > > > that time, Mikael also requested our assistance in asking for info on any
> > > > > > other recordings, harmonica as well as other instruments, that he may not
> > > > > > have included in his discography. I wonder how many of us, besides me,
> > > > > > took him up on his offer. By cc on this post, I'm asking Mikael's
> > > > > > permission to either forward his Charlie McCoy discography to Harp-l'ers
> > > > > > who may have missed the opportunity to partake in Mikael's generosity, or
> > > > > > perhaps Mikael will send us his latest updated version. I see that
> > > > > > Mikael's discography says that says that Charlie's first recording was
> > > > > the
> > > > > > song, "Cherry Berry Wine" from 1961, altho a poster to the song on
> > > > > YouTube
> > > > > > claimed it was recorded on Aug. 16, 1960 with Hank Garland on guitar; and
> > > > > > Mikael's discography dates "I Just Don't Understand" as 1962.
> > > > > > ron - FL Keys, USA
> > > > > >
> > > > >
> > >
> > > > >
> > >
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