[Harp-L] Will Scarlett's place in the history of overblows

[Richard Hunter]

Michael Rubin wrote:
<I think he (Will Scarlet) was the most important player up til Levy.  He
was the first <to play the diatonic harp as a fully chromatic instrument.
<
<Timewise
<
<1929 Blues Birdhead
<1967 Toots Theilemans, Mike Turk, Paul Oscher (exact dates unknown by me)
<1970 Will Scarlett
<1985 Howard Levy

Howard Levy was a good friend of a college friend of mine, and in 1973 he
spent a couple of days at my college dorm.  I heard him play at length on
that occasion on piano, steel clarinet, and harmonica, on all of which he
exhibited mindblowing proficiency.  At that time he'd been playing
harmonica for 2 years, and he was already overblowing very freely--quite an
achievement considering the general build quality of harmonicas at that
time.  So I think putting him on the timeline at 1985 is off by 10 years or
so, unless you're referring to the release of some recording or other.

Regards, Richard Hunter
-- 
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