Saturday, December 6, 2008

Top 5 Popular Harmonica Players


Here's some weekend musical poetry: my choices of the best harmonica players of popular music. I made a list of 13, which I culled down to 5, which was no easy task. Here it is:


Sonny Boy Williamson (Rice Miller)




Little Walter




James Cotton






Charlies Musselwhite




Paul Butterfield





Special mention goes to Alan Wilson of Canned Heat as one of numerous great neglected harp players . I couldn't come up with any decent video for Alan. Too bad.

Obviously, a list like this couldn't be more subjective. I'm willing to listen to other nominations for best harmonica players. Meantime, enjoy the above.


best,
Don
at

6 comments:

  1. Ed BakerDecember 6, 2008 at 8:50 AM

    n D>C. (we used to go to The Capitol Theatre every Sunday a movie and a live show always an harmonica group included her nibbs georgia gibbs, sophie tucker etc

    the Harmonicats a fave this was early 50's
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dw0J6lICTQQ

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousDecember 7, 2008 at 8:06 AM

    John Mayall?

    JLS

    ReplyDelete
  3. Poet HoundDecember 7, 2008 at 6:05 PM

    Don,
    I am thrilled you mentioned Harmonica players! They had a special on NPR a month or so ago and it brought back memories of my grandfather "goin' to town" on his harmonica--he passed when I was 12. Thanks for the feature, it's an underappreciated art much like poetry I think.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Ed BakerDecember 7, 2008 at 6:14 PM

    my grandfather, Harry used to have three glasses of water on lid of the toilet.. one had salt-water and his false teeth in it

    another salt-water and his glass eye

    the third vinegar and his HARP a Honer he bought me a Marine Band Honer it's around here somewhere.. he died in 1952 so this harmonica is about as old as I am nearly 70!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Issa's Untidy HutDecember 8, 2008 at 6:13 AM

    Ed, Harmonicats ... whew that was great.

    JLS - John Mayall definitely makes the top ten. I didn't add Junior Wells, he would also be in there.

    P: Glad you enjoyed it!

    Ed, I can see those 3 glasses right now. One can only imagine what might happen if he picked up the wrong one.... Don

    ReplyDelete
  6. Ed BakerDecember 8, 2008 at 6:30 AM

    here was also a midget Johnny Puleo who with his brothers had a harmonic/comedy act...

    http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0700306/

    and

    I found a 2002 drawing that will go with that "full moon / who will wipe" humorous risqué/ love poem..

    ReplyDelete