The Blues Harmonica - Various Artists
This Is The Blues Harmonica: Vol. 2
(Delmark CD #780)
The harmonica is the most widely played instrument in the world, and the
playing of a harmonica can often offer you a glimpse into the soul of another human being.
The “mouth organ” has been an inherent part of the blues scene for as long as
there have been blues. This CD attempts to touch much of the blues scene over the last 60
years and really shows what a blues harp is. Along with great harmonica playing, the CD
also features some exceptional blues guitarists and pianists such as Magic Sam, Eddy
Clearwater and Bob Riedy.
A good portion of the songs on this CD have never been released and
feature some classic blues harpists, like Carey Bell and Junior Wells, at their best.
“Tomorrow Night” and “Carey's Ruhumba” are two of the best songs on
the CD demonstrating Wells and Carey's unique tone and mastery of ensemble style harmonica
musicianship.
Another great listen is “I Got My Brand On You” performed by
Mark Hummel. In this song, this west coast blues leader demonstrates blues harp perfection
with every carefully crafted fill in this forward driven, minor blues song.
Louis Meyer also deserves mention for “That's Alright,” an
example of blues at its best. While Meyer does a great job on harp in this song, the best
version I've heard is by Sugar Blue who is a master of harmonica technique.
And that's the one thing that is missing from this CD. While there is a
wide variety of different tones, there are no technical masters of the harp like Howard
Levy, John Popper or Sugar Blue. However, that is not to say that there aren't incredible
technical harpists on the CD. The selections from these harpists just don't showcase their
technique to its fullest. Even the track with Little Walter leaves much to be desired
because it doesn't feature Little Walter's technique.
Though most of the CD is gold, there are some loser tracks where the
musicians don't listen to each other. In any music it is essential for the guitar, bass,
piano and harmonica to allow each other room and move together in the same direction.
Unfortunately, there are some songs on this CD, where the listener can scarcely believe
the musicians recorded in the same room.
Furthermore, the CD does not really touch on any of the contemporary
blues fusions like blues/rock and blues/funk. Some of the harp players in these genres
really embody where blues harp has gone today. It neglects to show how blues harp has
expanded beyond the realm of the traditional 1950s blues scene.
Even with a few shortcomings, Delmark has produced a fantastic CD. If
you want to hear the style of blues harp played between 1950 and 1975, this CD is a must.
If you play blues harp, this CD will show you almost everything you could possibly need to
know. However, if you want to hear how blues has grown and expanded over the years as it
has fused with other genres, you're going to have to go somewhere else. This is
traditional blues harmonica.
- Danny Fisher -
Southwest Blues CD Review - February 2005
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