[Harp-L] dean martin

[John]

Hi. can any one tell me who the harp player is on Dean Martin's
" Little O'le Wine Drinker Me" and what key is he playing in?

Thanks in advance for the info. ------- John

[Ken Hildebrand]

Hi John... I have the CD "Dino: The Esstential Dean Martin" that includes the song "Little Ole Wine Drinker Me"... The song starts in the key of E (so A harp in 2nd) and modulates up to the key of F (so Bb in 2nd).
 
I don't know who the harmonica player is... I tried searching and searched several years ago when I got the CD, but didn't have any luck...  I thought it might be listed on the original (1967) vinyl LP "Welcome to My World" that included this song, and found an image of the front and back of the album, but no one was listed as playing "harmonica".
 
Ken H in OH

________________________________
From: John <johnatjumpj...@ntlworld.com>
To: har...@harp-l.com
Sent: Monday, September 10, 2012 11:53 AM
Subject: [Harp-L] dean martin

[Steve Webb]

I bet it's Tommy Morgan. His website says he has recorded with Dean Martin.
Steve in Minn.

Sent from my iPad

[Ken Hildebrand]

Hi Steve!  That would be my guess too, but I couldn't think of Tommy's name right off...
 
Ken

________________________________
From: Steve Webb <sw...@charter.net>
To: Ken Hildebrand <airmo...@yahoo.com>
Cc: John <johnatjumpj...@ntlworld.com>; "har...@harp-l.com" <har...@harp-l.com>
Sent: Tuesday, September 11, 2012 1:53 PM
Subject: Re: [Harp-L] dean martin

[Joseph Leone]

I don't think it's Morgan. Sounds more like McCoy.
smo-joe

[Rick Dempster]

I suspect this that the producer decided it needed some harp, and said to
the session guys "Anyone blow a little harp?"
I wonder if Charlie McCoy hadn't been able to play umpteen other
instruments and been fairly well trained (he was at Julliard)
whether he would have been able to have the career as a harp player that he
had.
No matter how good harp players get, the commonest place for harp has been
to add some colour, usually echoing most people's idea of the instrument;
which is usually anything but virtuosic.
Yes, it could be Charlie, keeping it 'down home', a bit like he did on his
first session 'Candy Man' for the Big O.
But then, it could be anyone, which is probably just what the producer
wanted.
Funnily, I went looking for this cut on Youtube, but all of the clips I
found had no harp track.
This song was originally by Lattie Moore, as I recall; a great record, if
you are an old hillbilly like
RD from Oz

--
Rick Dempster
E„Resources/Serials
LR&A
RMIT Libraries

[Joseph Leone]

I was kidding Rick. The harp is so standard it could have been done by any one of the musicians in the orch that 'minored' on harp. I know that visiting bands that came through the jazz society at Pittsburgh always seemed to have someone who could 'double' on harmonica. Usually (ironically) it was a guitar player.
smo-joe

[Winslow Yerxa]

Several websites claim that Billy Lee Riley played harmonica on Dean Martin's recordings. Harmonica was also featured on Martin's "Houston" from about the same  period (mid '60s). It may be that Riley played on both.

I've never heard before that Charlie McCoy was Juilliard trained. The feature on him in Kim Field's "Harmonicas, Harps, and Heavy Breathers," which is very well researched, does not mention this. (McCoy does mention spending some time at the University of Miami studying music when Nashville initially didn't know what do with him).

Winslow
 
Winslow Yerxa
Author, Harmonica For Dummies, ISBN 978-0-470-33729-5
            Harmonica Basics For Dummies, ASIN B005KIYPFS
            Blues Harmonica For Dummies, ISBN 978-1-1182-5269-7
Resident Harmonica Expert, bluesharmonica.com
Instructor, Jazzschool for Music Study and Performance

________________________________
From: Rick Dempster <rick.d...@rmit.edu.au>
To: Joseph Leone <3n...@comcast.net>
Cc: harp-l <har...@harp-l.org>
Sent: Tuesday, September 11, 2012 4:57 PM

Subject: Re: [Harp-L] dean martin

[Richard Hunter]

On 12 September 2012 07:32, Joseph Leone <3n...@comcast.net> wrote:

> I don't think it's Morgan. Sounds more like McCoy.

I dunno, man. Morgan can channel other harp players better than anyone else I know. If you want to hear the best Charlie McCoy performance that Charlie never played, listen to Morgan's work on the soundtrack for "in Pursuit of DB Cooper".

regards, Richard Hunter

author, "Jazz Harp"
latest mp3s and harmonica blog at http://hunterharp.com
Myspace http://myspace.com/richardhunterharp
Vids at http://www.youtube.com/user/lightninrick
more mp3s at http://taxi.com/rhunter
Twitter: lightninrick

[Joseph Leone]

On Sep 12, 2012, at 10:12 AM, Richard Hunter wrote:

>
> On 12 September 2012 07:32, Joseph Leone <3n...@comcast.net> wrote:
>
>> I don't think it's Morgan. Sounds more like McCoy.
>
> I dunno, man. Morgan can channel other harp players better than anyone else I know.

Ah yes Richard, I agree with you. But as I said to Rick Dempster, the style is pretty basic. I think any harmonica player that had been at it for even just a few years could have done the track. So I was joshing when I said McCoy. :)

> If you want to hear the best Charlie McCoy performance that Charlie never played, listen to Morgan's work on the soundtrack for "in Pursuit of DB Cooper".

Uh-huh, again I agree. I always agree with you. But here's what 'I' heard, and not withstanding my hearing could be suspect. The track was done in 67? Sooo, that would be in the correct time frame for Morgan. BUT, the style as played was pretty much like what a normal prudent person would expect a harmonica to sound like...in 1917. It had that western flair. Nor so much country..more a western flair. And while this would also be right up Morgan's alley, I think it was too basic. What do I mean by that? If you listen closely, the player 'over drips' onto other holes in the typical 'fuzzy' style of the early times.

Frankly, I think Morgan would have played the part more cleanly. Ok, maybe he did what they were asking. I just don't think it was him. Maybe because I have grown to expect a little more from him. Of course I'm not debating it, as I consider you the Zenith of truth.

smo-joe

[Winslow Yerxa]

It's Billy Lee Riley.

 
Winslow Yerxa
Author, Harmonica For Dummies, ISBN 978-0-470-33729-5
            Harmonica Basics For Dummies, ASIN B005KIYPFS
            Blues Harmonica For Dummies, ISBN 978-1-1182-5269-7
Resident Harmonica Expert, bluesharmonica.com
Instructor, Jazzschool for Music Study and Performance

________________________________
From: Ken Hildebrand <airmo...@yahoo.com>
To: John <johnatjumpj...@ntlworld.com>; "har...@harp-l.com" <har...@harp-l.com>
Sent: Tuesday, September 11, 2012 10:24 AM

Subject: Re: [Harp-L] dean martin