Current Harmonica Players in Old Time Music
Tin Fiddle
I'm new to the newsgroup. Just wanting to find out if there are any
other old-time harmonica players out there on the list. Also wondering
about info on current or contemporary string bands or duos using a harp
player in mix - so far I've located CD stuff by Grant Dermondy, Mark
Graham, and David Rice.
Look forward to hearing from you tin fiddle players out there.
Mark
Brad Sondahl
bluegrass association, and at the jams there will be 30 people there, all
with stringed instruments, and I'm the only harmonicist (I also play guitar
but my little 00-18 gets lost in crowds of D bodies.) I've suspected there
is some prejudice against harmonicas. (at the last jam I was shushed by a
guitarist who said he couldn't hear another guitarist due to my playing)
I appreciate your moniker of tin fiddle--harmonica does seem to play in the
range of fiddle. It's hard to keep up on quick fiddle tunes, not to
mention the lack of the "black" notes.
There definitely were some fine old time harmonicists. Heard some good
"French harp" from Doc Watson on the radio the other day.
Brad Sondahl
john schwab
> I'm new to the newsgroup. Just wanting to find out if there are any
> other old-time harmonica players out there on the list. Also wondering
> about info on current or contemporary string bands or duos using a harp
> player in mix - so far I've located CD stuff by Grant Dermondy, Mark
> Graham, and David Rice.
Mark--
I don't know Grant, but Mark and Dave are terrific harmonica players.
I haven't heard Mark much recently (in part because he doesn't get
East very much these days from his perch in Seattle), but I'm very,
very partial to Dave's playing. Tremendous technique and impeccable
phrasing and feel for the old-time roots. I highly recommend the CD
that he recorded with Bill Dillof (Dillof, Rice & the Cuyahogians: ON
THE JOB TOO LONG, available from Elderly Instruments). Dave also
played with the Hoover Uprights in the band contest at Clifftop last
summer, where we managed to bamboozle the judges and sneak into first
place. Dave's harmonica playing adds so much to our sound. (The Hoover
Uprights' motto is "That Giant Sucking Sound," and we call Dave our
"Blower Attachment.")
--John Schwab
Jack Aldrich
Tin Fiddle
I agree with you about Dave. I haven't heard him live but I love the CD
he did with Dillof. Grant Dermondy is a harp player from the Northwest
(I believe) who plays on a great CD called "The Improbabillies".
Definitely old time but a few blues twists here and there.
Mark
Tin Fiddle
The Graham/Sauber CD is indeed wonderful. I loved Graham's "Southern
Old Time Harmonica" and I think this one is even better. The full title
is "Thought I Heard it Blow: Fiddle Tunes, Blues, Rags, Traditional &
Original Songs with Banjo and Harmonica" by Mark Graham and Tom Sauber.
I haven't seen it listed yet on Elderly or Countysales but it can be
purchased directly from Mark at mongrelfolk.com.
Mark
Bill Griffin
Pete Hastings, one of the most amazing harmonica players to be heard in
traditional music. If you ever get a chance to see them perform live, you
won't be disappointed.
Bill Griffin
Kerry Blech
> I agree with you about Dave. I haven't heard him live but I love the CD
> he did with Dillof. Grant Dermondy is a harp player from the Northwest
> (I believe) who plays on a great CD called "The Improbabillies".
> Definitely old time but a few blues twists here and there.
>
> Mark
>
> john schwab wrote:
>
> > I don't know Grant,
Grant Dermody lives in my neighborhood in South Seattle, where
Mark Graham also used to live until moving to Vashon Island
last year. Grant is well-known in blues harp circles in Seattle,
but is not really a participant in the local old time scene here.
We've invited him to a few things here and there. He frequently teaches
blues harmonica at Centrum's Country Blues week (the same folks
who put on Fiddle Tunes), which this year will occur the first
week of August (the same time as The Appalachian String Band
Festival in Clifftop, WV). I don't know if Grant will be teaching
there this year, though. He told me some time ago that he took
old time harmonica lessons from Mark Graham. Grant had been
jamming with fiddler Scotty Meyer in Alaska over time, and they
put together than virtual band, The Improbabillies. Scotty
lives in Alaska. Grant usually goes up to Juneau for the
Alaska Folk Festival and plays with Scotty there. Forrest
Gibson, who also now lives in Seattle and used to live in
Alaska, is another Improbabilly. He's been seen of late
backing up Ruthie Dornfeld now and then, on guitar. He
too has a blues background, but is very, very versatile
on guitar. Richie Stearns, from Ithaca (or is it Trumansburg?),
NY is/was the 4th member of the Improbabillies. I heard
he was just through Seattle a week and a half ago, though
we were in Ohio just then and missed visiting with him.
Another great old time harmonica player was Gary Hawk,
one of my old bandmates in Ohio. Very unfortunately, Gary
passed away in Charlottesville, Virginia about two months
ago. He originally was a very hot blues harpest but
made the transition to old time style. I don't know if he
ever recorded any of his old time repertoire. Andy Cohen
and Joe LaRose did some recording with him the past couple
of years. I know there are a few harmonica duets, with
Dave Rice. None of this is, as yet, issued. Andy and
Joe had both been in blues and jug bands with Gary way
back when and I assume much of what they recorded was
of those genres.
Lynn Frederick, in Kent, Ohio, is a fine old time
harmonica player. Mostly, he fiddles these days.
He played a few harmonica tracks on some unissued
recordings of the Rhythm Gorillas.
I've heard Jere Canote and Barry Schultz, both of Seattle,
play very nice old time harmonica pieces. I don't
know if either of them have recorded harp pieces in this
style, though.
Best,
Kerry
Tom Legenhausen
Bill Griffin <ws...@Virginia.EDU> wrote in message
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Phil G-E
several years ago (original Kimmswick festival site). He's primarily
into jazz these days.
Bill Dillof
knew of those of the classic era of OT music), mention should be made of
Steve Garcia, from NJ, who has been playing great and classic old time harp
since at least the mid-70s. Also, Mike Ross, from Bath, MI, who used to play
outstanding harp with the Hardytack Boys. And one more, whom Gary Hawk
introduced me to, is Phil Wadail, from the Richmond, VA area, if I'm not
mistaken. And, of course, Dan Gellert, who has done the only rack harp and
uke recordings I've ever heard. With all this, it's a little surprising that
we don't hear more harmonica in sessions at festivals (where we are far more
likely to hear, for example, four or five fiddles ganging up on the poor
banjo player). While I'm not advocating harp on every tune, a little variety
wouldn't hurt. It's what I always thought made old time music special and,
more to the point, distinguished it from bluegrass, a genre of convention.
Ray and Jackie Frick
or not...I love to hear him play and enjoy times when we have been able to
play together......great banjo player too....and a real nice guy.
Ray Frick
"Bill Dillof" <ex...@vgernet.net> wrote in message
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Bill in DC
Steve Goldfield
mary....@ashe.k12.nc.us
Lots of videos of him playing. I've played old-time (piano, guitar, and mountain dulcimer) for a few decades and live in Doc Watson's home territory. I've enjoyed some fine traditional harmonica playing over the years. There used to be an older lady in our area that played harmonica in church and I believe she kind of swallowed it into her mouth. There was a well-known fellow who played that way too. He was at the 1982 Knoxville World's Fair Folklife Festival. I was working there and watching Mike Seeger do an on-the-spot kitchen table recording of him. I've been looking on Mike Seeger's archive pages trying to find this player's name and can't recognize it. I thought it was Harmonica Red or something like that - and yes, the older guy I'm remembering was black and probably a blues player.