Re: Who is you favourite traditional harmonica player?
Yep, I've enjoyed Mr. Battle's playing for a long time. An old friend gave me a private tape of his playing years ago, and it's stayed in my play list while lots of other stuff comes and goes.
Re: Who is you favourite traditional harmonica player?
I love the harmonica in traditional music. I find it an effort to think of one that I dont like. Joel Bernstein appeals to me as does the charm of John Gavin from Ballynacally. However , I would think the master of the instrument for playing jigs and reels would have to be the late and great Eddie Clarke from Virginia, Co Cavan(? MacCruiskeen?). His playing excites as much as the best fiddler or the best concertina player. Not only is he one of the greatest traditional harmonica players ever but many,including myself, would consider him one of the greatest traditional musicians of all time.
Re: Who is you favourite traditional harmonica player?
The late Eddie Clarke, hands down. Joel Bernstein, who lived in Ireland when Clarke was still active, would be a very close second. And Mick Kinsella would definitely rank high up there.
Re: Who is you favourite traditional harmonica player?
My friend Mind Connolly, originally from Galway years back but now splits time between Cape Cod and here. We're lucky to have him at our sessions when he's living nearby.
Re: Who is you favourite traditional harmonica player?
Eddie Clarke was brilliant. Murphy family very good. Joel Bernstein and Mark Graham introduced me to the harmonica in traditional music. And let us thank Brendan Power and our own Steve Shaw for doing their bit to keep this instrument vibrant in traditional music.
Re: Who is you favourite traditional harmonica player?
Donald Black would be one of the best Scottish traditional harmonica players.
Broadening it out beyond just traditional tunes then Fraser Speirs is easily one of the best blues harp players you will find anywhere. Really magic stuff.
Re: Who is you favourite traditional harmonica player?
Back to mouth organs, then. I know there are a bunch of people here who play a few tunes on the harmonica - I'm one, I know Al and a few others are also among that number.
I wonder how people found themselves picking it up. For me, the harmonica was the first instrument I played by my own choice, but I had been playing trad music for years before it struck me that I could play these jigs and reels on the harmonica. I wound up sort of making it up for myself - I play in the middle register, which turns out not to be very common, and I play a very dry style, with no vibrato, tremolo, or bending.
I wonder how other folks came to it - did you hear someone doing it, or did you make it up on your own?
Re: Who is you favourite traditional harmonica player?
Jean Sabot is a fabulous bloke and a good mate of mine. He loves Kernow to bits and we've played in a damn good session or two down yer. He's a true harmonica genius and he knows more Irish tunes than I could learn in three lifetimes. Jean does it right!
Re: Who is you favourite traditional harmonica player?
Noel Battle is a genius on the tremolo harmonica. There are lots of Irish players of the tremolo who are unbelievably brilliant but who refuse to put themselves about. I admire the stuff done by players of chromatics who diddle around with their instruments to get all the ornaments (reversing the slide, retuning, etc.), but my personal preference is for the guys who use diatonic harps, including tremolos, and who keep it simple. I'll second the late, great Will Atkinson, by the way, from the north-east of England, who was still playing in front of audiences aged 93 a few weeks before he died.
Re: Who is you favourite traditional harmonica player?
Phil Murphy's CD, The Trip to Cullenstown. Maybe it's hard to come by now - we caught a copy in the local library. You could be forgiven in places for thinking you're listening to box players on it - good solid music very much rooted in the local way of things.
Re: Who is you favourite traditional harmonica player?
Some of those players already mentioned are brilliant. I'm in awe of their talent, and I wished I had the wind for the fast stuff. I like playing a bit myself mostly slow stuff suitable to a ten holed instrument. Here's one I did earlier on a ten holed Lee Oscar. http://www.onmvoice.com/play.php?a=34533
Re: Who is you favourite traditional harmonica player?
Some of those players already mentioned are brilliant. I'm in awe of their talent, and I wished I had the wind for the fast stuff. I like playing a bit myself mostly slow stuff suitable to a ten holed instrument. Here's one I did earlier on a ten holed Lee Oscar. http://www.onmvoice.com/play.php?a=34533
# Posted on November 25th 2010 by Free Reed
Now that Free Reed is really nice and fortunately fits in with my weird theory about harmonica.
The air you are playing sounds lovely, and evokes the old "camp fire" image associated with the instrument. Personally I don't think it suits jigs and reels, or maybe I just felt daft playing such on a cheap harmonica all those years ago.
Mind you, I think the exact same about mandolin, wonderful for airs but lacking something for fast tunes.
Re: Who is you favourite traditional harmonica player?
Don't forget Tommy Basker (his 'The Tin Sandwich' remains a long time favourite) or Paul Moran (for his album 'A Flying Start' with fiddler Fergal Scahill), and then there's always Andy Irvine.
Re: Who is you favourite traditional harmonica player?
Yep, Andy Irvine. Always beautiful, skilled, tasteful playing. If only he wasn't so damn good at everything else he'd be hailed as a harmonica superstar!
Re: Who is you favourite traditional harmonica player?
My experience playing The Music on harmonica is similar to Jon's, I played harmonica for many years before I ever encountered The Music. And I never thought of using the harmonica until I heard Brendan Power one day on the WGBH Celtic Sojourn show and said, "wow"and a few days later gave it a try. I also tend to avoid a lot of the harmonica tricks when I play dance tunes, I try to sound like a concertina when I play.
As for my favorite harmonica player, I like all of those mentioned above, but continue to stand in awe of Mr. Powers, and while I don't try to blend styles when I play, am amazed how he can pull off mixing The Music with other genres.
Who is you favourite traditional harmonica player?
Who is you favourite traditional harmonica player?
I vote for me.
Any other nominations?
# Posted on November 24th 2010 by bodhran bliss
Re: Who is you favourite traditional harmonica player?
Little Walter
# Posted on November 24th 2010 by shanty
Re: Who is you favourite traditional harmonica player?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vT0Ku-gzHS8
# Posted on November 24th 2010 by shanty
Re: Who is you favourite traditional harmonica player?
# Posted on November 24th 2010 by shanty
Re: Who is you favourite traditional harmonica player?
I like the lilt of Noel Battle:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pn9HJp0x258&feature=related
# Posted on November 24th 2010 by Will Harmon
Re: Who is you favourite traditional harmonica player?
Joel Bernstein does nice stuff - can't find any YouTube clips of him, but I like his playing.
# Posted on November 24th 2010 by Jon Kiparsky
Re: Who is you favourite traditional harmonica player?
I was going to say I never really cared for harmonica in Irish trad... then I saw that Noel Battle video! Mighty stuff!
# Posted on November 24th 2010 by Pat Mustard
Re: Who is you favourite traditional harmonica player?
Yep, I've enjoyed Mr. Battle's playing for a long time. An old friend gave me a private tape of his playing years ago, and it's stayed in my play list while lots of other stuff comes and goes.
# Posted on November 24th 2010 by Will Harmon
Re: Who is you favourite traditional harmonica player?
Will Atkinson
# Posted on November 24th 2010 by minijackpot
Re: Who is you favourite traditional harmonica player?
Looks like Noel Battle has recorded an album too:
http://www.thesession.org/recordings/display/3445
That's going straight on to my shopping list...
# Posted on November 24th 2010 by Pat Mustard
Re: Who is you favourite traditional harmonica player?
I'm partial to Rick Epping
# Posted on November 24th 2010 by Reverend
Re: Who is you favourite traditional harmonica player?
I cast my vote for Mark Graham, my neighbor on Vashon Island. Check out his Open House recordings with Kevin Burke.
# Posted on November 24th 2010 by will morgan
Re: Who is you favourite traditional harmonica player?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_SFcx9vzOc
# Posted on November 24th 2010 by Reverend
Re: Who is you favourite traditional harmonica player?
dont know too much about harmonica players but the guy on the cd River of Sound is pretty good. Also Tom Byrne from Buncrana
# Posted on November 24th 2010 by banjo'd
Re: Who is you favourite traditional harmonica player?
I love the harmonica in traditional music. I find it an effort to think of one that I dont like. Joel Bernstein appeals to me as does the charm of John Gavin from Ballynacally. However , I would think the master of the instrument for playing jigs and reels would have to be the late and great Eddie Clarke from Virginia, Co Cavan(? MacCruiskeen?). His playing excites as much as the best fiddler or the best concertina player. Not only is he one of the greatest traditional harmonica players ever but many,including myself, would consider him one of the greatest traditional musicians of all time.
# Posted on November 24th 2010 by big_tab
Re: Who is you favourite traditional harmonica player?
The late Eddie Clarke, hands down. Joel Bernstein, who lived in Ireland when Clarke was still active, would be a very close second. And Mick Kinsella would definitely rank high up there.
# Posted on November 25th 2010 by alec b
Re: Who is you favourite traditional harmonica player?
Eddie Clarke, No contest. Listen to his duet palaying with Joe Ryan.
# Posted on November 25th 2010 by murcu
Re: Who is you favourite traditional harmonica player?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VhHr6zQ8Sdk
i like this fella
# Posted on November 25th 2010 by James Morgan
Re: Who is you favourite traditional harmonica player?
In Ottawa we are very lucky to have Don Kavanagh one of the best traditional harmonica players you could ever want to hear.
# Posted on November 25th 2010 by McMandolin
Re: Who is you favourite traditional harmonica player?
My friend Mind Connolly, originally from Galway years back but now splits time between Cape Cod and here. We're lucky to have him at our sessions when he's living nearby.
# Posted on November 25th 2010 by SWFL Fiddler
Re: Who is you favourite traditional harmonica player?
Such a civilised thread, no one on dissing the harmonica, insulting fellow posters, or generally behaving like a div.
No one with 65 posts insulting the harmonica, harmonica players, harmonica makers, and anything else connected to this humble instrument.
Nice to see.
# Posted on November 25th 2010 by bodhran bliss
Re: Who is you favourite traditional harmonica player?
Joel Bernstein on "Pigtown Fling", Mark Graham with Kevin Burke/Open House and Mike Stevens "The World is Only Air".
# Posted on November 25th 2010 by octogreg
Re: Who is you favourite traditional harmonica player?
... oh and Jean Sabot on "Jean Sabot and Laors Dacquay".
# Posted on November 25th 2010 by octogreg
Re: Who is you favourite traditional harmonica player?
Eddie Clarke was brilliant. Murphy family very good. Joel Bernstein and Mark Graham introduced me to the harmonica in traditional music. And let us thank Brendan Power and our own Steve Shaw for doing their bit to keep this instrument vibrant in traditional music.
# Posted on November 25th 2010 by TaoCat
Re: Who is you favourite traditional harmonica player?
http://jef.perroy.free.fr/DistantShores_audio.htm I like this guy as well...
# Posted on November 25th 2010 by TaoCat
Re: Who is you favourite traditional harmonica player?
Donald Black would be one of the best Scottish traditional harmonica players.
Broadening it out beyond just traditional tunes then Fraser Speirs is easily one of the best blues harp players you will find anywhere. Really magic stuff.
# Posted on November 25th 2010 by No Cause For Alarm
Re: Who is you favourite traditional harmonica player?
Back to mouth organs, then. I know there are a bunch of people here who play a few tunes on the harmonica - I'm one, I know Al and a few others are also among that number.
I wonder how people found themselves picking it up. For me, the harmonica was the first instrument I played by my own choice, but I had been playing trad music for years before it struck me that I could play these jigs and reels on the harmonica. I wound up sort of making it up for myself - I play in the middle register, which turns out not to be very common, and I play a very dry style, with no vibrato, tremolo, or bending.
I wonder how other folks came to it - did you hear someone doing it, or did you make it up on your own?
# Posted on November 25th 2010 by Jon Kiparsky
Re: Who is you favourite traditional harmonica player?
Jean Sabot is a fabulous bloke and a good mate of mine. He loves Kernow to bits and we've played in a damn good session or two down yer. He's a true harmonica genius and he knows more Irish tunes than I could learn in three lifetimes. Jean does it right!
# Posted on November 25th 2010 by Steve Shaw
Re: Who is you favourite traditional harmonica player?
Noel Battle is a genius on the tremolo harmonica. There are lots of Irish players of the tremolo who are unbelievably brilliant but who refuse to put themselves about. I admire the stuff done by players of chromatics who diddle around with their instruments to get all the ornaments (reversing the slide, retuning, etc.), but my personal preference is for the guys who use diatonic harps, including tremolos, and who keep it simple. I'll second the late, great Will Atkinson, by the way, from the north-east of England, who was still playing in front of audiences aged 93 a few weeks before he died.
# Posted on November 25th 2010 by Steve Shaw
Re: Who is you favourite traditional harmonica player?
Well as No Cause for Alarm brought them up.
Eddie Walker & Fraser Speirs http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=phC7M74m-TQ&feature=related
Donald Black http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7R3vZclR2M
# Posted on November 25th 2010 by BigDavy
Re: Who is you favourite traditional harmonica player?
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/group.php?gid=12687046593
The bloke in the 2nd video extracting the Michael in Molloy's is brilliant.
Mind you, in the first video he is on the mandolin.
# Posted on November 25th 2010 by bodhran bliss
Re: Who is you favourite traditional harmonica player?
Sanity is restored.
I rest my case.
# Posted on November 25th 2010 by bodhran bliss
Re: Who is you favourite traditional harmonica player?
Mick Kinsella - great player, and a real gentleman
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0bG-AXc3rcg
# Posted on November 25th 2010 by RockyRoader
Re: Who is you favourite traditional harmonica player?
Phil Murphy's CD, The Trip to Cullenstown. Maybe it's hard to come by now - we caught a copy in the local library. You could be forgiven in places for thinking you're listening to box players on it - good solid music very much rooted in the local way of things.
# Posted on November 25th 2010 by the wounded hussar
Re: Who is you favourite traditional harmonica player?
Some of those players already mentioned are brilliant. I'm in awe of their talent, and I wished I had the wind for the fast stuff. I like playing a bit myself mostly slow stuff suitable to a ten holed instrument. Here's one I did earlier on a ten holed Lee Oscar.
http://www.onmvoice.com/play.php?a=34533
# Posted on November 25th 2010 by Free Reed
Re: Who is you favourite traditional harmonica player?
The Murphys
And what about Steve Shaw ?
And me (best harmonica player I've played with)
# Posted on November 25th 2010 by harmonic miner
Re: Who is you favourite traditional harmonica player?
Some of those players already mentioned are brilliant. I'm in awe of their talent, and I wished I had the wind for the fast stuff. I like playing a bit myself mostly slow stuff suitable to a ten holed instrument. Here's one I did earlier on a ten holed Lee Oscar.
http://www.onmvoice.com/play.php?a=34533
# Posted on November 25th 2010 by Free Reed
Now that Free Reed is really nice and fortunately fits in with my weird theory about harmonica.
The air you are playing sounds lovely, and evokes the old "camp fire" image associated with the instrument. Personally I don't think it suits jigs and reels, or maybe I just felt daft playing such on a cheap harmonica all those years ago.
Mind you, I think the exact same about mandolin, wonderful for airs but lacking something for fast tunes.
A nice rendition as I said.
# Posted on November 25th 2010 by bodhran bliss
Re: Who is you favourite traditional harmonica player?
Don't forget Tommy Basker (his 'The Tin Sandwich' remains a long time favourite) or Paul Moran (for his album 'A Flying Start' with fiddler Fergal Scahill), and then there's always Andy Irvine.
# Posted on November 25th 2010 by MacCruiskeen
Re: Who is you favourite traditional harmonica player?
Rick Epping
# Posted on November 25th 2010 by lawhistle
Re: Who is you favourite traditional harmonica player?
Yep, Andy Irvine. Always beautiful, skilled, tasteful playing. If only he wasn't so damn good at everything else he'd be hailed as a harmonica superstar!
# Posted on November 25th 2010 by Steve Shaw
Re: Who is you favourite traditional harmonica player?
My experience playing The Music on harmonica is similar to Jon's, I played harmonica for many years before I ever encountered The Music. And I never thought of using the harmonica until I heard Brendan Power one day on the WGBH Celtic Sojourn show and said, "wow"and a few days later gave it a try. I also tend to avoid a lot of the harmonica tricks when I play dance tunes, I try to sound like a concertina when I play.
As for my favorite harmonica player, I like all of those mentioned above, but continue to stand in awe of Mr. Powers, and while I don't try to blend styles when I play, am amazed how he can pull off mixing The Music with other genres.
# Posted on November 26th 2010 by AlBrown
Re: Who is you favourite traditional harmonica player?
Definitely Brendan Power!!!
# Posted on November 26th 2010 by FastEddie
Re: Who is you favourite traditional harmonica player?
Here's John and Pip Murphy with Rick Epping (jayz, I wish I could do that) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNXfhBlFQdc - and, to prove that two of them can do it at once, here's Rick and Mick Kinsella - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wtcmKQWSVfU&playnext=1&list=PL96CFA82CC9B8A3B1&index=19.
For Brendan Power look no further than http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GbJ84ESfKOs.
And this is an Andy Irvine classic - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GeoBNvybRYc.
Mind you, there's also this - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0YHCiC7IIg8 - but I can't see Steve in one of those jackets.
But this is the man for me - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3yrbIk8hwe0. There've been three Toots in my life - Thielemans, Hibbert and, well, we won't go there.
This is a fabulous site for links to the harmonica players - http://harmonica.co.uk/links4.htm.
# Posted on November 26th 2010 by MacCruiskeen
Re: Who is you favourite traditional harmonica player?
I was glad to see that MacCruskeen mentiioned Tommy Basker You can hear some tracks from "The Tin Sandwich" on Paul Cranfords website:
http://www.cranfordpub.com/recordings/Basker.htm
Tommy was Cape Breton harmonica player - as far as I know, the only one ever to make a recording. He played the standard 10 holer
# Posted on November 29th 2010 by bmckim