Topic: Great Solo Harmonica Performances

[Johnm]

Hi all,
Here's one from Hammie Nixon:



And one from Freeman Stower:



All best,
Johnm

[Lastfirstface]

El Watson solo:



and his duet of "Fox Chase" with Robert Cooksey:

[Mike Billo]

 Not a Blues performance, but  great solo Harp from Doc Watson

[Johnm]

Great find, Mike!  One of the things I was sad to see in Doc's performances as the years went by was the progressive de-emphasis on his harmonica playing in his sets.  Early on, he'd always have some ripping tunes with harmonica on the rack, like "Muskrat".  He was certainly a wonderful guitar player, but I loved to hear him play harmonica, banjo and sing unaccompanied hymns and ballads, too.
All best,
Johnm

[Mike Billo]

 He was a National Treasure, John. No doubt about it. We may never see the like of him again

[Johnm]

Hi all,
Here's a neat one from Buster Brown, "I'm Gonna Make You Happy":



All best,
Johnm

[Johnm]

Hi all,
Here are a couple of beautiful solo harmonica performances from the Georgia player Eddie Mapp, whom I believe was murdered at a pretty youthful age.  The first is "Wicked Treatin' Blues", for which Slim Barton supplies the vocal.  The song shares its melody with "Reuben's Train" or "Reuben, Oh Reuben", as Emry Arthur did it.  Slim Barton sounds like a white singer, which would be an unusual pairing for that time if it were the case.  Here is the song:



The second song, "Riding The Blinds", is credited to Eddie Mapp and Guy Lumpkin, tough I'll be darned if I can discern any contribution to the cut by Guy Lumpkin.  Here it is:



All best,
Johnm

[Forgetful Jones]

quite often it seems as though harmonica is shown off to best advantage in solo settings

I have to agree with the original statement that kicked off this thread. Actually, for the most part I am VERY selective with tracks that have harmonica. I can only do harmonica in small doses.

This one I've always liked...

[sam]

Morning all. great thread, great forum-maybe you've seen my first post, on aboriginal songster Youngie Doug, over in the other musical interests section. I'd like to add Kyle Wooten's Loving Henry, which I don't believe has been reissued (though, I wouldn't be surprised if it's buried somewhere in the JSP catalogue); here it is, thanks to honking duck:
http://www.honkingduck.com/mc/content/loving-henry

once again, some great playing from Wooten, here riffin on "I got mine" (I think I here other tunes in here, but I cannot decide whether I'm hearing a medley here, or some stream of conscious jam - wanderin round, sometimes returning...some high level pedantry on my part, to be sure. Great tune!

[Lastfirstface]

Good one, Sam. About two minutes in it sounds like Wooten plays a bit of "Sleeping Lulu" aka "L and N Rag".

[alyoung]

Kyle Wooten recorded six tracks -- all harmonica solos -- at his only session, for OKeh in Atlanta on December 1, 1930 (a Monday for the true pedants among us). I've got four of them on a Juneberry private issue (no longer available, unfortunately), but the only more widely available one I can track down is Choking Blues on Yazoo's Harmonica Masters (CD 2019). Red Pig was on County's vinyl A Day In the Mountains anthology, and I have a feeling that Loving Henry has also been reissued.

[Blind Arthur]

Almost "perfect" in my understanding is Noah Lewis? solo performance of "Like I Want To Be":

Hehe, I always hear a full band around it but this is just my head.
It has what I love in music: a simply structure, yet much variety and many nuances in it, something new to be found every time, lovely bent blue notes, a full organ-like sound, and it sounds like a dialogue of a weeping woman and a shouting couple who shout about the all too human things, it?s rocking along slowly and steadily like a slow long train, all very powerful and yet very subtle. i cannot really put this in words - it is what I wish I could play like

[Surbhar]

Noah Lewis is my favorite harp player hands down! He's pretty good in the singing department too. His phrasing and the full sound that he gets is wonderful. I agree with you, Blind Arthur, certainly someone to aspire to.
Best Regards,
Denise   

[BlueInGreen]

Hey everyone. Just noticed this thread. As a harmonica player, I seek out a lot of these early harmonic solos too. I noticed that alyoung mentioned Red Pig by Kyle Wooten. The only place I know that it is available on the internet is on the Juneberr78s site. Here it is:
http://www.juneberry78s.com/sounds/cy4953-10.mp3

DeFord Bailey's Muscle Shoals Blues is also there:
http://www.juneberry78s.com/sounds/cy4953-05.mp3
I like this version with the cracks and hisses of the 78 better than the version available on youtube.

Here's one I did a long time ago:
http://sclk.co/s4hhk1

My favorite solo piece by Noah Lewis is Devil in the Woodpile:

[Johnm]

Hi all,
Here is one I found today by Walter "Tonus Maximus" Horton.



All best,
Johnm