(Just highlight a clip, and then double-click on it!)

 

 

 


                                                    HARMONICA  VIDEOS

 

 

 

 

These videos have been accumulated over the past 30 years, while I’ve been playing.  I update the list  periodically, so consider ‘bookmarking’ it, so you can refer to it again!  ALL VIDEOS come in NTSC-VHS (standard USA format), in plain cardboard sleeves.   I guarantee that you will be satisfied with the quality of these videos!  CUSTOMER  SERVICE is very important to me!  I want you to be satisfied with any video(s) you get from me, because….I want you to come back for MORE!  You can see updates to this catalogue on my WEB PAGE: http://jeremy_steinberg.tripod.com/harpvids.htm

 

* IF you purchase $100 worth of videos – any combination – you will get a 10% discount OFF  your order!   This is not just the first time!  This is for any order!  

 

** IF you purchase $250 worth of videos – any combination – you will get a 20% discount OFF your order!   Every time!

 

 *** Consider joining the ‘chat group’ about this whole topic – harmonicavideos@yahoogroups.com.

It’s all about harmonica videos you have seen, and what you think of the content of them.  What harmonica videos do you want to see?  WHO do you want to see on video? 

 

**** Pllease note the ‘GRADING SYSTEM’, which is subjective, on my part, as a means of giving readers some comparative perspective on the musical content (CONTENT) of these videos, as I see it, and the video/audio quality (QUALITY) of these videos, IMHO (In My Humble Opinion).  I try to be objective, but I’m only human!

 

Two grades for each video – CONTENT (A-C), and QUALITY (A-C).  I will not offer any videos below a C grade. I try to be fair and realistic.  But remember, I am bringing my own opinions into the gradings, not yours.  We may not agree about some things.  But hopefully, we all agree that harmonicas are a wonderful instrument, and that almost any video footage of great performers is better than NO video footage of those performers! 

 

Shipping costs: now INCLUDED IN THE PRICE in the continental USA!  Overseas shipping: 1st video $12.00 (airmail shipping), each additional video $6 more.  That’s what it costs me for AirMail.

 

I accept 2 forms of payment: PAYPAL, to: Jsteinberg@ucwphilly.rr.com or jls@ucwphilly.rr.com.

I can also be reached by e-mail at either address.

 

MONEY ORDERS can be mailed to:

 

            J. STEINBERG

            P. O.  Box 13081

            Philadelphia, PA  19101

 

If you have any questions, or any special requests, please let me know.  Thanks for looking!

 

 

$24.95 including shipping in USA.    CONTENT – A; QUALITY – B

 

 

$24.95 including shipping in USA.   CONTENT – A; QUALITY - A

 

 

Then, CHARLIE MUSSELWHITE does a seminar on diatonics, playing blues, and discussing various positions (1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc.), using Lee Oskar diatonics (in a Lee OsKar imprinted case!)  

 

And then DON LES and the HARMONICATS do a :45 minute concert!  With Al Fiore on chord harmonica and Dick Bernard on double bass!   Various standards include ‘Fiddler on the Roof’, ‘If I Were a Rich Man’, ‘Strangers in the Night’, ‘Peg o’My Heart’, a Parisienne medley, and an Italian medley!  Some vaudeville thrown  in too, including DICK BERNARD  playing a ‘Little Lady’  completely in his mouth, NO HANDS!  About 2 HRS! 

 

        $24.95 including shipping in USA.  CONTENT – A+ ; QUALITY – A-

 

 

$29.95 including shipping in USA.   CONTENT – A; QUALITY - A

 

 

$24.95 including shipping in USA.  CONTENT – A; QUALITY - A

 

 

And then….he plays a song with one harmonica after another used, one per stanza, picking them up and putting them back down WITHOUT MISSING A BEAT, using: Double-bass, 270 chromatic, blues harp, chord harp, polyphonia, single octave “little lady”, and more!  An unbelievable performance and feat!!

 

THEN, The ORIGINAL HARMONICA BAND does a vaudevillian-style concert, with all 6 members (including the dwarf) playing some kind of harmonica!   The RUNS and ARTISTRY of DAVE McKELVEY on chromatic and diatonic harmonicas have to be heard to be believed, and even then, you won’t!  How can somebody’s mouth and tongue even move that fast, let alone not make any mistakes??!!   Absolutely incredible!   About 2 HOURS long!

 

$29.95 including shipping in USA.  CONTENT – A+ ;  QUALITY – A-

 

 

$24.95 including shipping in USA.   CONTENT – A; QUALITY – A-

 

 

$29.95 shipping included!  CONTENT – A; QUALITY – A-

 

 

24.95 including shipping in USA.  CONTENT – A; QUALITY – B-

 

·         PAUL BUTTERFIELD in CONCERT – His LAST concert, recorded LIVE, shortly after the B.B. King concert above!  Butterfield died just DAYS later!   About 1 hour!   VERY RARE!!

 

$29.95 including shipping in USA. CONTENT – A; QUALITY – B-

 

·         PAUL  BUTTERFIELD – 1978 – GERMANY!  Butterfield in fine form, showing off his virtuosity  that made him internationally famous!   RARE footage!   Scratchy at times, but very watchable!  About 1 hr, 15 minutes!

 

$24.95 including shipping in USA.  CONTENT – A;  QUALITY – B-

 

 

$24.95 including shipping in USA.  CONTENT – A- ; QUALITY – B+

 

 

$19.95 including shipping in USA.  CONTENT – B;  QUALITY – C+

 

 

$24.95 shipping included!  CONTENT – A; QUALITY - A

 

·         TOOTS THIELEMANS with PEGGY LEE!!  1966!!  Extremely RARE B/W – TV Variety Show.  Toots Thielemans accompanies Peggy Lee, the great jazz singer, on chromatic harmonica!!  She’s at her sophisticated finest!  He’s young, dark haired, and playful!  First, he plays and  whistles ‘Bluesette’,  his original instrumental!  Then he plays chromatic harmonica is a duet with Peggy Lee!    Numerous other classics with a ‘who’s who’ of Jazz professional musicians at the time, including acoustic guitar, piano, bass, bongo drums, harp (stringed type!),  trumpet, and more! 60 minutes altogether, about 10 minutes with Toots!                                                                                                              

$19.95 including shipping in USA.  CONTENT – A; QUALITY – B+

 

·         JUNIOR  WELLS  in  Conert  with Muddy  Waters  and Buddy Guy!   RARE concert footage from 1974  Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland!   Classics performed include: ‘Hoochie Coochie Man’, ‘Messing With The Kid’, ‘Hoodoo Man Blues’, ‘Got My Mojo Working’, more!  Also with BILL WYMAN on bass,  PINETOP  PERKINS on piano,  DALLAS TAYLOR on drums!   Nearly 1 HOUR!

 

$24.95 including shipping in USA. CONTENT – A-; QUALITY – B+

 

·         BUDDY GUY & JUNIOR WELLS in CONCERT!   The famous pair  (think Rogers & Astaire, Hepburn & Tracy, etcc!)  do a 40 MINUTE concert on stage – with JUNIOR IN A TUXEDO!   Early footage, at their best!   Junior plays with his unmistakeable – and inimitable – COUNTER –POINT  STYLE and TIMING – including a high register BENDS  solo that’s  great! 

 

NEXT,  Junior and Buddy do it again, for an additional half-hour!    This time, Junior is in one of his splendid ‘ensembles’ of clothing finery, dressed “to the nines”!   Well OVER AN HOUR of one of the classic electric blues duos of all time – just as ground-breaking as Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee in their heyday!

 

$24.95 including shipping in USA.   CONTENT – A ; QUALITY – B+

 

 

$24.95 shipping included!  CONTENT – A; QUALITY – B+

 

·         GEORGE  ‘HARMONICA’ SMITH in CONCERT at PEPPER’s LOUNG in CHIACAGO with MUDDY WATERS BAND AND  WITH  THE ROLLING  STONES – MICK JAGGER  SINGING  and  KEITH   JAGGER  on GUITAR and  CHARLIE  WATTS  TOO!!  -  “The Boys”  stop by for a surprise visit with MUDDY and HIS BAND for an impromptu – but INVITED  GUEST  STAGE  APPEARANCE! 

 

MICK  and  MUDDY  TRADE  LYRICS  ON STAGE  for “BABY  PLEASE  DON’T  GO”!     This is a young  Mick  and a  young  Keith – must have been in the 80’s or earlier!   Classic MUDDY WATERS, and a treasure  of a piece of footage.    NOTE:  this is B/W footage.   “Hoochie Coochie Man” ,  “Long Distance Call”  (MICK handles the  VOCALS  after MUDDY hands HIM the mic!   And of course, MUDDY  does “ROLLING STONE”  in their honor, with  MICK chipping in with vocals from time to time!    To watch them talk to the rapt crowd, SIDE-BY-SIDE, mics  in hand, “wriggling” on statge is a RARE  TREAT – the seasoned master and his  gifted pupil!  

 

As if all this weren’t enough,  a young  JUNIOR  WELLS  SHOWS UP for a split--second and adds his unmistakeable ‘growl’ and infectious smile to the proceedings!   After some banter, “Got My Mojo Workin” is played as the salutation, with JUNIOR WELLS  DOING THE STYLIZED  VOCALS, and then  adding the HARP  SOLO IN HIS INIMICABLE  STYLE – with  KEITH RICHARDS  on guitar  right behind him!!  WOW!

 

And then, a young BUDDY GUY (sporting an afro!)   does a  song, playing lead guitar and singing the vocals.   At one point, he and KEITH JAGGER share  guitar lines – are they dueling or  hugging – you be the judge!  Wow wow!   Then comes  JUNIOR WELLS BACK, doing the vocals (HIS  version of SCAT  SINGING!) .

 

Later, watch (and LISTEN!) as KEITH JAGGER stands next to MUDDY, accompanying Muddy’s vocals with his own tasty blues lead riffs!    About 1 HOUR 25 MINUTES of a BLUES LOVE FEST!!

 

$29.95 including shipping in USA.   CONTENT – A+ ; QUALITY - B

 

 

VOLUME 1 includes:  Chromatic  World  Champion!; Claude Garden on diatonic!; Charlie Musselwhite on diatonic!;  Larry Adler!; Jerry Murad and the Harmonicats!  About 1 HOUR,  40 minutes!   ABSOLUTELY  AMAZING  &   UNBELIEVABLE  HARMONICA   PLAYING!!  VERY  RARE  VIDEO!!

 

$29.95 including shipping in USA!  CONTENT – A+; QUALITY – A

 

 VOLUME 2 includes:  Larry Adler! and Jean ‘Toots’ Thielemans!  About 90 minutes! 

 

Hear – and WATCH – LARRY ADLER play ‘Malaguena’ in duet with a young  protégé of his, a youthful Italian chromatic virtuoso!

 

THEN, hear (and WATCH!)  LARRY ADLER tell the story of the duet in the 1930’s that he played with GEORGE GERSHWIN (who wrote it!) at a Cartier Birthday Party for him!  Then, hear Adler play it again, LIVE, for this audience, with an actual recording of  THAT NIGHT’S  DUET  WITH GERSHWIN RECORDED  AS ACCOMPANIMENT!   A revelation!

 

ABSOLUTELY AMAZING  &  UNBELIEVABLE  HARMONICA  PLAYING!!  AGAIN!!    RARE  VIDEO!!

 

$29.95 including shipping in USA!  CONTENT – A+; QUALITY – A

 

 

$24.95 including shipping in USA!  CONTENT – A; QUALITY – B+

 

·         BORRAH MINEVITCH & The HARMONICA  RASCALS – with  JOHNNY  PULEO!    Also  LEO  DIAMOND  on CHROMATIC – an absolute wizard!!!   LARRY CLINTON on chromatic with ‘The Philharmonics Orchestra’ – amazing playing!  And others!!  EXTREMELY  RARE   video clips of these  famous harmonica  players!   All B/W, from the 1930’s, 1940’s, 1950’s!   Grainy footage,  but very old!!

 

$29.95 including shipping in USA.    CONTENT – A; QUALITY – B-

 

·         BORRAH MINEVITCH & The HARMONICA RASCALS – with  JOHNNY PULEO!  Another EXTREMELY RARE B/W video of clips of The Harmonica Rascals, with Johnny Puleo.  In German, but the music isn’t!   Slapstick comedy with absolutely incredible harmonica ensemble playing, complete with various solos!   Short clips of several other ensemble harmonica instrumental groups as well!   IMPOSSIBE-TO-FIND!!!  About 20 minutes long.    Unbelievable video – can’t say enough about it!  Grainy footage, but very watch-able!!

 

$29.95 including shipping in USA.    CONTENT – A; QUALITY – B-

 

·         PETE PEDERSEN & RON KALINA!!  JAZZ DUETS, IMPROVISATIONS, DISCUSSIONS!   Master chromatic harmonic players/performers PETE PEDERSEN and RON KALINA put on a jazz jam, tour-de-force, and educational discussion.  Using Hohner CBH-2016, 280 C’s, 270’s, etc., they show how to expand standard musical structures with JAZZ improvisations on harmony.

 

They discuss scales, the blues progression, how to improvise, and the ranges of improvisation.  And they proceed to play some magnificent jazz duets, playing off one another brilliantly, improvising effectively on the spot, and explaining the concepts behind the musical structures they employ.

 

You’ll never look at jazz the same way again!  This will help you get to the next level, no matter where you currently are!  A pair of master musicians clearly demonstrate extraordinary skills, and complete knowledge of musical theory!   From 1987!!!

 

$29.95 including shipping in USA.   CONTENT – A; QUALITY – A-

 

·         LITTLE CHARLIE and The Nightcats 1992  LIVE CONCERT!  Very RARE!  About 90 minutes!  Great blues, jazz, and funk!   RICH ESTRIN puts on a tour-de-force show with his band!  Lot of great amplified diatonic through a bullet mic!  Some acoustic harp too!  At one point, Rich even puts half the harmonica (from one end) IN HIS MOUTH (!)  – like Peg Leg Sam and Frank Frost (among others) used to, and plays “NO HANDS”!   And he also plays some very tasty  CHROMATIC  harp, probably 3rd position!  Very cool video!

 

$24.95 including shipping in USA.  CONTENT – A-- ; QUALITY – B-

 

·         MAGIC DICK with the J. Geils Band – 1979 LIVE CONCERT  in Germany!  Magic Dick in an afro that would have made Jimi Hendrix proud!   Includes Dick’s classic instrumental rendition of ‘Whammer Jammer’!!  Classic hard rock with some old-fashioned rock-n-roll too!  Very RARE footage!  About 1 hour. 

 

$24.95 including shipping in USA.  CONTENT – A-;  QUALITY – C+

 

·         KIM  WILSON – 1993 in Germany – LIVE concert  and  1994  LIVE CONCERT!!  RARE footage!   Great, classic blues harmonica from a master!!    GREAT diatonic blues with a bullet mic!  Also some very tasty CHROMATIC blues harp!   

 

$29.95 including shipping in USA.  CONTENT – A; QUALITY – B-

 

·         JUNIOR  WELLS  INSTRUCTIONAL  VIDEO!   Shortly before his death!   A discussion of the harmonica, Chicago Blues, and how he plays,  with demonstrations!  About an hour!

 

$24.95 including shipping in USA.  CONTENT – B+ ; QUALITY – B+

 

·         BILLY  BOY  ARNOLD  INSTRUCTIONAL  VIDEO!   A discussion of the harmonica, Chicago Blues, and Southern Blues, including the styles of other famous harmonica players, like Sonny Boy Williamson (Rice Miller),  and Sonny Terry, etc. 

 

$24.95 including shipping in USA.   CONTENT – A;  QUALITY – B+

 

·         LARRY  ADLER  in a movie (!) – St. Martin’s Lane!  From 1938!  B/W.   He acts (!)  and plays chromatic harmonica!  Also stars Vivian Leigh, Rex Harrison, and Charles Laughton.  VERY  RARE!   Also known as Sidewalks of London  (and I have BOTH  versions!).

 

$19.95 including shipping in USA.  CONTENT – B; QUALITY – B

 

·         ORBIS DUO 1999  DEMONSTRATION  PERFORMANCE !   Excellent chromatic with harmonette performance!   Then, harmonette with Little Lady performance!   Great example of harmonette in use!  28 minutes.

 

$19.95 including shipping in USA.  CONTENT – A- ; QUALITY – B

 

·         CHARLIE MUSSELWHITE plays blues harmonica on All-Star Blues Band!  Rare PBS TV special!  A full hour long!   2000.  Musselwhite in top form on diatonic!

 

$19.95 including shipping in USA!  CONTENT – A-; QUALITY - B

 

·         TOOTS THIELEMANS &  STEVIE WONDER  TOGETHER  ON  CHROMATIC!!   Super RARE footage!  First, Stevie  Wonder gets a ‘Lifetime Achievement  Award’ in Germany!  About 5 minutes.  Then, TOOTS  THIELEMANS  gives an impromptu concert with a nice jazz trio, and starts his signature song, ‘BLUESETTE’.  Stevie comes UP ON STAGE, and JOINS  IN  WITH HIS CHROMATIC  HARP, even picking up on the BLUESETTE  melody line solo!   A choice additional 5 MINUTES!   TOTAL  only 10 minutes of footage, but what a 10 minutes!!

 

$19.95 including shipping in USA.   CONTENT – A; QUALITY – B    

 

·         ROBERT BONFIGLIO  The chromatic virtuoso leads an ensemble of various musicians (and a small chorus) in a series of Christmas-oriented songs.   (He uses a CHB-2016 - the Hohner manufactured Cham-ber Huang chromatic!)  Some diatonic harmonica playing also.   Great tone, and technique, as always!  About 90 minutes!   

 

$24.95 including shipping in USA.  CONTENT – A; QUALITY - A

 -

 

$29.95 including shipping in USA.  CONTENT – A; QUALITY – B-

 

 

$24.95 including shipping in USA.  CONTENT – A; QUALITY – B

 

·         JERRY MURAD and The Harmonicats – 1989 – RARE!   Jerry’s goatee has turned white!   24 great songs – over 2 hours!  Including the last song (‘Parisienne  Fantasy’) performed on “The Musette”, the double chromatic harmonica designed and custom made by John Infande! 

 

$24.95 including shipping in USA.  CONTENT – A; QUALITY – B+

 

·         AL  FIORE and the Harmonica Gentlemen!  Very RARE!  1992 performance!   Chromatic, double basss, and chord harmonicas!   About 45 minutes.  

 

$19.95 including shipping in USA.  CONTENT – A; QUALITY – B+

 

1984!     Just 1 song – a very nice jazzy slow blues -  about 6 minutes long – but oh, what a 6 minutes!   Johnny Mars  displays the same harmonica virtuosity that you may have heard on his JSP-distributed CD’s!

 

$14.95 including shipping in USA.  CONTENT – A; QUALITY – A-

 

·         LARRY ADLER  on  CHROMATIC  HARMONICA!  guest-starring with his not-as-famous brother Jerry, who actually opens the show.   Jerry takes the stage first, for a full 45 minutes!  Popular tunes, conversation, demonstrations, etc!  A marvelous chromatic performer!  Then, he goes off and Larry Adler appears, old and wizened, but nevertheless still with amazing tone and mastery of his chromatic!  Conversation, jokes, and demonstrations follow!  Then, off goes Larry, and Jerry re-appears.  You get the feeling they don’t want to share the stage together, but you still get two amazing chromatic performers who have devoted their lives to this, letting their instruments speak volumes!   I’ve never before seen the two on the same video together!  VERY RARE!  A full hour and 45 minutes of virtuosity!

 

$19.95 including shipping in USA.  CONTENT – A; QUALITY – A-

 

·         RICHARD  HUNTER displays an uncommon diatonic virtuosity on  a classic southern ballad, then improvisation, as well as an incredibly jazzy bebop blues.  Then WINSLOW YERXA  gives  you a tasty bit  of  jazzy avante-garde blues on chromatic, solo and in trio, with JOE FILISKO!   Then, DENNIS GRUENLING joins in, and five virtuosos do a round-robin of  blues duels!  Jazz, bebop, blues in a very tasty mix!   Another trio shows up, anchored by DANNY WILSON on double-bass!   Later, there is a tour-de-force on a Hohner ‘Little Lady’ single octave diatonic!   And then, the inimitable PETE PEDERSEN shows up and displays his typical jaw-dropping jazz chromatic  talents!   This video is end-to-end wonderful!   About 1 hour, 45 minutes long.

 

$24.95 including shipping in USA.  CONTENT – A+ ; QUALITY –A-

 

·         LARRY EISENBERG plays dynamite diatonic blues.  Then MARK HUMMEL shows up, and plays with a bullet mic, alternating between diatonic and chromatic blues!    Next,  JERRY PORTNOY displays the classic expressive blues diatonic style for which he’s famous.   And then Paul duels/duets with Mark!   Just when you’re trying to catch your breath, here comes PETER (Madcat) RUTH taking off on one of his one-of-a-kind diatonic train riffs!  He segues into a super slow classic blues, working hard, long, deep bends.  Then he takes off the kind of lightning-fast blues instrumentals that earned him the name ‘Madcat’ in the first place!   Soon, DENNIS GRUENLING takes the spotlight, playing super tasty chromatic blues!  He sounds a little like Little Walter!   Following him, RANDY SINGER does diatonic blues, Chicago style!    Then there’s LARRY EVERHART on diatonic.  One after another after another after another on this GREAT VIDEO!   About 1 hour, 50 minutes!

 

$29.95 including shipping in USA.  CONTENT – A+ ; QUALITY – A-

 

 

$24.95 including shipping in USA.  CONTENT – A+; QUALITY – A-

·         KIM WILSON guest-stars on Austin City Limits – W.C. Clark and friends.  Classic Kim Wilson-style rockin-blues!  A number of nice feature solos!  About 25 minutes.  RARE!

 

$19.95 including shipping in USA.  CONTENT – A- ; QUALITY – C+

 

·         WILLIAM CLARKE – 1987 concert!   The classic tone and chops on a chromatic harp that made this virtuoso famous!   One great jazz-laced blues solo after another on a bullet mic!   Then, a talk-show appearance blues band with Clarke providing tasty harp accompaniment and solos on a diatonic (a Pat Sajak talk show)!   Then, in Salt Lake City in 1995, Clarke fronts the band again.  And again, in Virginia, same year. One hell of a showman!  Very RARE performances by this now-deceased harp player extraordinaire!    About 1 hour!

 

$24.95 including shipping in USA.  CONTENT – A; QUALITY – C+

 

·         BIG WALTER HORTON in a studio!  Do you remember Arhoolie Records?!  Do you remember a white album (remember LPs?!) with Walter Horton, harmonica-in-hand, staring at you with Johnny Shines?   I still have it!  Here’s extremely RARE vintage footage of a young Walter Horton playing diatonic through a mic in a studio with Johnny Shines and Home Boy Edwards!  This might be the same recording studio where that album was recorded!   This is a choice 5 minutes of Walter Horton in classic form, jamming away!  Also on this exceptional hour-long video: a young John Lee Hooker (!), Bukka White, and other classic performers!  B/W footage.

 

$24.95 including shipping in USA.  CONTENT – A; QUALITY – B

 

·         JOHN POPPER at Montreux Jazz Festival – in classic form!   Popper playing with Blues Traveler, sharp, and in form, with form,  letting loose with his trademark lighting runs!    A classic Blues Traveler performance, and  vintage Popper!   B/W footage.

 

$24.95 including shipping in USA.  CONTENT – A-; QUALITY – B

 

·         PETER ‘MADCAT’ RUTH & Shari KANE in Germany – Very RARE CONCERT  FOOTAGE  of this seasoned pair of virtuosos on guitar and diatonic harmonica  with NO backing band!   The  repertoire ranges from classic blues to jazz, including a piece that Madcat used to play  early on with the Dave Brubeck Jazz Trio!   Absolute virtuoso harp, as you’d expect!  Includes an acoustic solo by Madcat!   About 13 choice minutes!

 

$19.95 including shipping in USA.  CONTENT – A; QUALITY – B

 

·        CHAM-BER HUANG  plays  classical music – on a customized chromatic – with the reed plates reversed (!).  The  legendary chromatic inventor (formerly of Hohner, and now founder of Huang Harmonicas!)  plays a custom chromatic  with the uppermost octave on the right, nearest the slide (opposite of most chromatic harmonicas!).    Then he tackles a 3-tier chord harmonica, still playing classical music – probably a Huang model, though I’m not familiar with it.  Still, a virtuosic performance!!   Next is a duet with an associate – JIA HEE - (who’s on the CBH-2016 infamous Hohner-built chromatic designed by Mr. Huang!) .    Then, Mr. Hee goes solo, and plays several numbers on his own, still using the CBH!  Then he plays another classical piece, using a diatonic harmonica, and, during the piece, picks up a second diatonic, pairing them together as a two-tiered tremolo harmonica!   Back and forth, from one to two, and back again!   This gentleman is obviously an exceptional virtuoso! 

 

Harmonica Express – a harmonica quartet - follows, with several performance pieces! 

 

Finally, CHARLIE McCOY puts on a tour-de-force - a CLINIC - on Country & Western/bluegrass diatonic playing!   Blistering runs, total control, bends like molasses, and the mastery for which he’s justifiably famous!  He stands straight , yet relaxed, with no body histrionics, and just plays.  And oh my, does he play – the consummate pro!  At one point, he even plays an Irish jig!  Near the end, he takes on some blues, including a nice boogie, and a classic slow blues, showing taste, sensitivity, melodic focus, and even whimsy!   As if all this weren’t enough…he presents the preeminent TRAIN, using two different  diatonics, probably playing in 1st and 3rd positions, but I’m not positive.  But the s-p-e-e-d, control, runs, and unerring sense of tone and rhythm will make you SEE the train, not just hear it!    By the way, I want a vest like the one Charlie wears!  It’s specially made, and lined with harp pockets on the inside!   He pulls one out after another!     TWO FULL HOURS of amazing harmonica playing by pros who have spent their lives learning to master their instruments!

 

$29.95 including shipping in USA!   CONTENT – A+ ; QUALITY – A

 

·        JERRY PORTNOY with the Muddy Waters Band – Jerry proves in this RARE, and classic Muddy Waters concert (B/W) , that he can play as well as anybody!  Later in the concert, JAMES COTTON shows up in “mutton-chop sideburns (!) and does  his thing  with Muddy!  A CHOICE  45 minutes!

 

Right after this, more concert footage (B/W) of Muddy with GEORGE ‘MOJO BUFORD (1981!) taking over the harp chores!  (Chores?  It must have been a delight!!)   The harmonica ‘bandalero’ belt he wears looks suspiciously like the one that Sugar Blue wears (as well as Sam Myers, John Popper, etc.) !    About 55 minutes in this segment – nearly 1 HOUR 45 minutes in all!

 

** With all the incredible harmonica players who played with Muddy Waters over his decades of touring across the world, does anybody else wonder – WAS  MUDDY  a CLOSET  HARMONICA  PLAYER  HIMSELF??!  Could he play at all? 

 

$24.95 including shipping in USA!  CONTENT – A ; QUALITY – C+

 

·         JERRY PORTNOY jams with ERIC CLAPTON   in this RARE rehearsal footage (!) for the ‘From the Cradle’ CD (1994) of Clapton’s!   About 45 minutes of classic blues!   In color, which occasionally goes out.  Later, after some other performers, Boogie Bill Web teams up with HARMONICA SLIM, who sounds a little like SBW II here!   Very RARE  (B/W)  footage, with a bit of static and snow early on, but  very watch-able, and fascinating to see and hear!  All together, nearly 2 HOURS of great harp!

 

$19.95 including shipping in USA!  CONTENT – A- ; QUALITY – C+

 

·         KIM  WILSON & The Fabulous Thunderbirds – Best of – “HOT STUFF”!   Various clips footage of classic songs  from this  tight band…classic blues, some funk, and some rock and roll from this great group and great harp player!   Some of  the footage is fairly early – Kim Wilson still has hair on the front of his head!  About 50 minutes.

 

Next, the JAMES COTTON BLUES BAND puts on a great show of  classic, jazzy, and funky blues.  The “Cotton Man” is in prime form (again with those mutton-chop sideburns!) , doing his classic thing in an outdoor concert!  This is older, very RARE  B/W footage, but oh is it choice!   Remember the old LP, with the cover  photo of  the harp stuffed in the back jeans pocket, ‘Cotton in Your Ears’?  This is just like it, live!  Very reminiscent of  SBW II (Rice Miller) !  45 HARP-FILLED MINUTES!    This video runs about 1 HOUR 35 minutes in total!

 

$24.95 including shipping in USA!  CONTENT – A; QUALITY – B-

 

·         KIM WILSON & The Fabulous Thunderbirds – in ENGLAND!  Classic Kim Wilson concert and harp-playing!  Bullet mic ( looks like a Green Bullet! ), great chops, unerring sense of taste, nice range of styles!  Combination of  BLUES & Rock, excellent harp work!    Concert runs about 1 HOUR long!

 

$24.95 including shipping in USA in USA!   CONTENT – A- ; QUALITY - B

 

·         A HARMONICA  GET-TOGETHER – 1991 – I honestly don’t recognize a lot of the players, but there is no denying the talent on display!  Diatonic wizards and chromatic maestros alike!   Overblows, tremolos, octaves, glissandos, etc. – it’s all here!   Nearly 2 HOURS of amazing harp performances!   Many soloists – including several accomplished women!   One group is the Hong Kong Harmonica Quintet, I think – which went on to become World Champions in 1997! The Orbison Duo performs as well!     And Sandy Weltman,  And Larry “Iceman” Eisenberg!    Overall, it’s a great tape to pick up a whole range of techniques!

 

$19.95 including shipping in USA in USA!  CONTENT – A- ; QUALITY – B+

 

·         BONNY RAITT in CONCERT!  With special guest KIM WILSON on harp on probably 4-5 songs.   Bonnie displays her famous country-influenced blues, and shows off her well-known slide guitar technique.  Ruth Brown guest-stars on a song as well!   And isn’t that Jackson Browne guesting on guitar?!  About  1 HOUR 45 MINUTES.

 

$19.95 including shipping in USA in USA!  CONTENT – B+ ; QUALITY – B+

[In fact, that song, "RUNAWAY" - ON VIDEO (!!), performed by Bonnie Raitt - WITH NORTON BUFFALO ON HARMONICA (going thru no fewer than at least 5 different harmonicas in changes DURING the song!!) will be included at the end of this video!! EXTREMELY RARE FOOTAGE - WHERE HAVE YOU EVER SEEN IT BEFORE??!!]

Concert footage includes an incredible solo near the end! Nearly an hour-long concert! And you never know what footage might be on the tape after that!

$29.95 including shipping in USA!  CONTENT – A ; QUALITY – A-

 

·         SAM MYERS plays diatonic harp with Anson Funderburgh and ‘The Rockets’!   The venerable harpist sings and blows through a bullet mic on stage!  Reminscent of Good Rockin’ Charles, Mark Wenner (of the Nighthawks),  Snooky Pryor,  early Musselwhite, and others!   Classic blues!  About 50 minutes.  NOTE: The harp-playing doesn’t start till  about the half-hour mark.

 

$19.95 including shipping in USA!   CONTENT – A- ; QUALITY – B

·         ROD PIAZZA in Outdoor Concert with The Mighty Flyers – RARE footage by this ‘West Coast Blues’ Virtuoso –

He plays fast and slow, diatonic and chromatic, through a nice Fender tube amp with great ‘break-up’.   Hot band behind him, including ‘HONEY’!   Not to be missed!   About 2 HOURS!

 

$29.95 including shipping in USA!   CONENT – A ; QUALITY – A-

 

·         CAREY BELL in Concert!  Carey Bell and his own band in a restaurant/bar in New England!  Great blues!  Carey even goes out among the crowd on the dance floor, circulating while they’re dancing!  He has a particular liking for ‘flirting with the girls’ on harp while the girls dance with him!   Some foxes, too!!  1 HOUR 30 Minutes!

 

$24.95 including shipping in USA!  CONTENT – A ; QUALITY – A-

 

·         LAZY LESTER in concert!   The veteran bluesman fronts a band while playing his well-known amplified classic blues harp!   RARE!   About 1 HOUR 30 Minutes.

 

$24.95 including shipping in USA!  CONTENT – A ; QUALITY – B+

 

·         HOWARD LEVY in concert!  RARE footage of the diatonic virtuoso in concert from the early 1990’s!   Overblows and overdraws, diatonic harmonicas played as if they were chromatics!  Total mastery!

 

$24.95 including shipping in USA!   CONTENT – A; QUALITY – A-

 

·         PAUL  DELAY plays chromatic and diatonic blues harmonica!  The virtuoso originally from Northwestern USA displays an unerring sense of timing, taste, and chops in this meeting of harmonica masters from all over the country!  Many styles on display, from classic blues to jazz to avante-garde!  A very RARE video, nearly 2 HOURS long!   Delay is at the end, over 20 minutes of astonishing  playing!

 

$29.95 including shipping in USA!   CONTENT – A+ ; QUALITY A-

 

·         LARRY ADLER plays GERSHWIN (including RHAPSODY IN BLUE!), discusses his recording history and experiences!!  ULTRA-RARE VIDEO!!  Footage includes professional musicians (including a young ELTON JOHN (!!), who is shown recording a song with Mr. Adler providing Chromatic Accompaniment!!) discussing his genius!  Numerous jazz luminaries who have worked with Adler appear (for example, Sinead O’Connor, and Robert Palmer), including footage of the recording sessions!!

 

$29.95 including shipping in USA!  CONTENT – A+ ; QUALITY – B-

 

·         WIM DIKGRAAF plays Chromatic JAZZ  (ala Toots Thielemans!) on a “MILLIONIZER”, the famous MIDI HARMONICA designed and made by Walt Miller!   Great jazz trio with upright stringed bass and acoustic jazz guitar!  Tasty, tasty jazz harmonica by a virtuoso!   VERY RARE VIDEO!!!

 

$29.95 including shipping in USA!  CONTENT – A ; QUALITY – B+

 

·         LEE BRILLEAUX in Concert – Great BLUES BAND with excellent blues/rock HARMONICA player who also sings and plays a bit of guitar!   Classic shoulder-to-shoulder youthful crowd inspires the band!   About 1 hour!

 

$24.95 including shipping in USA!   CONTENT – A; QUALITY – A-

 

·         JOHN MAYALL in CONCERT!  The legendary British Blues Breaker and Band plays his famous band of blues!  Includes his CLASSIC , signature “Room To Move”  HARMONICA INSTRUMENTAL!   Also stars a number of guest musicians, including JUNIOR WELLS!   About 1 hour!

 

$29.95 including shipping in USA!   CONTENT – A ; QUALITY – A-

 

·         LARRY ADLER – My Life!   The now-deceased legendary CHROMATIC HARMONICA VIRTUOSO discusses his life, his music, and his harmonica!  Includes RARE CONCERT FOOTAGE of Adler guest-starring with Symphony Orchestras!  Also includes him dueting (!) with a young Chinese Chromatic Virtuoso, who Adler is clearly infatuated with, and mentoring!   ALSO RARE FOOTAGE of Adler as a young man in ULTRA-RARE B/W MOVIE FOOTAGE of HIM SOLOING ON CHROMATIC!!  About 1 hour 20 minutes!

 

$29.95 including shipping in USA!   CONTENT – A ; QUALITY – B

·         TOOTS THIELEMANS – “Toots Suite” – The legendary Chromatic Jazz Virtuoso is shown preparing for a visit to the David Letterman Show!   Then, a brief history of his raising and training.  Later, extensive footage of him playing his unparalled jazz musings with a nice backing, to an appreciative audience.   touring foreign countries, as well as IN CONCERT!   About 1 hour!   Wonderful footage!

 

$29.95 including shipping in USA!   CONTENT – A ; QUALITY – B

 

·         JERRY PORTNOY guest-stars on blues harmonica with ERIC CLAPTON on blues guitar live in Hyde Park, London, England, in the 90’s!!  Exceptional blues by TWO VIRTUOSOS perfectly matched to each other!  Some of the classics include: Layla, I Shot the Sheriff, Have You Ever Loved a Woman, Every Day I Have the Blues, and Hoochie Coochie Man (the Muddy Waters standard!), among others!  About 90 Minutes!!

 

$29.95 including shipping in USA!   CONTENT – A ; QUALITY – A-

 

·         JERRY McCAIN fronts a blues band, playing his classic version of amplified blues, using a bullet mic!   Super RARE footage of this veteran blues harp virtuoso of many years of studio recording and international touring!  Nearly one hour 15 minutes long!

 

$24.95 including shipping in USA!   CONTENT – A ; QUALITY – B+

 

·         MARK FORD plays absolutely incendiary, blisterig, virtuoso BLUES HARMONICA with the CHARLES FORD BLUES BAND with legendary Robben Ford on blues guitar!    Bullet mic and  INCREDIBLE HARP!   Speed, phrasing, timing, tone, interpretation – it’s ALL THERE!!!   It sounds like Butterfield re-born on steroids!  Classic Butterfield style with shades of Magic Dick and Sugar Blue blended in, San Francisco Blues style!   If Jimi Hendrix had played harmonica, THIS is what he would have sounded like!   A spectacular 10 mintues!

 

Then Johnny Littlejohn Band with a really good ensemble blues harpist (also on a bullet mic) reminiscent of George ‘Harmonica’ Smith with Muddy Waters!   Another 8-9 minutes here.

 

Next, JOHN HAMMOND plays his country blues style RACK BLUES HARMONICA with an acoustic guitar!  This guy’s been all over the world playing virtuoso solo blues for decades, and it shows!!   Impeccable country stylings, with more done on a harp in a rack than a lot of blues harmonica players can do without one!   Approx. 10 minutes of classic Robert Johnson-style country blues with harmonica blended in beautifully!

 

$29.95 including shipping in USA!  CONTENT -  A ; QUALITY – B+

 

·         JAMES HARMAN in Concert!  The blues harmonica master in RARE footage from the early and mid-90’s!  Classic bar blues with a touch of southern comfort and a dash of his sly humor!  About 1-1/2 hours!

 

$29.95 including shipping in USA!  CONTENT – A ; QUALITY – B

 

·         LEGENDS of COUNTRY BLUES – Extremely RARE footage of blues masters from the 50’s, 60’s, 70’s, and 80’s!  Some clips of very RARE HARMONICA players including: SONNY BOY WILLIAMSON II (Rice Miller) , JUNIOR WELLS, JAMES COTTON, and more!  Also footage of Muddy Waters, Leonard Chess (of Chess Records fame), Buddy Guy, and other guitarists!

 

Great histories footage of the blues and the performers who blazed the trail – not all harmonica footage, but all fascinating footage!

 

$29.95 including shipping in USA.  CONTENT – A ; QUALITY – B+

 

·         MARK HUMMEL leads a “BLUES HARMONICA PARTY”!  The virtuoso veteran of  Chicago blues harp scene leads a party with a “house band” with numerous blues harp players getting into the act!    Some even I don’t recognize, but I think a  younger Dennis Gruenling is among them!   AWESOME HARP LICKS!!!  If you’re looking to break out of a practice and improvisation rut, there is enough new material, and fresh ideas on this tape to keep you busy for months, if not years!!   Sometimes, 3 harpists playing in complimentary unison at once!

 

Exceptional blues, exceptional blues harp!  Sometimes in color, sometimes B/W, sometimes special effects video, ALL TIMES GREAT FOOTAGE!   At one point, Hummel plays exceptionally  tasteful chromatic blues, as well!   But most of the playing and jamming is on diatonic.  Nearly 40 minutes long!

 

$29.95 including shipping in USA.   CONTENT – A; QUALITY – B+

 

·         STEVE MILLER BAND with NORTON BUFFALO AND JAMES COTTON!!   Incredibly RARE footage from the 70’s  in B/W with STEVE MILLER fronting a band singing old-fashioned rock-and-roll (Buddy Holly-style!) , almost rock-a-billly style!  in a baggy suit, flat top crew cut, and sunglasses!   He also blows some decent blues harp!

 

NORTON BUFFALO stands in as well, blowing tasty blues harp!   And JAMES COTTON stands in the background, adding his 5 cents worth!   At one point, Cotton and Buffalo trade licks!  

 

A group of very attractive oriental women serves as the audience in this ‘stage’ show, at times dancing to the music!   Very atmospheric show!   About 20 minutes long.

 

$24.95 including shipping in USA!  CONTENT – A ; QUALITY – B+

 

·         DR. ROSS  -  SOLO One-Man-Band Show – Blues harp on a rack with tasteful country guitar, and a bass drum for emphasis!  Classic old-fashioned classic blues (think Peg Leg Sam, Sonny Terry (w/Brownie McGee), Satan and Adam, etc!) in front of a small appreciative audience – in a library!   OUTSTANDING COUNTRY BLUES!  About 1 hour 15 minutes!

 

$24.95 including shipping in USA.  CONTENT – A ; QUALITY – A-

 

·         SNOOKY PRYOR!  The veteran country blues (and Chicago blues!) harp virtuoso makes it clear why he has been considered one of the masters of classic diatonic blues harp (along with other ageless veterans like Carey Bell, Charlie Musselwhite, Lazy Lester, Billy Branch, and others) for decades!   Never recording as much as other ‘hot’ players, and content to just ‘do his thing’, he nevertheless displays unerring taste and style developed over DECADES of playing and touring!    An ULTRA-RARE piece of  footage by this stalwart – the ONLY footage I’ve ever seen - about 12 minutes!

 

$24.95 including shipping in USA.  CONTENT – A ; QUALITY – A-

 

·         WALTER HORTON  - Interview and 20 MINUTES of  breath-taking solos!   Ridiculously RARE FOOTAGE of one of the GREATEST BLUES HARP MAESTROS WHO EVER LIVED!   He plays “Little Boy Blue” and “La Cucaracha”, among other songs, clearly displaying the harmonic taste and impeccable timing that has won him acclaim as perhaps the greatest blues harpist who ever played & recorded (along with Little Walter).  

 

Some noise (static) on this footage, but it does NOT really interfere with what you see, or hear!    If you want to hear Big Walter play a song from start to finish, and show the harmonic lines he created, with no excess notes, infallible taste and timing, and unerring sense of the blues, THIS FOOTAGE IS A REQUIREMENT!

 

Also listen to Big Walter talk about his music and style!!  I can’t recall ever seeing interview footage of him before!

 

$24.95 including shipping in USA.  CONTENT – A ; QUALITY ; B-

 

·         HARMONICA VIRTUOSOS  BLUES COMPILATION VIDEO!!  - An incredible “who’s who” of harmonica performances – 24, count’em, 24 songs, many of them solos, by some of the world’s greatest players ever!   Almost all blues… a harmonica player’s DREAM VIDEO!!   Some B/W footage, some color footage.   All extremely RARE footage!!!  I created this tape from scratch, as a personal project, and squeezed onto it…

 

BUDDY GREEN – Gospel Harmonica; BIG WALTER HORTON – La Cucaracha; MAGIC DICK – Whammer Jammer; JOHN MAYALL  - Room to Move; CORKY SIEGEL – Billy Jean; LITTLE WALTER JACOBS – Don’t Wanna Go; NORTON BUFFALO – Runaway; JUNIOR WELLS – Hoodoo Man Blues; PAUL BUTTERFIELD – Born in Chicago; PETER MADCAT RUTH – Yonders Wall; PETER MADCAT RUTH – Take Five; CHARLIE MUSSELWHITE – Skinny Woman; TOOTS THIELEMANS & STEVIE WONDER – Bluesette; RICK ESTRIN – Hurry Up and Wait; SONNY BOY WILLIAMSON II (Rice Miller) – Back in My Younger Days; ROD PIAZZA – Bye Bye Baby; CHARLIE McCOY – Choo Choo Chaboogie; PAUL DELAY – Slam Hammer; MARK FORD – Tell Me Mama; CAREY BELL – Hold Me; KIM WILSON – King of the Jungle; WILIAM CLARKE; JAMES COTTON – Got My Mojo Workin’; MARK HUMMEL – Love Child.

 

You won’t believe your ears!!   One incredible performance after another.  Nearly 2 SOLID HOURS of absolutely incredible harp!  If you love blues, and if you love harp, you will ABSOLUTELY LOVE THIS VIDEO!!!    And you will NEVER SEE IT ANYWHERE ELSE BUT HERE!!  Eat your heart out, Time-Life!!

 

$29.95 including shipping in USA.  CONTENT – A+ ; QUALITY – B+

 

 

1) WILLIAM CLARK blues; 2) LARRY CLINTON with the 'Philharmonic Orchestra'; 3) LEO DIAMOND St. Louis Blues (slide on the left!) ; 4) TOMMY MORGAN (instrumental masterpiece, where he SWITHCES from ONE HARMONICA TO ANOTHER, using at least 5, within the same instrumental!) ; 5) TOMMY MORGAN Chattanooga Choo Choo ; 6) TOOTS THIELEMANS & STEVIE WONDER (!) Bluesette ; 7) JERRY MURAD & Harmonicats Mack the Knife ; 8) CHAM-BER HUANG Bach ; 9) ROBERT BONFIGLIO Classical ; 10) WILLIAM GALLISON Jazz instrumental  ;  11) LARRY ADLER harmonica & piano together! ; 12) PHIL CALTABELLOTTA Instrumental ; 13) RON KALINA Instrumental ; 14) CHARLIE LEIGHTON Instrumental 15) BLACKIE SHACKNER Instrumental  ; 16) THE ADLER TRIO (from Israel) Instrumental 17) BORRAH MINEVITCH & Harmonica Rascals w/Johnny Puleo Instrumental ; 18) BORRAH MINEVITCH Harmonica School  ; 19) JOHNNY PUELO & His Harmonica Gang ; 20) JOHN SEBASTIAN SR (!)  Bach ; 21) JERRY MURAD Peg o'My Heart ; 22) TOOTS THIELEMANS Jazz Instrumental ; 23) EDDIE GORDON Train Instrumental ; 24) IVAN RICHARDS TRIO Instrumental ; 25) LARRY ADLER Duet Malaguena  ; 26) LARRY ADLER Scrooge Blues

This is nearly 2 HOURS of incredible CHROMATIC HARMONICA by virtuosos, living and deceased! Many of these performances are as scarce as hen's teeth! There is NO WHERE ELSE you can find them all on one video together!

        $29.95 including shipping in USA.   CONTENT – A+ ‘ QUALITY – B+

 

·         ROD PIAZZA INSTRUCTIONAL VIDEO!!   The master of West Coast “Swing Blues” gives a definitive explanation of HOW TO PLAY BLUES HARMONICA!   No pretensions!   A nice, earthy approach to playing blues harp!  Not too technical, EASY TO UNDERSTAND, and v-e-r-y knowledgeable!   Piazza talks about playing diatonic harmonica (mostly), including:

 

1st position, 2nd position (the one most blues harp players use, otherwise known as “cross-harp”  [where 1st position is known as “straight harp”], and also 3rd position.   He also points out that CHROMATIC HARMONICA is usually played in 3rd position for blues.

 

He explains different ‘warbles’ (going from one note to another, back-and-forth, in two consecutive holes on a 10 hole marine band), tongue-blocking for “octaves” effect, warbles using tongue-blocking (!), high register play, and more!

 

He also covers bullet mics and HOW TO HOLD THEM for an ‘airtight’ fit and tonal effects!  He talks about practicing, working on TONE, developing YOUR OWN TONE & YOUR OWN STYLE, and more!

 

Piazza also talks AMPS, shows you a bunch of bullet mics he re-built himself (!) in different colors (“Over the Rainbow”), goes through ALBUMS (remember LPs!!), and more!

 

He speaks very affectionately about George “Harmonica” Smith, who personally tutored Piazza with Muddy Waters’ band (!), Little Walter, and more!

 

If YOU want to learn to play harp, OR learn to play harp BETTER THAN YOU DO NOW, this is a MUST VIEW VIDEO!    Easier to understand than the Howard Levy videos.   More definitive than the Billy Boy Arnold video.  More elaborate than the Junior Wells instructional video!  Not only fascinating information, and a “cool” style all his own, but also V-E-R-Y helpful information.  Piazza doesn’t ‘hide’ information from you.  He wants to help you get better, and he tells you in a very straight-forward manner, with a matter-of-fact style, just HOW YOU CAN DO IT! 

 

And, near the end of the video, Piazza in a bar, doing a tour-de-force on harp with his bullet mic, going NON-STOP, breathing thru the harp, in a stream-of-consciousness blues solo!  Electrifying in more than one way!

 

Video is a little bit blurry, but definitely watch-able!  Over an hour long!

 

$24.95 including shipping in USA.   CONTENT – A+ ; QUALITY – C

 

·         JOHN POPPER with The Blues Brothers at THE HOUSE OF BLUES!  Rare footage of  the high-end harmonica virtuoso doing “his thang” (!) as few other harp players on the planet can!    Like his style or not, there’s no denying John Popper’s TECHNIQUE as well as his speed and control!   The blistering runs are all there, but so are surprisingly good s-l-o-w technique, tone, single note tremolos, and diaphragm—control – like all the great harp players!

 

Popper also sings in SCAT STYLE, to surprisingly good effect!   He is an artist of surprising and remarkable talent and versatility!

 

One one song, Popper plays WITHOUT HIS TRADEMARK HAT ON – and perhaps he should do so more often!…he plays at absolute BLISTERING PACE, yet with CONTROL, DIRECTION and STRUCTURE – which he doesn’t always do (and for which he is occasionally criticized on the Yahoo harmonica “chat” groups) .    And he displays more of these characteristics – and abilities – than I personally knew he had.   It’s a revelation, and a very pleasant one.   The man is one HELL of a harp player!

 

For “comic” relief, Dan Akroyd (of the original movie ‘Blues Brothers’) – who introduces the group – joins him on stage in a harp DUET – which makes you appreciate Popper’s playing skills that much more!   (One almost wishes that Akroyd’s harp was a prop – with no reeds!)   And Popper, in a benevolent gesture – gives Akroyd a personal chorus for  Akroyd’s own solo.   It isn’t the worst you’ve ever heard, but next to Popper – ouch!    Smart Popper!

Makes me want to coin a new phrase – “POPPER CORN”!  And wouldn’t you know – that Popper’s harp on this particular song is some of the best of his performance, and THAT’S saying a lot!

 

$24.95 including shipping in USA.   CONTENT – A ; QUALITY – B+

 

·         JEAN-JACQUES MILTEAU  (J.J. MILTEAU  (French Blues Harp Player!)  in an absolute TOUR-DE-FORCE of Acoustic Blues in an exceptionally tasty duet with ERIC CLAPTON!    Each presents a jazz-laced blues performance that is astonishing, and together, they are stupefying!  

 

Electrifying performance of slow blues ballads, raucous boogies, and everything in between!    Absolutely NOT to be missed!

At one point, J.J. Milteau takes the Norton Buffalo change-diatonic-harmonicas-inside-a-song technique and does it one better, changing harps, positions, and sounds so frequently, it’s amazing – you’ll lose count of how many he uses in this one ‘jam’!  - and yet it all fits so fluidly it seems – and sounds – perfectly natural, and yet extraordinary\,  at the same time!

 

He also does a train solo that has to be heard to be believed.  Understated, elegant, and virtuosic all at  once!

 

This leads into a one-handed rhythmic tour-de-fource with Clapton that’s a delight!

 

Then, Milteau puts his own interpretation on a Chicago-slow-blues!

 

The next piece featres Milteau with a band, where he goes into Butterfield-channeling mode!    It could be Butterfield, the French master captures that jazz-blues idiom so beautifully.    I wonder if Butterfield himself would have been so tasty and melodically sophisticated, while still retaining the blues structure!  Your Grateful-dead-style jam follows.

 

Next, out of the blue (!), Milteau puts on an instrumental boogie tour-de-force, taking on Norton Buffalo’s key-changing  gymnastics, Howard Levy’s overblow pyrotechnics, Madcat Ruth’s progression fireworks, and butterfield’s jazzy colors, all at once, with his own inimitable style!

 

Immediately afterwards, Milteau goes funk.  Take that Lee Oskar!  

 

Follows as tasty an ultra-slow blues as you’ll find, with Milteau taking the Jr. Wells counter-point approach, to great effect!   For some reason I can’t pinpoint, ‘Hoo Doo Man” comes to mind, style-wise.  Before it’s over, this piece segues into “Father-and-Sons” album territory.   Milteau tries to take on Walter Horton and Sonny-Boy-Williamson II here briefly, though to not such great effect.  The ONLY place he falls short!  At the end, he’s Jr. Wells again, and finishes fine!

 

“Train” comes around next, with Milteau blowin’ steam, changing mindsets throughout, moving from an acoustic “track” through an electric ‘curve’ and back again, ending at the station.    No doubt Milteau covers all the stations in this ride!   The man is an absolute master on his instrument!  Video runs about 55 MINUTES.

 

        $29.95 including shipping in USA.  CONTENT – A ; QUALITY – B+

 

·         GARY PRIMICH – One nice blues boogie!   Runs about 3 minutes.  

 

$14.95 including shipping in USA.     CONTENT – A ; QUALITY – B+

 

·         CHARLIE MUSSELWHITE – and MARK FORD – show up at a RARE party put on by non-defunct ARHOOLIE RECORDS in the 1970’s!    About 10 ultra-RARE, choice minutes of classic blues!

 

$19.95 including shipping in USA.   CONTENT – A ; QUALITY – B+

 

·          TOOTS THIELEMANS - Jazz Jams in Brazil, from the early 90’s!   Classic Toots with a nice jazz trio.   And a guest chromatic player – Mauricio Einhorn -  in a tasty duet with Brazilian melodic undercurrents.   About 30 MINUTES of the tastiest jazz chromatic harmonica you are likely to hear, sometimes duet-ing, sometimes duel-ing, always enthralling!

 

$24.95 including shipping in USA.   CONTENT – A ;  QUALITY – B+

 

·         RICK ESTRIN goes ACOUSTIC!  The harp player from the Nightcats play tasty country-styled Sonny Terry flavored blues without the ball mic, backed by a rhythm guitar and an upright bass!    Some nice counter-point work that would have done Junior Wells proud, too!   About 35 MINUTES.

 

$24.95 including shipping in USA.  CONTENT – A ; QUALITY – B+

 

·         RICK ESTRIN  in a nice trio with ball mic, doing the Chicago amplified thing right!  He opens up with a nice boogie.   Follows with a full range of pieces: ultra-slow blues jams, nice chromatic solos in 3rd position, Jr. Wells style counter-points, even a little ala SBW II!   Estrin demonstrates a complete mastery of his instrument!    He even performs for a minute or two with his signature harp-in-mouth-no-hands bit!    About 45 MINUTES, and not to be missed if you’re a Rick Estrin fan!

 

$24,95 including shipping in USA.  CONTENT – A ; QUALITY – B+

 

 

 

I accept 2 forms of payment: PAYPAL, to: Jsteinberg@ucwphilly.rr.com or jls@ucwphilly.rr.com.

I can also be reached by e-mail at either address.

 

MONEY ORDERS can be mailed to:

 

            J. STEINBERG

            P. O. Box 13081

            Philadelphia, PA  19101

 

 

NOTE - There are many harmonica-related LINKS for the amateur to expert harmonica player to use to advance his or her abilities, and knowledge of the instruments, the performers, the history, etc. 

 

The more you know, the better you’ll get!!  Be sure to check these out!..

 

www.harmonicalessons.com (great starter web site and ‘chat’ room!  Even advanced players can learn here!)

www.eharmonica.net (the definitive history and present of harmonica players!   Peter Krampert’s web site!     To quote Mr. Krampert, as he says so simply, but eloquently in every day’s posting on harptalk.com, among other chat groups, “have fun and practice!”.   Find – and buy his book -  The Encyclopedia of the Harmonica, published  by Mel Bay Publications, 220 pages, pub. 2002.  It’s a must read!!

harptalk@yahoogroups.com (a ‘chat’ group, based on yahoo.com – join there! – for serious performers, with theory and technique to match!)

www.tenhole.com (one of the best web sites to explain ‘overblows’, the diatonic-to-chromatic technique that Howard Levy has popularized, and is making famous!)

www.members.madafish.com/~harmonica/ (the Brendan Powers – Irish virtuoso & customizer) home page!)

www.harmonica.co.uk/magazine.htm (the United Kingdom harmonica magazine, and harmonica-players group – don’t limit yourself to just the USA!  There are valuable resources across the world!)

www.members.chello.nl~a.daane/index1.htm (a Swedish harmonica master, with extensive experience and background!  A very valuable and worthwhile resource!)

http://members.ozemail.com.au/~hwy49/societys.html (a source for Australian blues societies that obviously include harmonica – very cool!)

www.angelfire.com/music/harmonica/harmonica-links.html (a great source of even more links!)

www.harmonicagame.com/ (a very cool game to work on your bends!)

http://members.ozemail.com.au/~hwy49/societys.html (an Australian-based site!)

http://home.earthlink.net/~romel/ (the web page of Bill Romel, a Las Vegas-based retired machinist, repairer of chromatic harmonicas (he’s worked on mine numerous times!) and builder of custom-designed chromatic harmonicas!  Very good and very reasonable!)

www.bobmeehan.net/custom_harmonicas.htm (a customizer of diatonic harmonicas, for optimal response, durability, and overblows!  Similar to the famous Joe Filisko & associates, but with less ‘lead’ time.)

http://infandecustomharmonicas.com/  (diatonic & chromatic customizer and repairer, developer of the “Musette”, the double chromatic for tremolo effect!)

www.southx.biz/dannecker/shopcustom.htm (the home web page of custom diatonic and chromatic harmonica builder Antony Dannecker, who builds and repairs the harmonicas of various professional harmonica players from across the world, including the now-deceased Larry Adler, one of my idols!)

www.SPAH.org (the International Society for the Preservation and Advancement of the Harmonica!  The greatest players in the world go to their conventions!  The host and owner of harp-l, the ‘chat’ group!)

www.coast2coastmusic.com (a great site for buying all things harmonica-related!!!  Also the owner of the ‘chat’ group harptalk@yahoogroups.com - JOIN, even if it’s just to read the posts and learn more than you already know!   One of the owners plays the harmonica!)

www.frfarrell.com (an excellent web site for buying various kinds of harmonicas!  Very competitive prices!)

www.hohnerusa.com (the website of the dominant harmonica builder of the world!  A great deal of information to offer!   A must-see site!)

www.leeoskar.com (the home page of Lee Oskar diatonic harmonicas!  A favorite of many players for their ‘out-of-the-box’ reed durability, as well as plastic combs (for air-tightness).

www.middlebury.net/lavoie/ (web site of developer of customized combs for harmonicas, and a long-time professional harmonica player.  Other professional players rave about his combs.  Made of titanium or Vermont maple wood.  Gives diatonic harmonicas different sound qualities than the standard combs that the harps normally come with, out-of-the-box!)

www.harmonicamasterclass.com  (a GREAT web site for David Barrett’s (now) 4 volume VHS video set on how to play blues harmonica!   As well as books, etc!   From the most rudimental exercises and issues to some very sophisticated riffs, techniques, and theory!  David does “classes” over a weekend in the California area, typically limited to 30 students, where students and professional harp players work together!  The professionals work with each student on his/her level (they’re very encouraging for women to join the classes!), helping to raise the level of proficiency and expand technique!  And students jam with each other, creating exciting synergy and energy!

www.harmonicamasterclass.com/tom’s.htm (great web site on rare microphones for use with harmonicas for amplified playing!   Customized microphones, repaired microphones, etc!)

www.westf.demon.co.uk/harmpage.htm (home web page of the Microvox harmonica microphone!  I have one and love it!  Very small, very effective!  I hold it between 2 fingers, at the base of the fingers!  The head of this mic is smaller than the tip of my pinkie finger!  Acoustic ‘cupping’ effects possible while playing amplied harp!)

http://www.blueslinks.nl  ( a GREAT RESOURCE for BLUES WEB PAGES ACROSS THE GLOBE!!   Be sure to check it out!   E-X-T-E-N-D your reach, and E-X-P-A-N-D your exposure, and S-T-R-E-T-C-H your abilities!!

http://www.cascadeblues.org/BluesNotes/Links.htm - (A GREAT resource for many blues-related WEB SITES of all kinds, all over the place!  Check it out!

 

 

Other harmonica manufacturers include: Hering, Huang, Suzuki, Weltmeister, just to name a few of the more popular ones.   Google will help you find their web pages.

 

…and don’t stop here!!   Go to the search engine www.google.com and enter various keywords (and keyword combinations) like: harmonica, diatonic, chromatic harmonica, harmonica players, and click on the links!   Have a ball!  “Reed” everything you can, and experiment with your harmonicas!   The more you learn, the more you practice what you learn, the better you will get, and the more fun you will have, and the more you will want to practice!  Give the ‘synergy’ a chance to happen!   As I find more links I think of are interest, I’ll include them for you!

 

Go to www.yahoo.com, and join ‘chat groups’.   Look up groups, then musical instruments, then harmonica, then browse, and pick which groups interest you!  Try them!  If you don’t like one, you can always un-subscribe.  It’s as easy as subscribing in the first place!  

 

Enjoy!!  ‘The Harmonica Video Man’!

 

 

** * WEB  RING  SITE  ID  31