Chiff and Fipple Forums

I always associate the harmonica or mouth organ to blues music, which I like, but I'm a little surprised to see them mentioned on here, a site which I associate with traditional music. What is the history of such music on the harmonica?
I have one myself but I'm not much of a player.

Here's one
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GbJ84ESfKOs

Other players who have some traditional music on Harmonica:

Mat Walklate:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-olz5KagboQ

and of course, the famous Rick Epping , simultaneously on harmonica and concertina:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYshw3so1Sk

Here he is at a Willie Clancy Week recital:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pblihf1 ... 335B21C9DC

and with Mick Kinsella in Hollywood:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wtcmKQWSVfU

John Murphy:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=giclytaQ7rc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fhxdf-yvUNo

Mary Brogan:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljAprR9gg9A

s1m0n wrote:Here's one
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GbJ84ESfKOs

Ah a chromatic with the slide. My brother had a similar one years ago

There's not a lot to hear, but you could do worse than search "harmonica" and "itm harmonica" on this site.

Brendan Power also does a lovely job on The Bucks here. He's playing a blues harp on this clip.

s1m0n wrote:Brendan Power also does a lovely job on The Bucks here.

Brendan Power does a lovely job on everything.

Great link there, s1m0n.

Brendan Power does a lovely job on everything.

Sort of interesting though he turned up for the Willie Clancy harmonica recital last year. All players present, John & Pip Murphy, Rick Epping, Mick Kinsella, Johny Hehir, Noel Battle, were playing together a lot of the time, making up sets of tunes on the spot. Brendan sat there smiling, looking slightly awkward and not playing like he didn't know the tunes. It was a bit strange.



Johnny Hehir, Brendan Power, Noel Battle

Mr.Gumby wrote:..;.while Brendan sat there smiling and looking slightly awkward not playing like he didn't know the tunes.

Yeah. I think he's a soloist. I don't think he came from session culture, and I don't think he's comfortable - or, frankly, competent - jamming ad lib with other musicians. If you think that's the core skill in ITM (and you're not entirely wrong), than you likely have no time for him.

I think he plays so many different harps, and tunings, that everything he does is painstakingly arranged.

you likely have no time for him

It's not a matter of not having time or regard for his playing, it just surprised me. The awkwardness of it, all the lads were playing away and he just sat there, doing his solo pieces when called upon but never joining in. It's not a matter of unusual tunes being played or anything like and he has recorded with Rick&Mick in Iron Lung so there must be a common repertoire there.

I suspect that what he does with others is well rehearsed, but I don't know anything. I owned his first record and played it a lot, but know little else about his playing. I do know that he didn't grow up in the tradition.

Yeah. I'm sure that's the sort of gig in which BP is least useful. I don't think he can play much at all impromptu, but playing en ensemble is only about a century old in the tradition. Before that, musicians usually played solo, and often it was a well-prepared party-piece played before the kitchen fire. Think of Power in that tradition. He's not a session musician, and there's small point in judging him as one. That's not what he is.

Am I crazy, or did you just delete a post while I was responding to it?

Am I crazy, or did you just delete a post while I was responding to it?

I thought I was straying into my own experiences too much and thought the better of it.

Mr.Gumby wrote: I thought I was straying into my own experiences too much and thought the better of it.

Fair enough. I've done the same.