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| Little Walter And The Kings Of The Blues Harmonica: Blowin' And Suckin' |
| Label: Proper Boxes |
| Cat
No: PROPERBOX145 |
| Format: 4 CD Set |
| Genre: Blues |
| Barcode: 805520021456 |
Release Date: 21/07/08 |
To the poor rural blacks of America’s Deep South, who concocted musical instruments out of saucepans, cigar boxes, wash-tubs and whisky jugs, the harmonica was an instrument of some sophistication. It was cheap, small and relatively easy to play, and as such it rapidly became popular among the rural population, white as well as black. With its affordability and portability and its ability to replace a horn section on the most modest budget, the harmonica became almost as familiar a blues instrument as the guitar.
The blues as an idiom is dominated by the human voice, so it is not surprising that vocal elements like wailing and moaning were among the first sounds heard to be played on the harmonica. These effects were achieved by blocking off several holes of the harp simultaneously or by singing and humming through the instrument. Mimicry, like the imitations of animal noises, ranging from the sounds of dogs, cats, chickens and the fox chase and the imitation of the noise of trains and train whistles further enhanced the techniques of the early practitioners of the harmonica.
This box set opens with the early harmonica players who were either solo players or operative as accompanists in string and jug bands. We feature the legendary "first" Sonny Boy Williamson, the first real blues harmonica star, before we move on to the forceful simplicity of Doctor Ross via the top-fifty rasp of Jimmy Reed and the virtuosic sophistication of Walter Horton, until we finally arrive to the unique and awesome harmonica sound of Little Walter, an artist who was to leave his mark on blues music, as a hit maker and songwriter, but most of all as a genius of the harmonica, that ranks him as one of the greatest of 20th century blues soloists. |
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