The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
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  1. #1

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    to my mind, one of the most interesting improvisers ever...you can hear bechet, louie & even bird....

    he was also tonewise smart..played his harmonica thru an amp..with a dedicated harmonica mic...really incorporated all those textures...used amps made by local chicago companies like-valco..with strange small speakers and electronics..and blew masterfully


    here's alt take of blue midnight....you can hear the way he plays along with the amp distortion and reverb....a master...a great ear (what it always comes down to!)






    cheers

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    The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
     
  3. #2

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    that was great !

    i love the way you can bend downwards
    on a blues harp .... great sound

    difficult on a guitar
    you can pre bend and release but
    i like 13 TI jazz swings with a wound
    3rd so this it hard work

    i’ve noticed ....
    Metheny glisses down a fair bit at the end of phrases , which sounds great
    to me
    Mclaughlin sometimes does this effect using a bigsby (not crazy on that sound)
    anyone use a digital whammy pedal to achieve this i wonder ?

  4. #3

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    john abercrombie used to play a lot of the pre-bend and release notes to great effect

    the digital whammy pedal requires it's own different skill set..and doesn't really sound quite the same

    if you have a few guitars, string one up with lighter strings and (pre)bend to your hearts content


    cheers

  5. #4

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    Quote Originally Posted by neatomic
    if you have a few guitars, string one up with lighter strings and (pre)bend to your hearts content


    cheers
    ...or set up one of them for slide guitar - no problem to "downbend" a note then.
    It has been daid that Duane Allman listened a lot to Little Walter to pick up ideas for slide.
    BTW: Little Walter fan here!

  6. #5

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    I heard him on Maxwell St. in Chicago in the 60's before he died. Many blues bands played on the street on the weekends during the Summer where you could buy a Chicago Polish/Italian sausage cooked on an open barrel grill and listen to some great Blues. . . those WERE the days!
    Play live . . . Marinero

  7. #6

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    Love Little Walter. Great sound.

    This video of "Juke" shows several good photos.


  8. #7

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    Quote Originally Posted by Marinero
    I heard him on Maxwell St. in Chicago in the 60's before he died. Many blues bands played on the street on the weekends during the Summer where you could buy a Chicago Polish/Italian sausage cooked on an open barrel grill and listen to some great Blues. . . those WERE the days!
    Play live . . . Marinero
    I've always been a great fan of Little Walter and spend a large amount of time playing in bands that to the best of our ability were trying to stay in the grooves of that time. Worked with Mojo Buford several years, Mojo was playing harp with Muddy Waters in his later years...oh and did you ever get to hear Robert Nighthawk on Maxwell Street? Robert was father to drummer Sam Carr from Lula Ms, I lived and played with Sam and Frank Frost harp and piano for quite a while.

    But then every harp player I've ever worked with considered Walter the high priest of blues harp and for good reason

  9. #8

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    the aforementioned Maxwell St from the Blues Brothers movie. a few friends of mine were working there regularly around this time. that's Big Walter on harp @ 1:05 w/Hooker, another great player.


  10. #9

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    the only known video of Nighthawk, too bad they didn't film the slide playing, or if they did, they cut it!


  11. #10

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    Quote Originally Posted by wintermoon
    the only known video of Nighthawk, too bad they didn't film the slide playing, or if they did, they cut it!

    "Goin' Down to Eli's" AKA "I'm Gonna Murder My baby" was a staple in my solo shows back in the day. Not sure I'd do it again, as the sentiment is reprehensible. But Nighthawk's slide mastery is undeniable. I wonder how many Nighthawk sides D.A. wore out. I know the couple I had got a lot of play!

  12. #11

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    Tampa Red - > Robert Nighthawk - > Earl Hooker - > Muddy Waters (when he started playing slide in standard tuning) : There's always been a clear stylistic lineage to my ears.

  13. #12

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    Quote Originally Posted by TOMMO
    Tampa Red - > Robert Nighthawk - > Earl Hooker - > Muddy Waters (when he started playing slide in standard tuning) : There's always been a clear stylistic lineage to my ears.
    Agree 100%. I remember a Rolling Stone article which referenced Muddy as an influence on DA. I suspect they ran deeper, very much as you say. I think the key is standard tuning (of course various open tunings were in play, but navigating standard is a necessary skill. For a while it was a prominent factor in me working for hire. It's something different, and un-expected). I did a couple Tampa Red tunes, as well, LOL.
    Last edited by citizenk74; 01-17-2021 at 12:35 PM. Reason: clarity

  14. #13

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    Little Walter deeply influenced Mick Jagger, also one of the best blues harp players around.

  15. #14

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    an important fact- little walter died at the tender age of 37!...he was involved in a club fight during his break from a performance, and later died overnight!

    cut so many classics in such a short time...like bird!

    mean old world...indeed

    (note this later day clip of walter has him playing thru the pa...not his classic dedicated harp mic thru amp tone...and he's still great!)





    cheers

  16. #15

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    Quote Originally Posted by Rob MacKillop
    Mick Jagger, also one of the best blues harp players around.
    Are you serious?

  17. #16

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    Quote Originally Posted by MarkRhodes
    Love Little Walter. Great sound.

    This video of "Juke" shows several good photos.

    The master...Juke was my party piece when I was a teenager, that & Sonny Boy Williamson's King Biscuit Time Stuff.

  18. #17

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    This is a great cut! I have casually listened to Little Walter over the years but never really paid attention before. I see what you mean about the amp being part of the instrument.

    While we're on the subject of harmonica players, here's one of my favorite swinging solos by a modern, under-the-radar chromatic harmonica player, William Gallison (he comes in at 1:29):

    Last edited by AndyV; 01-17-2021 at 03:04 PM.

  19. #18

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    Great solo ! I like esp the George sheering type block chords ....