Re: [Harp-L] Top 10 living diatonic players

["Splash" <celtiac@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

The biggest influences on me were Alan Wilson and John Mayall.  It was after
hearing them that I decided that to play harp.  I had already been playing
guitar every day for about 10 years.

I started playing every day, everywhere I went.  I always had a harp in my
pocket.  (still do)   It was the summer of 1969.  Walking and hitch hiking
all over the eastern seaboard from the Florida Keys to the Appalachian
Trail.

Jack Bruce's Traintime was a great inspiration too and I developed alot of
my style just playing train sounds and chugging mile after mile with my
thumb out and "making sh*t up."

Then one day I was hitching to a three-day rock festival (Palm Beach
Fairgrounds 1970) playing my train in A and got picked up by a bunch of guys
in a Chevy van loaded with music gear.  After I hopped in the back, one of
them said, "Oh, you got a harp?  I play one too." and we traded licks all
the way to the festival.  When we got there he said I had to get out cuz
they were going in the musician's entrance and I couldn't go in with them,
the harp player introduced himself saying, "You play a pretty mean harp. My
name is Paul.  Paul Butterfield."

I didn't have a clue who Paul Butterfield was and just said, "You too. Nice
to meet you, my name is Scott."  And that was that.

Later when I saw him on stage, that was the first time I heard the Paul
Butterfield Blues Band. I saw him and flashed the peace sign, he raised two
fingers back at me.

I went out and got one of their albums a couple of weeks later.  I was 17
years old.  Too bad I never saw him again after that.

There's 4 names on my big influences list that didn't make your list.
John Mayall is the only one still with us.  Makes me feel just a bit mortal.
Heh.

PEACE
Scott
Believe in Magic!
----- Original Message -----
From: "Special20" <special20harp@xxxxxxxxx>
To: <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Saturday, May 12, 2007 3:32 PM
Subject: Re: [Harp-L] Top 10 living diatonic players


> Recorded output and influence?  You must include Mark Wenner of The
> Nighthawks.  He influenced a whole bunch of us...
>
> On 5/12/07, Tony Eyers <tony@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> >
> > Hi there. This has probably been done before, but always worth a look.
> > Who are the top ten living diatonic harmonica players, based on recorded
> > output and influence? My first cut is:
> >
> > Kym Wilson
> > Charlie McCoy
> > J J Milteau
> > Howard Levy
> > Jerry Portnoy
> > Brendan Power
> > James Cotton
> > Rod Piazza
> > Jason Ricci
> > Sugar Blue
> >
> > Any additions, deletions, alternate lists?
> >
> > Tony Eyers
> > Australia
> > www.harmonicatunes.com
> >
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