[Harp-L] Bob Dylan as a harmonica player



I read an interview with Sugar Blue who did session work on a Dylan album that resulted in out takes that were eventually released on "The Bootleg Series." Sugar Blue said that Dylan's harmonica skills should not be judged based upon what he plays on his own albums because he is capable of *doing a lot more* on the harmonica than what he usually plays. I thought that Sugar Blue may just have said that to be gracious,, but Sugar Blue does not have a reputation for being particularly gracious.
Anyway, Dylan's use of 4th position on "All Along the Watchtower" indicates that Dylan had more than casual familiarity with the instrument, whether or not his breath technique and playing were particularly proficient.
Btw, Bryan Ferry (the front man for Roxy Music) released a solo album of Dylan covers titled "Dylanesque.* Ferry plays harmonica on the album in a style and manner that is perhaps best described as...Dylanesque. The studio band on that album is pretty good, though, particularly the slide guitar player.




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