Video of the Day 28 Aug 2011: Magic Dick/Whammer Jammer Live 8 Feb 2008
The classic harmonica boogie blues played to perfection by the originator. Every harmonica player has listened to this piece, and most have attempted to play at least some of it. The only version I know of that competes with this one is a jaw-dropping 18…
In Peace
“In Peace” is a simple song with a beautiful sound: two Melody Maker harmonicas overlaid via loop recording, both played through a Fireball V mic into a Digitech RP355 running my FBAROT patch, which consists of a Bassman amp model with a rotating speaker effect….
Lo Rider Solo (with Looper and 3 Digitech RPs)
I recorded this Lee Oskar song, one of my favorite jam platforms, live into my Zoom H4 at the same rehearsal where I recorded It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry. All the parts except the percussion loop are played…
Gear Review: A Tale of Two Loopers
I’ve been using the Digitech JamMan Solo looper pedal for some time now. Last week Zzounds.com offered a B-stock JamMan Stereo looper for 2/3 of the normal retail price, and I picked one up while I had the chance. This review describes some of the…
What Keeps Me Listening
I hang out on a couple of harmonica Internet mailing lists. And every once in a while someone writes in to say that some traditional recording or other represents the best that anyone could do, ever. Maybe comments like that are just an appreciation of…
It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry
I record myself practicing as a matter of habit, and the piece linked below is the first thing I play on stage and in practice: Bob Dylan’s “It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry.” This arrangement is mine, and is…
RP Tip #10: Make the PA louder before you up the output on the RP
Ideally, you want at least two things from any gear: you want it to sound great, and you want it as loud as you need it, when you need it. The same applies to the Digitech RP or any other effects device, and it’s pretty…
New Digitech RP patches coming soon, and they’re loud and tough
While I was in Idaho I spent some time working with my Digitech RP355, creating a series of patches in the Dark Blue series that began with the Dark Blue Champ. The new series includes a wider range of amp models, all programmed using the…
The Dusty 45s Rock, and the Drummer Plays Harp
I went to a free concert in Jackson Wyoming tonight. The headliner was Wanda Jackson, a nice lady in her mid-70s who used to be a singer, and who had some interesting stories to tell about the days in the mid-1950s when she toured with…
Harrison Harmonicas is Out of Business
Several members of the Harp-L internet mailing list have written to the list to say that they’ve received messages from Harrison Harmonicas, makers of the much-heralded and unquestionably innovative B-Radical harmonica, to the effect that the company has been sold. Many of the people who…
