[Dixielandjazz] Re: The Goon Show

[Bill Gunter]

Hi Henry,

You asked:

>A fan tonight at a performance said some licks of my
harmonica playing reminded him of the bandleader of the
band that played during interludes of the Goon Show.
He couldn't think of the fellow's name.  Anyone here remember that?

Sure . . . his name was Max Geldray and he was a regular on the Goon Show 
along with the Ray Ellington Quartet.

If someone said your harmonica playing reminded him of Geldray you must be 
pretty damn good!!!

By the way, we've never discussed the role of the harmonica in trad jazz 
(especially the blues) and it perhaps deserves some mention.

I personally love the harmonica for a blues chorus here and there and play 
one (slightly - nobody would ever confuse me with Max Geldray) on the 
occasional blues chorus with my band.

You all know, of course, that harmonicas are built in specific keys. If you 
want to play a song in Bb, for example, you'd use a Bb harmonica.

BUT . . . if you want to play a blues tune in Bb on a harmonica you must use 
an Eb harmonica. That's because "blues" are usually played in the "second 
position" which means you play the tonic on a 'draw breath' rather than a 
'blow breath'. That would start at a different position on the harmonica 
than the regular Eb tonic. And it will allow you to play the minor 7th note 
(which you can't play in "first position") which is so important in playing 
a blues chorus.

Blues harmonica makes great use of "bent notes" which are most often played 
on the draw breath and they are not so easy to produce when you're blowing.

I think a lot of jazz bands are overlooking the impact a good bluesy 
harmonica chorus can have in a 12 bar blues tune. They're easy to play with 
a bit of practice assuming the musician knows something about scale 
construction. You must always use a harmonica tuned a fourth higher than the 
key you wish to play in.

Check it out.

Cheers,

Bill "Mouth Harp" Gunter
jazzboard@hotmail.com



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