# Who is the harmonica player on Oscar Peterson album



## Seening (May 23, 2011)

Last.fm just played a track from Oscar Peterson's album SOLO, recorded live with a great harmonica solo, there is also guitar and bass, I suspect guitar could be Joe Pass.

The track in question is "Here's that rainy day"

The only jazz harmonica players that spring to mind are Toots Theilmans, who sometime played with George Shearing, and Max Geldray.

I last.fm says the CD was released in 2008 so hopefully somebody out there has a copy.


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## robert (Feb 10, 2007)

I know the album. Its a pablo album. I thought I had it, I do not...I do not understand how an album entitled SOLO would have anyone else on it...It might be an compilation of all his Pablo albums.....The only harmonica player I am aware of that played on many albums was Toots.....


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## Manxfeeder (Oct 19, 2010)

Wikipedia says the Solo album is just Oscar. The radio may have referred to the wrong album. 

Personally, I wouldn't want to hear Here's That Rainy Day being played on harmonica by anyone other than Toots.


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## Argus (Oct 16, 2009)

For some reason I can't get into chromatic harp, even though I play and love the sound of the diatonic. It's more than just the bends, the straight tone of a diatonic seems more raw compared to the twee warbles of the chromatic. Must be the size or the windsavers that make the difference. Anyway, I'll probably pick up a chromatic one day just to see whether it is the instrument itself or if it's the music being played on it.

Like when I hear Toots Thielemans, I just think how much better it'd sound with the timbre of an alto sax.


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## Manxfeeder (Oct 19, 2010)

Argus said:


> Like when I hear Toots Thielemans, I just think how much better it'd sound with the timbre of an alto sax.


That's funny. I play the alto sax, and I like how he sounds on the harmonica. I guess our ears are attuned to different things.


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## Argus (Oct 16, 2009)

Manxfeeder said:


> That's funny. I play the alto sax, and I like how he sounds on the harmonica. I guess our ears are attuned to different things.


The sound is too linked to the Last of the Summer Wine soundtrack and Genevieve I think. Saying that, some players can make the chromatic work, Stevie Wonder being the obvious example.

Svang play the kind of music it's best suited to:






George 'Harmonica' Smith almost gets a great blues tone out of it too:






But compare that to James Cotton on a blues harp and there _is_ no comparison:






Like I said, I still want to pick up a chromatic to try out, but I do think it sounds better on squarer, softer music, whereas the diatonic can handle the liquid, funkier stuff. Where are the Peter Brotzmanns and Evan Parkers of the chromatic harmonica?


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## Manxfeeder (Oct 19, 2010)

Argus said:


> Where are the Peter Brotzmanns and Evan Parkers of the chromatic harmonica?


If you could duplicate Brotzmann and Parker on a harmonica, that would be worth hearing.


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## Argus (Oct 16, 2009)

Manxfeeder said:


> If you could duplicate Brotzmann and Parker on a harmonica, that would be worth hearing.


Right. I'm going looking at chromatics at the weekend. I'm leaning towards a Hohner Chromonica 280. My mission will be to make that big tin sandwich scream like a dying god.


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## Argus (Oct 16, 2009)

I opted for the Larry Adler 16 holer. Exactly the same as the Chromonica 280 except for better looking coverplates. Both were the same price so it was an easy choice.

I've yet to master my free jazz stylings but I am really liking it. I like how there are two blow holes right next to each other for C (or with the slide C#), meaning because of the very slight imperfections in the tuning you get very slow beats when you blow both holes together. Speed up the airflow and the beats become faster and vice versa. I think I'll start with some flute sonatas off IMSLP and work my way up from there.

Here's a pic of the giant dwarfing a couple of my blues harps.


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## Manxfeeder (Oct 19, 2010)

Argus said:


> I opted for the Larry Adler 16 holer. Exactly the same as the Chromonica 280 except for better looking coverplates. Both were the same price so it was an easy choice.
> 
> Here's a pic of the giant dwarfing a couple of my blues harps.


It sounds like quite a challenge, free jazz on a harmonica. Good luck!


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