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DATE: Mon, 20 Dec 1993 19:49:52 CDT
From: Jack Ely 466-0458
Subject: Re: Women harpers and the Little Lady?


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From: "JACK EL~rgate.mec.ohio.gov
Subject: Re: Women harpers and the Little Lady?

>Seeing Carolyn=D5s post made me wonder how many women we have on the=
=20
>Harplist. I hope we will hear more from her and others. I would make=
=20
>special appeal to the fairer sex to submit to the Harp Tape-our harm=
onica=20
>machismo wants feminine counterbalance. I would really like to know =
of=20
>women who played or play the harp. I've read the few books I can fin=
d about=20
>the blues, but can find no mention of female harpists. Memphis MInni=
e? Big=20
>Mama Thorton, maybe? Who?=20

I second that! We need to hear more form the ladies. Check Kim Field'=
s new=20
book Harmonicas, Harps and Heavy Breathers. I know Mildred Mulcay is =
covered.=20
She is one fine chromatic harmonicist. Minnie & Mama may be mentioned=
in the=20
blues section - I haven't read that far yet.

Why are there not more female harmonica players? It baffles me. I thi=
nk there=20
are more out there than we know of. Chamber Huang says girls make the=
best=20
harmonica students. In my limited teaching experience (chromatic) the=
ladies=20
have done better by far than the men. And, when I announce that I'm t=
eaching=20
another class, there is always more interest from the ladies - and it=
ain't my=20
good looks either. In our club four of our best readers are women - t=
he fifth=20
lady is a fine player but I don't know if she reads. Yet, all shy awa=
y from=20
the microphone, refuse to play solos, etc. So go figure. Is it beca=
ues men=20
like to "show off" more? - So you hear more of them?

>Now, I=D5ve got a trivia question. I just bought a Little Lady and a=
Piccolo=20
>Harp to give to my eight year old daughter for Christmas (she learne=
d Mary=20
>Had A Little Lamb on one of my harps-now I'm teaching her blues lick=
s. Dig=20
>that! Eight year old female blues harper.). Does anyone know if any =
of the=20
>harp masters gave recording space to these tiny instruments? (Little=
Lady=20
>MUST be the tiniest musical instrument in the world. If not, what?) =
How=20
>about the national and international contests? Is there a catagory f=
or=20
>these?

For one - Don Les plays the Little Lady in the old Jerry Murad's Harm=
onicats=20
recording of "Harmonica Boogie". Richard Hunter wrote about him in hi=
s book=20
"Jazz Harp" in the 'Roots of Jazz' chapter - but didn't realize who h=
e was=20
writing about - he said something like "This guy really knows his way=
around=20
the top end of the diatonic harmonica". Dick Gardner, bass player for=
the the=20
Cat's after Don left, also mastered the Little Lady and may be on Cat=
's=20
recordings later than ?? - circa 1974.

Jack Ely ely~ecn.ohio.gov


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