Favorite Blues Harmonica.com videos?

 MikeCaldwell - Horn Lines

http://www.bluesharmonica.com/mike_caldwell#TB_inline?inlineId=23208&hei...

Kim Wilson - 3rd Position

http://www.bluesharmonica.com/kim_wilson_1#TB_inline?inlineId=18881&heig...

Gary Smith - Submission 12: Solid Sender Part 2

http://www.bluesharmonica.com/contributor/gary_smith#TB_inline?inlineId=...

Ray Norcia - Bending (Feeling Blue)

http://www.bluesharmonica.com/sugar_ray_norcia#TB_inline?inlineId=17092&...

Tom Ball - Hand Usage & Growl

http://www.bluesharmonica.com/tom_ball#TB_inline?inlineId=13769&height=4...

Mitch Kashmar - 1st Position, Vibrato & Blow Bends

http://www.bluesharmonica.com/mitch_kashmar#TB_inline?inlineId=18308&hei...

You're right, Michael. There is so much material here.

I play harp on a rack, and sing and play ukulele/guitar. Because I'm self-taught, I'm a lip player and I mostly play first positions on jazz and tin pan alley songs. I do play cross harp on Love Me Do, though. So, I'd never heard of tongue-blocking and I didn't now what a slam was until I signed up. 

My favourite videos are all the clips from David's interview with Jimi Lee. That should come as no surprise because he plays harp on a rack, too. I learned a lot just by viewing all the clips. Being a performer and multi-instrumentalist is different than being strictly a instrumentalist on one instrument. Jimi addressed that. And when I visited Jimi's website, I was delighted to see he performs a lot of the same jazzy songs as me.

He endorses Seydel harmoncas, which I'd never heard of. I play Suzuki ProMaster Valved, but I still have a few Special 20s for rehearsing and backups. I watched a video of Jimi performing Fly Me To The Moon on his website, and I was blown away by the sound of his harp! He plays the song in C, so I just assumed he was playing harp in first postion. 

His sound impressed me so much that I went to my local music store and picked three Seydel Session Steels in the keys of C, D, and Low C. These are expensive harps! I was kicking myself thinking I'd wasted my money, especially after Jimi Lee replied to an email I'd sent him. He told me he plays Fly Me To The Moon in Low F in country tuning and half-valved, which means he plays it in second position. 

I'd never heard of the terms country tuning, or half valved. A bit of browsing here and there gave me an understanding that country tuning has a raised 5 draw to sound the major seventh. And then I learned a bit about P. T. Gazell's half-valved innovation. So, that's quite a chunk of knowledge right there. 

Jimi suggested I order a Seydel 1847 Noble in Low F with factory adjusted country tuning and half-valves. I'll do just that, once I pay off the three Session Steels. I perform Fly Me The Moon in D. So, I think I'll also order a Seydel 1847 Noble in G with country tuning and half-vaves, as well. That will allow me to learn the second postion phrasings in the key I already sing it in. I sing the majority of my songs in D, so it makes sense. I intend to move Fly Me To The Moon to guitar from ukulele. So, I'm not quite sure what key I'll end up with it on guitar. As some of you might be aware, the key of C is a bit easier for jazz on the guitar than D is, at least in first guitar positions. Maybe I'll use C fingerings and capo at two to keep me in D for my pipes.

Jimi is friendly and approachable and knowledgleable, via email. So, there's another reason his video clips here get my vote. He says he'll help me get a discount, should I decide to take a plunge and order a few harps, and a case, and a toolkit. So, he's a cool guy, too. 

In the meantime, I took my Session Steels out busking the other day. The D harp blew me away with how good it sounded on Fly Me To The Moon in first position. It's so warm and breathy compared to my Suzuki. I'd never ventured much into playing the bridge on harp because the Suzuki, sounded so shrill and strident. But, the Seydel further its keep by sounding so warm and sweet throughout the entire song. Yesterday, it stole La Mer/Beyond The Sea away from the Suzuki, for largely the same reasons. The Seydel in C also stole Come Together from my C Suzuki (I use harmonica to mimic George's guitar solo).

What amazes me is how the Seydels' have made me alter my whole approach to perfoming these songs, songs that have been in my repertoire for years!. Do you know what I mean? The harps have allowed me to relax, and stretch out more.  I even lowered the tempos. I had a hockey game crowd file by me last night, and Come Together was more of a crowd killer than ever!

I'll be hanging around for more.