SB Williamson

i will bring forward my contact with you, your answers/questions, and my answers also:

From Jeff:

I just started listening to The Essential Sonny Boy Williamson on Rhapsody. Very distinctive!! At times he has notes that sound like a wa-wa, but just one wa. Do you know how he does that?! His tremolo is also amazing, Do you think that is all pharyngeal or does he move his harmonica for that effect. He has a nice vibrato at times when he sings.  

From Dave:

I’m not sure of what you’re asking in regards to "wa-wa, but just one wa,” but if you provide me with a song title and an exact place it happens in the song (the time code… at 1:27 for example) I can answer your question. Most likely you’re hearing his hand WA and then a piece (or couple pieces) of throat tremolo.  Good question on the throat tremolo and vibrato. He’s only using his throat (opening and closing of the vocal folds). Sometimes he uses hand tremolo as well, but not commonly both at the same time. You can learn more about this here: http://www.bluesharmonica.com/lessons/cupping_hand_effects.  From Jeff: 

The answers to his question about my description of some of Sonny Boy's notes sounding like a single wa of a wa-wa is that I hear it throughout "Essentials of Sonny Boy Williamson" by Geffen Records. Disc1, song 1 - "Good Evening Everybody" starts with his harmonica almost talking the wa !! At about 1:25, he has a run of what I think was an amazing tremolo. Is that the case?