John Frazer- I'm glad someone mentioned the late, great Paul DeLay. He was great on both diatonic and chromatic instruments. Great phrasing and ideas. He was also a great songwriter and soulful singer. Not as well known as most of the others being talked about but just as good.
The only one who isn't playing set lick is the one called levy the others give the impression of impro but to a fully trained session player I can tell you the others are clearly not doing it.
They didn’t mention Sonnyboy, Williamson, Ray Norcia, Charlie, musclewhite slim harpo Sonny terry, the guys they showed was hillbilly music from Kentucky and the Appalachia
Most on the list are technically efficient and others very good but with high dollar effects. Stevie Wonder is a fine harmonica player and others like Charlie McCoy and Buddy Greene are great and use no effects. My favorite who played so fine with harmonicas not tweaked by technicians is Rice Miller also known as Sonny Boy Williamson ll. He lived his songs via harmonica playing and vocals. There are others that are very good too.
Just as general info--there is no such person as Chevy McCoin as per my search for them. Also another good harmonica guy is Lee Oskar. I like the Lee Oskar harmonicas because they play well and I can use parts from busted harps to put together a new one. They are easy to take apart and work on too.
@OnceTheyNamedMeiWasnt Exactly! That's why the people here are mere fools! FOOLS I TELL THEE. To attempt a search on a man with such evasive cunning will only result in the chasing of a phantom... He's the missing note in every shell voicing, and the precise cause of why tuning your three hole draw equal to the first two creates such misery to the ears of albino gerbils the world over. And word from the underground as that he's working out fairground tunes on a 375 hole diatonic with cooling fins and a built in torch.....
@OnceTheyNamedMeiWasnt You don't know who Rice Miller was? Hard to take you seriously (even if your ''point'' was to do with whomever). ''Ain't but one way out, baby...''
I went to school with Howard Levy. Graduated in 69 in a class of about 60 students. I was considered a harmonica player, Levy was considered a piano player. I still play. He however is probably the best in the world. Here’s to him.
At Madcat Ruth's 70th birthday party five years ago, Howard Levy and Corky Siegel were among his guests. They regularly gig together and for a while they were playing some four handed stuff on the piano, then they started playing harmonica and piano at the same time, with Corky holding his harp with his right hand and playing the piano's left hand parts and Howard holding his harp in his left hand and playing the piano's right hand parts. Earlier, Corky was at the piano while Howard was soloing on the harmonica and when he started playing two parts at the same time on one harmonica, I saw Corky's jaw drop.
@@harmonicaster8106 I was a 14 year old white boy wanna be hippie in '68, getting into the blues, & Say Siegal Schwall got played daily over & over. Especially that 11 minute + slow blues tune in C......Them were the magic days of music indeed.
Popper, and delJunco :) ... really? WHERE ARE THIELEMANS, GREENE, BELL, McCain, POWER, Portnoy, Cotton, etc.? LOL, this post was just clickbait, wonder how Stevie still made the list and was not outplayed in your view by let say ...Konstantin Reinfeld (with all respect)
Blind Owl was one of the greatest EVER his tone and phrasing were otherworldly - I’m too young to have seen him live (63 years old) but I have friends who saw him many many,times & they said his playing in clubs was haunting and unparalleled the way he would move an audience…
John Popper is the best hands down! Blues Traveler played in a major motion picture! The movie, "Kingpin"! It was funny to see them all dressed up like an Amish rock band...LOL!
Nice click bait.🥸Every country produces it's own skilled musos, and most don't receive recognition outside their locale especially if it's New Zealand,🥝Australia,🦘Finland🐫 or somewhere off the beaten track.🐾 I'm a simple Blues player, and often,less is more. 😇Every list of anything is fine,except it will exclude more than it can include. However the exclusion of Bob Dylan in this list was more than acceptable to me ! 😱
But the exclusion of Butterfield, Musselwhite and Mark Ford and quite a few dozen more that everybody else can name, is understandable if you can only count to seven ! Levi was underwhelming on this clip.🤧..couldn't you showcase him with something better? 😱
Can't believe you included John Popper! You also seem to confuse technical ability with being in the blues groove, think of Lester Butler, Big Walter, or Sonny Boy. I could go on but the point is a flurry of notes does not equal Good!
Agree with you on this one. Poppers tone is how amatures sound after a few months, and his attempt at creative playing just sounds like an unorganised mess. His true strengths are his song writing and singing. What a great band BT are.
Butterfield opened up the entire harmonica players list. Without his input from late 50’s to 80’s, there would be no harp blues movement. I listened to his playing a lot live since 1965 to his untimely death! No one beats his harp artistry in innovation…nobody!
@@nelsonhibbert5267 Along with Big Walter, both Sonny Boys, many others before Butterfield. But, still he really opened some doors, and helped create the "great white Harp player" migration into the Blues scene.
After looking at these lists I decided to put together a top 10 of the greatest influences on ME....not necessarily the all-time best...but nevertheless all damn good, and the ones I stole from the most (and it was hard to limit it to 10...could have easily done 20...or more); these are the ones who taught me how to play and who influenced my style the greatest. Presented on no particular order of ranking: * Paul Butterfield * Naz Nazarenko (of Elliot and the Untouchables) * Little Walter * Kim Wilson * Lee McBee * Howard Levy * Charlie Musselwhite * James Cotton * Jerry Portnoy * Norton Buffalo ...and that's the truth!!!!
Thank You for posting this! I’m new to a lot of theses artists but have loved harmonica since I was born. I’m almost an empty-nester & will finally have the time to learn how to properly play..so, I want to listen to as much of the best players as possible right how…plus, I just can’t get enough of that beautiful sound! I look forward to checking out your list!👍🌞 *I DO have a ❓for you (& anyone who reads this)>> Do you have any advice, tips, or recommendations, for someone just learning how to play like me? Any info would be greatly appreciated my friend!🌞
Good bunch of names. Norton! Oh my what a wonderful musician. Absolute genius player and completely unique. I saw him play a casino in Calgary years ago...he had an amazing band of top flight guys with him. He played chromatic in one hand and keyboard with the other all night. The tragedy was that there were only 18 people there. The year before I saw Chris Hillman (Byrds) and Bernie Leadon (Eagles) play to 12 at a local cowboy bar. WTF?
I lived in LA in the 80's and would add George "Harmonica" Smith and Jonny Dyer, Rod Piazza, William Clarke all of whom I had the pleasure of knowing also Mark Hummel and Mitch Kashmar
Paclin, when you did "Isn't she lovely" .... You were ON FIRE. GREAT JOB with that one. Also, You are spot on with your selections here. Especially regarding Carlos and Jason.
There are so many greats and they're so different, I can't make an ordered list. I was wondering if my harmonica hero would show up, and he did: Stevie Wonder. If I could play half as good, I think I will have died and gone to Heaven.
For me, the best harmonica player of all time is without a doubt Deford Bailey. Amazing tone and technique, he was THE pioneer. He didn't have decades of years of records to learn from unlike modern players - he came up with his own style and laid the foundation for others to come. He composed several technically advanced pieces on his own, his Ice Water Blues is a good example. He also had crazy good tone, just listen to his rendition of John Henry.
Little Walter gave the Chicago Blues harp style legs. Paul Butterfield gave it wings. And the soul in his phrasing can’t be matched by any on your list- yes, even Little Walter. Listen with open ears and you can’t fail to hear it. Others would imitate Butter. But like Charlie Parker, who gave wings to jazz, Butter has never been equaled.
I love Pauls stuff, love all the albums. But he's no where near comparable to Little Walter. Pauls technique was basic, almost rudimentary. He had a stock pile of his own great licks that he often repeated. But he played with absolute soulful balls. Little Walter on the other hand, had a far superior tone and technique, and had endless ideas that led to a creativity and sophisticated innovation that hasn't been seen since.
Everybody has their favorite list of influences and these would surely be different depending on what style they played. I can't argue with any of your picks, who all have influenced me...though, hard to duplicate Carlos del Junco, and Howard Levy, no matter how hard I try ; however, do agree with those that said Butterfield should be on everyone's list
I really like Stevie and John, but i am not rating them at all....all these people can play an instrument that is difficult to play. Enjoyed the video!
This list is nonsense Levy is only one because no one can do his stuff the rest rubbish. Harmonica players need originality Little Walter OK back in day But only t- block nothing else simple Great harp players are on youtube but idiots cant see wood for the trees. 1 solo development originality language development naturally. Kim Wilson that is a joke just does old school all been done before no story whatso ever. This list is pathetic
Like all lists, very subjective. So many great players out there......all these are super accomplished yet few of them would make my list because it comes to down to who moves me.
Little and Big Walter, Sonny Boy 1 and 2, George Smith. The BEST players to ever pick up a a Harp!!! Love Toot's also. Just my own favorite players. Thanks for the video, much appreciated.
@OnceTheyNamedMeiWasnt That's him I'm sure! He's one mean musical mother pucker.... I first heard about him from a homeless lesbian dyslexic midget glockenspiel player when I was busking in a subway. The sandwich shop, that is. Legends about him had already "spread" before he ordered his own tin sandwich as he was previously the only person that had the genius to be able to play a foot long meatball Italian herbs and cheese one armed trombone through the back of his neck.
John Mayall the best British blues man of all time.Plays the the harp like no one else.92 years old I believe,81 albums.He has played with the greats!!!!
All of these players are extremely noisy,,,..except for the best player...Stevie Wonder by far. I simply play the harmonica in a way I have never seen anyone play at all. I play a style that allows me to play in any band...playing note for note all the way through the whole song along with the whole band...Blues players cannot do this. The very best Harmonica by far is the "EASTTOP" harmonica and the cheapest (prove me wrong if you can) ... buy them onebay-20 dollars
Pretty limited selection....1 Canadian and all the rest Americans. Only one chromatic player, and already people are arguing whether Butterfield or LW was 'best'. Clearly it's one player's opinion, and looks like a list of one man's favorites....maybe a more suitable approach would be rather than leaning heavy on the over benders and flashy technologists, but rather concentrate on the players who developed and helped to evolve the art. That list would certainly include over benders, but might also include players who have helped to put the instrument on the map. Kind of weird to ignore the country harp players or the great classical chrome players....whether you like that or not, Howard probably wouldn't be playing chromatically if he hadn't heard blokes like Larry Adler.
I can play along with any harmonica player in the world, including all the people on here however, when I started to get to know them as people they’re the last people in the world, they wanna know they’re all about their egos
I can play along with any harmonica player in the world, including all the people on here however, when I started to get to know them as people they’re the last people in the world, they wanna know they’re all about their egos
there's just one problem with this video, none of them are as good as Steve Williams that played harmonica for John Farnham since the 90's in songs like "chain reaction" that is some of the best harmonica playing you will ever hear.
This was fun to watch, but it's kind of unfair to select 7 people as the best harmonica players ever. I know one thing...I learn from everyone, even players who are not widely considered to be among the best.
Very good enjoyed your video thanks , some really interesting players here however as in all art I would suggest it is simply taste and there isn't such a thing as best.
I never like the way John Popper plays, it's too much, I've been playing since I was 10 I'm not saying I'm better than him but the harmonica you've got to give it a rest it's a lead instrument imagine somebody solving through the whole song with the guitar and the singer trying to sing at the same time.
You are joking here. Where's Charlie McCoy? 49 albums and climbing. played with everyone from Dylan to Elvis. Made more money with the harmonica than all these guys combined!
First time I heard John Popper playing “no woman, no cry” with Ziggy Marley, I couldn’t help but think of my friends who have passed away. It moved me to tears in front of my kids.
For an equal playing field I think of the diatonic players in a different category from the chromatic players. Not that one is better or worse but there's a difference.
A lesser known player out of chicago that deserves to be on a list is James Conway. Irish and blues player. Probably the best tongue block player you will find.
Not one of these harmonica players are playing .... note for note ... they are "ALL" .... tooters ... Sucking and/or blowing on one note at a time > for their style of playing they are ALL great players, but the question is "who are the best or greatest harmonica player? Please ...think/consider there are other styles of playing the harmonica that sound way better. Look for me in the very here future adding thousands of videos on RUclips.
great selection indeed. some of my own favorites, beside those 7, are: pat ramsey (no longer with us), charlie musselwhite, james harman, sugar blue....
John Popper can fly. That Ricci dude is insane so is his hair. Don't hate me but there's something about mic jagger (I know he's considered a hack) that I dig. And Butterfield died way too soon. There's so many that are amazing. And they stand on the shoulders of the originals. And I still can't bend the 4 hole very well.😢
![DDG & G Herbo - Nosey [Official Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/I9Ra0Zc2NlQ/mqdefault.jpg)
If you leave Buddy Greene and Charlie McCoy out, you don't have a list.
I hear ya Glenn!!!
Exactly
Good list with a lot of variety. I would throw in Paul DeLay
I agree. Paul deLay was one of the very best, with a unique, recognizable style all his own!
John Frazer- I'm glad someone mentioned the late, great Paul DeLay. He was great on both diatonic and chromatic instruments. Great phrasing and ideas. He was also a great songwriter and soulful singer. Not as well known as most of the others being talked about but just as good.
Agreed !!!
I always like Jimmy Hall as well.
The only one who isn't playing set lick is the one called levy the others give the impression of impro but to a fully trained session player I can tell you the others are clearly not doing it.
They didn’t mention Sonnyboy, Williamson, Ray Norcia, Charlie, musclewhite slim harpo Sonny terry, the guys they showed was hillbilly music from Kentucky and the Appalachia
Man, wanted to listen to great harmonica players and instead I got some guy talking over all of it.
zactly!
this is more of an introduction to the harmonica scene, rather than music to listen to, it's intended that you search the mentioned artists
@@anthonycrystal33 did yall ride the short bus
This video introduced to some cats I didn't know existed. Fantastic
They are idiots these youtube hacks
Buddy Green has to be very close to the top as he can play all styles and play them well...
Agreed.
@OnceTheyNamedMEiWasn't no I mean Buddy Green
@whyisitsostrangeinside I think you need your reeds adjusted.
@OnceTheyNamedMeiWasnt He wants to file your tip....
@OnceTheyNamedMeiWasnt Epoxy grout or furan grout? Admittedly I was once the tip on William Clarkes top.
LittleSonny should have made the list because he’s closer to Walter in tone and phrasing.
John Popper!!!!
Buddy Greene and Toots Thielman.
I second buddy greene
Yes. Buddy Greene
Most on the list are technically efficient and others very good but with high dollar effects. Stevie Wonder is a fine harmonica player and others like Charlie McCoy and Buddy Greene are great and use no effects. My favorite who played so fine with harmonicas not tweaked by technicians is Rice Miller also known as Sonny Boy Williamson ll. He lived his songs via harmonica playing and vocals. There are others that are very good too.
Just as general info--there is no such person as Chevy McCoin as per my search for them. Also another good harmonica guy is Lee Oskar. I like the Lee Oskar harmonicas because they play well and I can use parts from busted harps to put together a new one. They are easy to take apart and work on too.
@OnceTheyNamedMEiWasn't ok. Thanks. I’ll be on the lookout for him. Have a good one. Joe
@OnceTheyNamedMeiWasnt Somebody actually took the time to search for Chevy McCoin!!!! A HA HA HA!!!!
@OnceTheyNamedMeiWasnt Exactly! That's why the people here are mere fools! FOOLS I TELL THEE. To attempt a search on a man with such evasive cunning will only result in the chasing of a phantom... He's the missing note in every shell voicing, and the precise cause of why tuning your three hole draw equal to the first two creates such misery to the ears of albino gerbils the world over. And word from the underground as that he's working out fairground tunes on a 375 hole diatonic with cooling fins and a built in torch.....
@OnceTheyNamedMeiWasnt You don't know who Rice Miller was? Hard to take you seriously (even if your ''point'' was to do with whomever). ''Ain't but one way out, baby...''
I would have put Will Wilde somewhere near the top of the list of the best harmonica players that ever lived.
Nice. I love Will.
Rock on,
Luke
I went to school with Howard Levy. Graduated in 69 in a class of about 60 students. I was considered a harmonica player, Levy was considered a piano player. I still play. He however is probably the best in the world. Here’s to him.
So cool Peter! Thanks for sharing. Here's to him!
At Madcat Ruth's 70th birthday party five years ago, Howard Levy and Corky Siegel were among his guests. They regularly gig together and for a while they were playing some four handed stuff on the piano, then they started playing harmonica and piano at the same time, with Corky holding his harp with his right hand and playing the piano's left hand parts and Howard holding his harp in his left hand and playing the piano's right hand parts. Earlier, Corky was at the piano while Howard was soloing on the harmonica and when he started playing two parts at the same time on one harmonica, I saw Corky's jaw drop.
@@harmonicaster8106 I was a 14 year old white boy wanna be hippie in '68, getting into the blues, & Say Siegal Schwall got played daily over & over. Especially that 11 minute + slow blues tune in C......Them were the magic days of music indeed.
Popper, and delJunco :) ... really? WHERE ARE THIELEMANS, GREENE, BELL, McCain, POWER, Portnoy, Cotton, etc.? LOL, this post was just clickbait, wonder how Stevie still made the list and was not outplayed in your view by let say ...Konstantin Reinfeld (with all respect)
Blind Owl was one of the greatest EVER his tone and phrasing were otherworldly - I’m too young to have seen him live (63 years old) but I have friends who saw him many many,times & they said his playing in clubs was haunting and unparalleled the way he would move an audience…
An obsolete list without. TOOTS
Toots is the godfather
Shame on you
@@gorkygorky that was basically what I was saying
John Popper is the best hands down! Blues Traveler played in a major motion picture! The movie, "Kingpin"! It was funny to see them all dressed up like an Amish rock band...LOL!
YES, I'm a huge fan of Popper too, Gary!
Rock on,
Luke
MAGIC DICK!!!
NO ONE will ever be as good as James Cotton or T.Thieleman and dont you dare forget Rashelle Plas , she is awesome.
Check out Sonny Boy Williamson
Magic Dick from the J Giels band needs be on any list of the best harminica players.
I here ya George. One of the greats for sure!
what about James Cotton, Sonny Terry, Big Walter, Sonny Boy, Paul Butterfield, Musselwhite etc. ?
great bunch, especially Musselwhite
this guy dont know the bigers players, who really blues singing.
This guy must have lived under a rock he missed the major great ones??
Dude! You have to have James Cotton, William Clarke, and Jerry McCain on this list!
@OnceTheyNamedMEiWasn't NO William Clarke!
@@dougsfavorites2578 He means Walter Clack. Clack came out of the post punk generation of safety pin wearing tongue block merchants from south Wales.
Nice click bait.🥸Every country produces it's own skilled musos, and most don't receive recognition outside their locale especially if it's New Zealand,🥝Australia,🦘Finland🐫 or somewhere off the beaten track.🐾 I'm a simple Blues player, and often,less is more. 😇Every list of anything is fine,except it will exclude more than it can include. However the exclusion of Bob Dylan in this list was more than acceptable to me ! 😱
But the exclusion of Butterfield, Musselwhite and Mark Ford and quite a few dozen more that everybody else can name, is understandable if you can only count to seven ! Levi was underwhelming on this clip.🤧..couldn't you showcase him with something better? 😱
Craig Ferguson, any go to the show when Craig was the host? 1-4-2022
How about the "Wolf"
Ashay Kumar is freak on Chromatic.
There never will truly be a best. To many different styles. I like Buddy Greene and Charlie McCoy.
Perfectly right.
Tim Shaw. Agreed!
True
Can't believe you included John Popper!
You also seem to confuse technical ability with being in the blues groove, think of Lester Butler, Big Walter, or Sonny Boy. I could go on but the point is a flurry of notes does not equal Good!
Agree with you on this one. Poppers tone is how amatures sound after a few months, and his attempt at creative playing just sounds like an unorganised mess. His true strengths are his song writing and singing. What a great band BT are.
Larry Adler is my favorite chromatic player. Check him out. He also did a recording Django.
+ Brendan Power
A list is impossible; there are too many very good "best players" hahaha
Yesssssssss! I love Jason Ricci!! 💖🎶
Terry McMillian
Take a look at my channel :)
Don't forget Terry "Fingers" Nutkins.
Paul Butterfield.
Buddy Green not on this list? sad
Alan ,,The blind Owl ,, Wilson and Charlie Musselwhite
Butterfield opened up the entire harmonica players list. Without his input from late 50’s to 80’s, there would be no harp blues movement. I listened to his playing a lot live since 1965 to his untimely death! No one beats his harp artistry in innovation…nobody!
Right on Dennis. Yep, can't overemphasize his influence. Thanks for the comment!
🤫...🎯
Little Walter already beat him.
@@nelsonhibbert5267 Along with Big Walter, both Sonny Boys, many others before Butterfield.
But, still he really opened some doors, and helped create the "great white Harp player" migration into the Blues scene.
Butterfield was a beginner as a harp player a one or 2 position guy that really didn't stray out of one scale. It is so average LOL
Little Walter could play a chromatic harmonica and make it sound like a bruised diatonic harmonica the way he used the button was amazing
dude! Toots is the best in chromatic harminca and steve beker is kind of the best in modern blues you have to have them on the list.
Yep!
True RIP Toots
After looking at these lists I decided to put together a top 10 of the greatest influences on ME....not necessarily the all-time best...but nevertheless all damn good, and the ones I stole from the most (and it was hard to limit it to 10...could have easily done 20...or more); these are the ones who taught me how to play and who influenced my style the greatest. Presented on no particular order of ranking:
* Paul Butterfield
* Naz Nazarenko (of Elliot and the Untouchables)
* Little Walter
* Kim Wilson
* Lee McBee
* Howard Levy
* Charlie Musselwhite
* James Cotton
* Jerry Portnoy
* Norton Buffalo
...and that's the truth!!!!
Thank You for posting this! I’m new to a lot of theses artists but have loved harmonica since I was born. I’m almost an empty-nester & will finally have the time to learn how to properly play..so, I want to listen to as much of the best players as possible right how…plus, I just can’t get enough of that beautiful sound! I look forward to checking out your list!👍🌞
*I DO have a ❓for you (& anyone who reads this)>> Do you have any advice, tips, or recommendations, for someone just learning how to play like me? Any info would be greatly appreciated my friend!🌞
Good bunch of names. Norton! Oh my what a wonderful musician. Absolute genius player and completely unique. I saw him play a casino in Calgary years ago...he had an amazing band of top flight guys with him. He played chromatic in one hand and keyboard with the other all night. The tragedy was that there were only 18 people there. The year before I saw Chris Hillman (Byrds) and Bernie Leadon (Eagles) play to 12 at a local cowboy bar. WTF?
I lived in LA in the 80's and would add George "Harmonica" Smith and Jonny Dyer, Rod Piazza, William Clarke all of whom I had the pleasure of knowing also Mark Hummel and Mitch Kashmar
Paclin, when you did "Isn't she lovely" .... You were ON FIRE. GREAT JOB with that one. Also, You are spot on with your selections here. Especially regarding Carlos and Jason.
There are so many greats and they're so different, I can't make an ordered list. I was wondering if my harmonica hero would show up, and he did: Stevie Wonder. If I could play half as good, I think I will have died and gone to Heaven.
Right on Philip! Stevie's one of my favorites too!
For me, the best harmonica player of all time is without a doubt Deford Bailey. Amazing tone and technique, he was THE pioneer. He didn't have decades of years of records to learn from unlike modern players - he came up with his own style and laid the foundation for others to come. He composed several technically advanced pieces on his own, his Ice Water Blues is a good example. He also had crazy good tone, just listen to his rendition of John Henry.
Sorry this video is void; period, without Sonny Boy Williamson.
Does anyone remember LEE OSKAR?
Yeah 😄
Adam Gussow
Thom Doucette?
Little Walter gave the Chicago Blues harp style legs.
Paul Butterfield gave it wings.
And the soul in his phrasing can’t be matched by any on your list- yes, even Little Walter. Listen with open ears and you can’t fail to hear it.
Others would imitate Butter. But like Charlie Parker, who gave wings to jazz, Butter has never been equaled.
With regards to attack and tone....phew, he was a monster. Still my favorite. I finally stopped trying to sound like him.
I love Pauls stuff, love all the albums. But he's no where near comparable to Little Walter. Pauls technique was basic, almost rudimentary. He had a stock pile of his own great licks that he often repeated. But he played with absolute soulful balls. Little Walter on the other hand, had a far superior tone and technique, and had endless ideas that led to a creativity and sophisticated innovation that hasn't been seen since.
Apart from Chevy McCoin.
Don't forget Toots...
Stevie Wonder, Charlie Musselwhite, Chrissie Hynde, (The blues harp player half) of Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee
You missed Sugar Blue... Billy Branch... Big Walter Horton !!!
missed too to many!!Papa Lightfoot,James Cotton !!!
I dig Charlie Musselwhite!! Been around a long time.
Totally agree with your Stevie Wonder comments, but sorry to not see the great Sonny Terry on the list.
Oooh. Sonny Terry! Good point Steve!
Rock on,
Luke
Of course, every harmonica fan or player can name a hundred others that should be among the '7 Best' - and they're doing it in the Comments ... !
Everybody has their favorite list of influences and these would surely be different depending on what style they played. I can't argue with any of your picks, who all have influenced me...though, hard to duplicate Carlos del Junco, and Howard Levy, no matter how hard I try
; however, do agree with those that said Butterfield should be on everyone's list
I really like Stevie and John, but i am not rating them at all....all these people can play an instrument that is difficult to play. Enjoyed the video!
This list is nonsense Levy is only one because no one can do his stuff the rest rubbish. Harmonica players need originality Little Walter OK back in day But only t- block nothing else simple Great harp players are on youtube but idiots cant see wood for the trees. 1 solo development originality language development naturally. Kim Wilson that is a joke just does old school all been done before no story whatso ever. This list is pathetic
This video + the comment gallery opened me up to some superb sounds I didn't know existed! Thanks to all of you!
Like all lists, very subjective. So many great players out there......all these are super accomplished yet few of them would make my list because it comes to down to who moves me.
It's not clear who first played amplified harmonica using a cupped PA mic, Little Walter, Snooky Pryor, or Sonny Boy II.
heres my best 7...1-little walter..2-little walter..3-little walter..4-little walter..5-little walter...6-rod piazza..7-wm. clarke
Cool.
Everyone will now add in who they think is missing. And I cant argue with their or your choices for the most part.
Evan Rice.
Little and Big Walter, Sonny Boy 1 and 2, George Smith. The BEST players to ever pick up a a Harp!!! Love Toot's also. Just my own favorite players. Thanks for the video, much appreciated.
@OnceTheyNamedMeiWasnt Isn't Graham Smithen the guy that pioneered the U bend sink block tongue pucker rug muncher technique?
@OnceTheyNamedMeiWasnt That's him I'm sure! He's one mean musical mother pucker.... I first heard about him from a homeless lesbian dyslexic midget glockenspiel player when I was busking in a subway. The sandwich shop, that is. Legends about him had already "spread" before he ordered his own tin sandwich as he was previously the only person that had the genius to be able to play a foot long meatball Italian herbs and cheese one armed trombone through the back of his neck.
All good...but nothing like Alan Wilson... of Canned Heat... the best
FREDERIC YONNET!!!!!!!!!!
Yes..agree..the guy talking over great music is obnoxious...rude...
John Mayall the best British
blues man of all time.Plays the
the harp like no one else.92 years
old I believe,81 albums.He has
played with the greats!!!!
One of the greats for sure!
Don't forget Sonny Boy Willamson and Big Walter Horton👏🙏❤️😃👍
7 best??? Then where the f&%€ is Jean Toots Thielemans????????????. The world's greatest harmonica player RIP from Belgium (fyi that's in Europe),
All of these players are extremely noisy,,,..except for the best player...Stevie Wonder by far. I simply play the harmonica in a way I have never seen anyone play at all. I play a style that allows me to play in any band...playing note for note all the way through the whole song along with the whole band...Blues players cannot do this. The very best Harmonica by far is the "EASTTOP" harmonica and the cheapest (prove me wrong if you can) ... buy them onebay-20 dollars
Pretty limited selection....1 Canadian and all the rest Americans. Only one chromatic player, and already people are arguing whether Butterfield or LW was 'best'. Clearly it's one player's opinion, and looks like a list of one man's favorites....maybe a more suitable approach would be rather than leaning heavy on the over benders and flashy technologists, but rather concentrate on the players who developed and helped to evolve the art. That list would certainly include over benders, but might also include players who have helped to put the instrument on the map. Kind of weird to ignore the country harp players or the great classical chrome players....whether you like that or not, Howard probably wouldn't be playing chromatically if he hadn't heard blokes like Larry Adler.
I can play along with any harmonica player in the world, including all the people on here however, when I started to get to know them as people they’re the last people in the world, they wanna know they’re all about their egos
I can play along with any harmonica player in the world, including all the people on here however, when I started to get to know them as people they’re the last people in the world, they wanna know they’re all about their egos
Popper for the win.
Yessah! I'm with you, Zippy!
No Paul Butterfield, James Cotton, or Blind Owl?
guy is a foreign guy
there's just one problem with this video, none of them are as good as Steve Williams that played harmonica for John Farnham since the 90's in songs like "chain reaction" that is some of the best harmonica playing you will ever hear.
This was fun to watch, but it's kind of unfair to select 7 people as the best harmonica players ever. I know one thing...I learn from everyone, even players who are not widely considered to be among the best.
I respect Howard Levy out of this group because he’s the only one that respects and treats his fans correctly
Very prejudicial towards country harmonica players
Paul Butterfield, Alan Wilson, Rice Miller, John Lee Williamson, Sony Terry, Lee Oskar ,Lttle Walter, Big Walter, Snooky Pryor, Kim Wilson.
Cool!
Very good enjoyed your video thanks , some really interesting players here however as in all art I would suggest it is simply taste and there isn't such a thing as best.
I never like the way John Popper plays, it's too much, I've been playing since I was 10 I'm not saying I'm better than him but the harmonica you've got to give it a rest it's a lead instrument imagine somebody solving through the whole song with the guitar and the singer trying to sing at the same time.
You are joking here. Where's Charlie McCoy? 49 albums and climbing. played with everyone from Dylan to Elvis. Made more money with the harmonica than all these guys combined!
Love your passion Ray. I love me some Charlie McCoy too!
Of course Stevie Wonder belongs on the list. But to forget Gregoire Maret and especially Toots Thielemann, this video is a joke.
they play chromatic harmonica not diatonic
@@letypealharmonica So does Stevie Wonder
John Popper?...
Antonio Serrano from Spain is great.
where is toets tieleman
Great point!
To me. Almost all of them sound like kinder garden compared to Mathias Heise.
Kim Wilson is not 100% tongue blocker, according to him.
Sugar Blue is the best current blues player PERIOD... wake da fuck up and listen WTF
First time I heard John Popper playing “no woman, no cry” with Ziggy Marley, I couldn’t help but think of my friends who have passed away. It moved me to tears in front of my kids.
No mention of Jimmy horner' the king of harmonica?
For an equal playing field I think of the diatonic players in a different category from the chromatic players. Not that one is better or worse but there's a difference.
Agreed!
A lesser known player out of chicago that deserves to be on a list is James Conway. Irish and blues player. Probably the best tongue block player you will find.
YES agreed he's a total beast. So amazing.
Opinion piece,there are so many other great players out there
Not one of these harmonica players are playing .... note for note ... they are "ALL" .... tooters ... Sucking and/or blowing on one note at a time > for their style of playing they are ALL great players, but the question is "who are the best or greatest harmonica player? Please ...think/consider there are other styles of playing the harmonica that sound way better. Look for me in the very here future adding thousands of videos on RUclips.
No Whammer Jammer with Magic Dick on the licking stick!!!
The fact that Buddy Greene isn't even on this list? The hell
great selection indeed. some of my own favorites, beside those 7, are: pat ramsey (no longer with us), charlie musselwhite, james harman, sugar blue....
Agreed!
@@Harmonicacom & of course many others as well, for there' re quite a few decent players around, & not just in america.
John Popper can fly. That Ricci dude is insane so is his hair. Don't hate me but there's something about mic jagger (I know he's considered a hack) that I dig. And Butterfield died way too soon. There's so many that are amazing. And they stand on the shoulders of the originals. And I still can't bend the 4 hole very well.😢
Midnight Rambler.
What "scale" am I being watched and followed on?
Jason Ricci is the man. Another great bluesman is Charlie Musselwhite.
I would put Wonder and Ricci at the top too
Thank you you so much! I appreciate this comment very much!
Continental Robert Susz and Ron King :)
The title should read DIATONIC harmonica players.