FROM HOHNER, INC. SPRING/SUMMER 2003 Searching for Little2 Walter Mickey3 Raphael European News6 SPAH8 2002 Notes From Rick’s Bench Double 10 Darin’ New Releases deLay 14 US News Page 12 17 In Search of Little Walter Pioneer of Chicago Blues Harmonica BY DAVID MASSEY ittle Walter remains a mystery. Perhaps skills and spent the last five years diligently work- and author of a harp instruction book in 1965) you own every immortal Chess/Checker ing on this massive project. Along the way, each and writer/musician Ward Gaines scoured L track the harmonica genius recorded, as author would help motivate the others to keep census records, police files, studio log sheets, well as the fascinating alternative tracks. Maybe the challenging and time-consuming research genealogical data. They also studied hours of you’ve studied liner notes discussing his Hohner and writing moving along. rare out-takes and interviewed more than 60 of Marine Band mastery and tragic “gone-too- Chicago-based writer/musician Scott Dirks, Walter’s cohorts and contemporaries — from soon” life story. If so, you’ve probably also rattled Tony Glover (of Koerner, Ray and Glover fame, Marshall Chess to Billy Boy Arnold. your brain working out the riffs “We thought the task of writ- to such classics as Juke and ing this book would be too Roller Coaster. daunting individually,” says Nonetheless, no full- Gaines. “But writing the scale biography of arguably book together with Scott the most inventive, and Tony was a lot of fun.” creative and lyrical blues The writers were all harmonica player of all somewhat surprised at the time, Marion Walter Jacobs, lack of written material on had ever been written. This Walter — and had to over- is surprising, as the oft-over- come many research road- looked pioneer single-han- blocks and obstacles. The dledly wrote the definitive challenges included several textbook on Chicago-style Walter contemporaries and blues harmonica. He died some family members who tragically in 1968 — only 37 were hesitant to share their years old. knowledge. In addition, at But all will be revealed times names and dates did in a new Little Walter not jibe, research leads and biography. tips fizzled out, etc. In fact, Three Little Walter the authors had to roll up fanatics embarked on the their sleeves and do a lot of daunting task of piecing old-fashioned detective together the complex trou- work. bled life and groundbreak- “The project was real ing music of Little Walter archeology,” says Gaines. — the first complete and “Our research was like exhaustive biography. forensics, finding a bone The result is Blues with a here and a shard there, and Feeling: The Little Walter building up from that. The Story (Routledge Press; 368 book was similar to fitting pages) which also includes together a mosaic or one the most complete Walter big jigsaw puzzle.” discography ever published, The authors learned that plus never-before-seen Walter essentially had been photos and promo ads, overlooked by history. They according to the authors. believe their biography will This triumvirate of co- help to give Walter his due authors (all blues harp play- as one of the true geniuses ers) pooled their respective of blues and modern music. research talents and writing continued on page 22 2 Highway Living Room Catching Up With Mickey Raphael BY CATHI NORTON ickey Raphael has been playing musician most famous as the album cover pho- Butterfield, “‘It’s easy to play riffs all night; it’s harmonica in the same country band tographer for the Rolling Stones. Lenny Kravitz much harder to play the melody.’ If I play licks Mfor almost 30 years. Sure, it’s Willie actually produced the album and enlisted friends it’s for a solo. I’m not a fast player either; I’d Nelson’s band, but still, Mickey’s been playing to help on different tracks. “Lenny did a couple; rather hear one person play two wonderful notes Crazy since Mariah Carey was two and the war Gillian Welch; the Wallflowers; and Willie and I with great tone than machine-gun fire.” in Vietnam plagued us! From all I’ve learned, produced one.” Thirty years of working with Willie Nelson this band’s survival comes down to fierce loyalty, When not engaged in outside projects, has given Mickey a wealth of amazing experi- musical skill and the ability to grow together Raphael experiments with his stage work, ences, worldwide travel and incredible musical through challenges. adding echo and bass harp to develop different adventures. Though band members share tight For Raphael, this means he’s always on the ambient sounds. Yet he sticks with his basic quarters (“luxurious but close,” grins Mickey), lookout for ways to stay fresh and stimulate his playing philoso- they have clearly developed a touring lifestyle musical muse. Born in Dallas, Texas, in 1952 phy — that works. Nelson’s antics are legendary and his and gifted with a guitar at a young age, he advice he popularity and music continue to charm audi- quickly abandoned it. “I was terrible,” he first heard ences everywhere. Mickey Raphael is grateful laughed. Before long, however, the teenager from and not blind to the rarity of his 30-year gig. was playing gigs in a Dallas folk club and Paul “Willie’s a pretty loyal guy to work for!” working with folk singer B.W. Stephenson. One day a Dallas football coach and fan EZR: The Willie-gig amazes me Mickey, yet I invited him to a post-game party. Willie Nelson know you’re doing a lot of session work. was there. “He told me to come jam if I heard Mickey Raphael: they were playing around, so I did!” Yes. I really love studio work Though Willie works the band hard from because it’s such a challenge and I love the way February to November (last year they did 130 I sound in the studio! Maybe I’m jaded, but I’d cities), Mickey takes on session work whenever much rather do something great on record he can. He got his start as a session artist when because studio work is how you’re judged. At Rodney Crowell interested Brian Ahearn least that’s how I judge myself. (Emmylou Harris’ producer) in him. He I know Willie’s got a zillion soon moved from his home in Austin records out. What’s the latest? and remained in the Los Angeles area for 18 years before moving to The Great Divide, with Matt Nashville, TN (all the while tour- Serletic. Matt produces ing with Willie). He’s recorded Matchbox 20 and did the last with a huge list of stars: big Santana hit. Emmylou Harris, Elton John, Refresh me on your rig Rodney Crowell, Guy Clark, Mickey. I remember U2, etc. “Every now and then I you use a Beyer mic? need a curve ball,” he smiled. A recent project with Paula Yes, an M88, through a Cole and another with jazz pre-amp on stage into saxophone player Bill Evans the PA. It goes through (who Raphael saw play with an amp too. I have a Miles Davis as a kid) really compressor and a pumped him up. “Jazz was pre-amp on stage with a hard,” laughed Mickey, “but the volume control so when music really fit the harp.” He even I play quieter harp I can tried producing. “I produced a boost the level a little. track for Mark Seliger — a fledgling continued on page 22 3 Pete Pedersen The Man Behind The Music BY JAINE RODACK t’s funny how “I’ve been playing the harmonica since age 5. I the ‘little guy’ in feature movies as well as a count- things appear grew up in Chicago, and some of my early mentors less number of ‘shorts.’ I stayed with the ‘Rascals’ Iserendipitously. ... who even let the kid hang with them a little ... for about 8 years. Recently I was asked were Stuff Smith, J.C. Higginbotham, Red Alan On my own after Minevitch, I worked for a to write an article for and Fletcher Henderson. while in a group called The Don Henry Trio, a EasyReeding about My best friend, even to this day, is Jerry Murad. show group. We had a semi-hit on the Regent my far better half, Pete Together with two guys we met in the Parks, Al label in Sabre Dance, as well as some standards Pedersen. and Bob, we formed a Harmonica band called the that are now collector’s items among harmonica Pete passed away Harmonica Madcaps. Shortly after that, Jerry and players. Next step was to become a duo: the in May of 2002. Since I got an invitation to join the world famous Borrah Harmonic-Aires ... I hope you love all these names then, I’ve spent a good Minevitch Harmonica Rascals: the harmonica ... another show act, but now, with the credential bit of time sifting through old photographs and band that featured of eight appearances on the Ed Sullivan Show. souvenirs: a lifetime of achievements and memo- We even toured with him for Lincoln Mercury ries.There was so much to say about him. So Concerts. many things I wanted to write that I didn’t know Eventually I became a one-man show, where to start. kind of a poor-man’s Victor Borge with a I spent days writing and rewriting the 1500 harmonica. words allotted to me. I wanted every one to Three kids later I became a be perfect — to give those who didn’t jingle, industrial film and know him an idea of who he was and production music library writer what he had accomplished.