Harmonica - Larry Adler & Jerry Adler - Very rare document

[mojomann]

@riskas513 check Larry Adler on Google for reading music and tongue blocking. A numer of sites refer to him learning to read music by 1941 (27 yrs old). Also, he was primarily a 'pucker player' not tongue blocker.

Happy hunting!

[riskas513]

@mojomann Thanks for the tip, pal.

[mojomann]

@riskas513. Thanks for the heads up. I meant to say...he couldn't even read music...'until his late twenties'. Which was well after he began playing professionally.

Thanks!

[riskas513]

@mojomann Are you sure of that??? 

[paulj0557]

@mojomann Did you know Erroll Garner couldn't read a note (watch 35minute of Erroll Garner). Also theater organist Jesse Crawford was a self taught player that didn't have professional instruction until after a long successful career as a silent film organist. These two guys were amazing! Jesse learned from guy that taught Tommy Dorsey.

Often reading music is over rated. Have been learning theater organ by myself recommend organ to everyone! Wurlitzer 4500/4520/4300 &Morelock's4Parts.

[mojomann]

Absolute Mastery! And not just of the chromatic harmonica, but Gershwin as well! And Larry Adler couldn't read music either...what an ear!

By the way, Paul Butterfield also played the diatonic 'upside down', with the low notes on the right.

Aside from the poor recording quality, this is a timeless piece of harmonica history, seeing the Adler brothers together!

Thanks for the Post!

[riskas513]

@mojomann Larry Adler could not read music? Are you kidding me? Anyway, thanks for your comment

[VIOLA703]

Fantasico!

[riskas513]

@VIOLA703 Grazie mille mia cara

[ramonysuarmonica]

VERY NICE

[riskas513]

@ramonysuarmonica Thanks for comment

[sycragamer]

@riskas513 Thanks for sharing your Master

[riskas513]

@sycragamer Welcome Danilo

[artyrowerpom]

didn't sonny terry play this way also?

[riskas513]

@artyrowerpom Are you kidding me ? Sonny is a good harmonica player, but as blues harper.

[jameslgeerling]

Is it just me? Or is he holding his harmonica backwards compared to most others? With the video out of sync, it's hard to tell, but I think he has the low note holes on the right. Correct me if I'm wrong.

[riskas513]

@jameslgeerling My dear, is a mather of fact Jerry played with the harmonica rather than usual, ie the low notes were on the right side of the instrument. I don't know if was a mistake of learning the instrument or he would be a lefty man. What I know is that two good portuguese players play the same way.

[MrThunderharp]

@jameslgeerling The great Bluesman, William Clarke, even played his diatonics backwards.... Albert King played guitar upsidedown because he was poor and only had a right handed guitar when he learned. Turns out the bends are stronger by pulling down. Sometimes when people follow the "this is how you do it" way of thinking they lose their creative juices.

[chrom267]

has Jerry learn to play harmonica fromm larry

[riskas513]

@chrom267 Eso no es totalmend verdad mi bueno amigo, Jerry eres un extraordinario harmonicista, tal que su hermano. Por supuesto que esto es mi opinión. Gracias por comentares.

[riskas513]

Thanks lublingua for your kind comment.

[hswatnik]

rip jerry adler

[riskas513]

Yes hswatnik, maybe Jerry is playing again with his brother Larry in a celestial orchestra.

[tipple1933]

I have an idea the piano is george gershwin because larry had a piano roll of george wihch he used to record himself & george & playing rhapsody in blue together long after gershwin died, i could be wrong so please don't laugh

[riskas513]

@tipple1933 My dear Eric, many people ignore that Jerry and Larry were brothers (sons of different father). Also them never related very well (jealousy ?) and this is one of the few moments (if not only one) in they shared the same stage. Absolutely correct, is a piano roll of G. G. that L. A. used several times in their performances. Keep in touch.

[tipple1933]

Thanks for replying to my comment,very interesting,bye for now. eric

[tipple1933]

fantastic, i didn't even know larry adler had a brother & i have been a fan of his for 60 years

[freereeder]

Truly delightful and a treasure. My very first harmonica records were (Larry) Adler's Columbia album, which included "Rhapsody". I do wish we knew the name of the pianist here. He also appears in a Youtube video I assembled from the Stan harper group's SPAH appearance (I call it "Hint O' Stan")...but Stan doesnt reall him either. Can anybody help? Interesting, too, that the bothers play harmonica in opposite directions!

[riskas513]

Hi freereeder, thanks for your kind comment. Sorry, I can't help you with the pianist's name. I've also watched him at another SPAH events, but I don't know his name. Cheers and keep in touch.

[freereeder]

Thanks for the prompt reply. (Boy, did I have a bunch of typos in my message! It's the #$%^&* small type Youtube imposes on us, of course.) I might add that my record collection has now grown to awesome proportions...Adler, Minevitch, Harper, Leo Diamond, and so many, many others!

[riskas513]

Hi freereeder, as I have a lot of harmonica music (collected over 50 years), if you look for something, tell me and I'll send you on file. Best wishes

[whittlinwill]

Riskas513,

I do not know what happened, but this is NOT the audio from this performance! This is a overdubb of a recording I have! I've been a Larry Adler fan for YEARS! This IS a rare gem to watch the 2 brothers together though! I just wish the actual audio was there, & I wish I was there to witness this event!!! Thanks all the same for sharing this.

[riskas513]

Sorry Whittlinwill, this is the ACTUAL audio from the 2 brothers performance. I´m a harmonica player with a more of 50 years of experience, and a harmonica collector since my 14 years ( I have now 71 years old). So, I'm sure of my words. Thanks all the same for your comment.

[landztranz]

@riskas513 Yes, it's obvious that this is the actual audio; anyone with a decent ear and a good pair of eyes can tell. They're playing exactly what we hear - it's just a bit out of synch, unfortunately.

[riskas513]

@landztranz That´s right landztranz, thanks

[landztranz]

I wonder who pushed the piano player out of the way. Ha-ha.

[riskas513]

the piano player is the invisible man LOL

[salchez68]

@landztranz harp playr looks like an old BruceWillis with hair, ha!

[landztranz]

A rare treat indeed! Thank you for posting it!

[riskas513]

Welcome landztranz and thanks

[landztranz]

The first one isn't - he's the visible man.

[rafiee1980]

i love harmonica

[riskas513]

Me too, thanks rafiee

[LarryAdlerFan]

Thanks man!

[riskas513]

Welcome LarryAdlerFan