HarmoniCombo

Live performance at the 11th annual North Carolina Azalea Festival in March of 1958.

The trio consists of my father and two of his friends. I was only eight months old at the time of this performance, but my first exposure to music as a young boy was listening my father and his friends practicing and rehearsing in our living room, which often included playing along to recordings of The Harmonicats and The Harmonica Rascals. Years later, during the 70's, my father joined The Harmonica Rascals and remained with them until shortly before he died in 1979.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Harmonica
• Harmonicats
• Hohner
• Chromatic

[guvra]

why not live playing?

[CooolJazzz]

Ummm...Because it was 1958...a live stage performance...not being filmed for television or anything? It was just by luck that someone happened to be recording it backstage on a reel-to-reel tape recorder.

[prolifikpoet]

Very interesting! Does the picture demonstrate how they actually played? Just the one large harmonica playing the bass line while the guy in the middle plays a separate one in a higher octave? Also what kind of harmonica is the big one, I've never seen one that size!

[CooolJazzz]

The one in the middle (my father) is playing the lead (melody) on a Hohner 64 Chromatic. The big long one is called a Chord Harmonica because that's what it does...Chords. The Bass harmonica is the one being held in the lower left of the picture. This picture represents a brief moment during the performance when Frank stops playing Bass and joins Gerald on the Chord harmonica (3:54), then switches back to Bass (4:04).

[topcatfw]

Hello Joseph!!! It's a real pleasure to hear our music after all these years... Thanks for sharing it. I remember this occasion very well, and it is as though it was only "yesterday". It was a grand privilege to perform with your dad and Gerald Watkins. I can relate to your elation in listening to your dad's playing, as I have many fond memories of performing with them. Best regards to you and your family. Frank Warner.

[CooolJazzz]

It was definitely a thrill to learn these recordings still existed, much less get my hands on them. Fond childhood memories are nice, but being able to listen to the music again as an adult means more to me than you know. Or perhaps you DO know...*smile*

Thanks again Frank!

[kiwistrudel]

AWESOME, JUST AWESOME.... THANK YOU!!!!

[mortygwhiz]

Great story and great performance. Love that boogie woogie.

[pilotpa28]

Fanstatic, I wonder if your Dad knew Stan Kaye or Henry Samuals. My Uncle was Stan Kaye

Good Luck

[elkriverharmonicas]

Which harmonica is your dad playing?

By the way, this is awesome. You have everyt right to be proud. 50 years later, it still sounds fresh. I really like all the new parts they added to the Harmonicats Boogie at the beginning, they took a lot more liberties with that, I thought, than they did with Three for Tea. And that is what makes it so fresh and unique.

[landztranz]

Superb! Thanks for exposing me (and the rest of the world) to their artistry!

[harmaniac]

I first met Frank a few years ago at the Yellow Pine Harmonica Contest... What a guy!

[harpman54]

Very cool....a nifty piece of harmonica nostalgia to uncover. Thanks for posting it. Yes, I'd give it 5 stars too!

[Diggsblues]

So cool. Loved it!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[elkriverharmonicas]

What jackass gave this four stars?

Nothing less than five from me. I'm glad you're proud, I've got two recordings of my grandpa from 1950... wouldn't trade them for the world.

[landztranz]

Fortunately, this performance was saved. Great versions of both songs! Thank you!