Search - Various Artists :: Mountain Top West Coast Blues Session, Vol. 1

Scorching Harp

Mr. Mambo | Burnsville, MN USA | 09/30/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"If you love blues harmonica, you MUST acquire any album on which Gary Smith performs. Gary is absolutely one of the greatest harp players of all-time. He's only released a couple of albums in thirty years: Up the Line and Mountain Top Blues Volume 3: Blues for Mr. B. The Mr. B disk is a landmark, one of the best harp albums ever and certainly a must for anyone who is into the "Mississippi Saxophone". He's known as the master of the "Monster Tone", and it's certainly showcased here. How can one describe the unique Gary Smith sound? Well, let's just say it's a magnificently loud, deep, sonorous, scorching, heavy sound that no one else has achieved, at least to the degree that Gary has. He's able to make such wonderfully smooth transitions from single hole blowing to warbling, and his tremelo playing is so perfect as to be almost machine-like. He never overplays; every note is played "for keeps".

A bonus on this album is the presence of Paris Slim, a great guitarist and really nice singer, whose voice sounds a lot like the late, great Gary Primich, particularly on the red-hot Bloody Tears.

Be sure to pick up both Mountain Top Gary Smith albums, as well as the two MT harp anthologies he's featured on."