Harmonicas are sneaky. They show up all kinds of places we don't quite expect them. If I say "harmonica player", what do you picture? Probably a wizened old Delta-bluesman, playing soulful cross-harp with wailing bent notes. Or maybe an old-timey hillbilly huffing through a lively square dance tune punctuated with swigs of moon shine. You probably don't picture sixties Jamaican hep cats in suits. At least I didn't. But I was listening to my beloved ska—I don't remember which tune—and I thought, what is that high reedy thing playing the skanks?* After a few confused seconds, I realized it was a harmonica. And then I started to hear harmonica in tons of ska songs. And then, once I started paying attention, I started to hear harmonica tons other music where I wasn't quite expecting it: Belle and Sebastian songs, and... um... well, a whole bunch of others that I can't think of right now. (It's been a long day.) But really, it was a lot. Sneaky little harmonicas.
* No, no, I'm not calling names. "Skank" is ska-insider lingo for that characteristic heavily emphasized off beat upstroke: boom skank boom skank boom skank boom skank. (I learned that recently; I'm showing off.)
The only instrument that ever stuck to me. I love the mouth harp. I can't play a song but I can play a tune thanks to the humble harmonica. ...just an amateur noodling on the front porch or on a park bench enjoying the day with a song in his heart.
ReplyDeleteBest,
WK
What's ska?
ReplyDeleteThe best music in the whole wide world.
ReplyDeleteAre you sure some it it isn't melodica?
ReplyDeleteI won't claim any certainty on the subject, but I strongly believe it to be a harmonica. (Are melodicas even sneakier than harmonicas? What's the sneakiest instrument, the instrument that shows up in the most places that you least expect it?)
ReplyDelete