Stephen Chambers Posted April 7, 2004 Share Posted April 7, 2004 If concertina players are concertinists are harmonica players harmonikists...?Shouldn't "har-moniker" be the proper "name"? (Ooh! Bad pun! ) Actually, there is a proper name - "Harmonicists". So you were only one letter out Premo ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
premo Posted April 7, 2004 Share Posted April 7, 2004 I used a 'k' rather than a 'c' to indicate a hard consonant and avoid the pronunciation 'harmonisist'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RustyBits Posted April 7, 2004 Author Share Posted April 7, 2004 (edited) My own made-up term for one of those tiny ones with notes that only bats can hear Jim, this is just a perfect description of those tiny squeakers. I hope you don't mind if it becomes regular terminology in the mid-coast Maine area, because I'm sure to be using it. before-coffee horrible spelling corrected Edited April 7, 2004 by Lisa Wirth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
premo Posted April 7, 2004 Share Posted April 7, 2004 The harmonica variety act (see above posting) was the Three Monarchs (not five, after all). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kurt Braun Posted April 7, 2004 Share Posted April 7, 2004 There was a group call the Harmonicats. There were more than three as I remember. They were very good and played lots of harmonicas. Some were huge. Some were ganged in groups, sort of like a gatling gun where you could rotate from one to another. The plethora of instruments wasn't just to get to different keys. Some used multiple reeds on a single hole and were wet tuned. They were very good. They acted like clowns, but they played very well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Booth Posted April 9, 2004 Share Posted April 9, 2004 In the early part of the last century (still getting used to that!) harmonica groups were very popular and there were quite a few of them, the Harmonicats, led by Cappy Barra, being the best known. The US Marines, no less, had a long running Harmonica band, hence the famous Marine Band harmonica from Hohner. The book. Harps, Hamonicas and Heavy breathers gives a great, comprehensive history of "The Peoples' Instrument" and is well worth the read. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimLucas Posted April 9, 2004 Share Posted April 9, 2004 ...the Harmonicats, led by Cappy Barra... A quick web search confirms my memory that the Harmonicats were led by Jerry Murad. Cappy Barra's group appears to have been generally earlier than the Harmonicats. (Cappy Barra's Harmonica group is variously mentioned as CBH Band, CBH Ensemble, CBH Gentlemen, and Cappy Barra's Swing Ensemble. I don't know whether these were actually different groups, different recording names for the same group, or just sloppy "reporting".) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Samantha Posted April 9, 2004 Share Posted April 9, 2004 Cappy Barra ! What a GREAT name! Samantha Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Booth Posted April 9, 2004 Share Posted April 9, 2004 OOh, Yes, Yer right again, Jim. Ol' age and pre-Alzheimers doth creep up apace . The book title, tho is correct, and his information is a lot more reliable than mine. If only I could remember the Author... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Day Posted April 9, 2004 Share Posted April 9, 2004 Did the Monarchs have a midget who used to play a huge base harmonica which was double sided and had to keep twisting it as he played.I am sure I have seen this group years ago but cannot now remember where? Al Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Henk van Aalten Posted April 10, 2004 Share Posted April 10, 2004 Cappy Barra ! What a GREAT name!Samantha Well.. not knowing any of those names related to harmonica players and groups, my first association with Cappy Barra is a huge rodent, living in Venezuela . Have a look at this! A famous harmonica player in our (Dutch speaking) region is of course Toots Thielemans. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimLucas Posted April 10, 2004 Share Posted April 10, 2004 ...my first association with Cappy Barra is a huge rodent, living in Venezuela . I thought he might be captain of the football squad from Scotland's Isle of Barra. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RustyBits Posted April 10, 2004 Author Share Posted April 10, 2004 my first association with Cappy Barra is a huge rodent, living in Venezuela . Me Too! I wonder what this fellow Cappy Barra looks like??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kurt Braun Posted April 10, 2004 Share Posted April 10, 2004 Me Too! I wonder what this fellow Cappy Barra looks like??? The harmonica playing version of Cabby Barra is pictured at this site: http://www.harmonicats.com/history2.htm Scroll down to the third picture. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Wild Posted April 10, 2004 Share Posted April 10, 2004 I thought he might be captain of the football squad from Scotland's Isle of Barra. Possibly the Isle of Barra may struggle to produce enough population to make up a full football team -I have not checked the last census but some of the Western Isles are sparsely populated. - john Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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