Songs I've Avoided

My feeling about some instrumentals is that unless you can play it as well as the original, they are to be avoided.  It depends upon the piece, of course.

Two such items on harmonica would be Orang Blossom Special  and Whammer Jammer; both are performances I admire.  OJS never actually appealed to me as a tune, other than Charlie McCoy's deft handling of it.  He played or plays killer harp.  I guess he's still kicking--don't know.

Whammer Jammer belongs to Magic Dick.  Trying to cover such a tune by a guy with such a name, well, I feel one must be prepared, whatever that may mean.  I've yet to hear anyone do that instrumental up to the standard he set.  Even he doesn't play it quite as well any more.  But you've rarely seen a more perpetually happy musician, ever.  I saw him a few years back at the Blues Awards---I was photographer's assistent, on assignment for Rolling Stone--and afterwards, out by the curb, he and his cronies were in a tour bus and asked me how to get to I-40.  That's right, I got a coat hanger from them because I locked my keys in the car.

Anyway, I've been asked and encouraged to do those tunes and managed to escape until now.  It looks like I have to learn OJS.  Les, the guitar/harmonica/etc. old time country and whatnot player, played that tune and pulled me up there.  I was lost because I didn't know how it even worked. I did a little but it was a poor showing.  Les blew it out of the park--or knocked it.  I was impressed.

But it made me determined to learn that song.  I am still just not much on a certain strain of country and bluegrass.  I like some of each, most of which doesn't need me playing.  Unless I played something else or suddenly developed a blue grass singing voice.  They have some great vocals.  I haven't always known that.

===============================================