Youthful harmonica prodigies have the blues

Murray sez, "I recently launched a podcast at the UK-based harmonica website www.harpsurgery.com. The episode here features five young players aged 14-18 (with one 22-year-old to mess up our average) who are playing WAY beyond their years... and in some cases, pushing harmonica-playing into dark scary places where it was never meant to go. The podcast is a little ragged but the playing is great. I thought it pertinent to send this through after Roger Daltrey's shabby harp solo at last night's Super Bowl show. Any one of these kids could destroy Roger Daltrey with a single fog-horn like blast from their instrument. All he'd leave behind is a smoking pair of hush puppies."

Damn skippy: these kids are honkin' and smokin'.

Harmonica Podcast: The Kids Are Alright

Alternative link

MP3 link

(Thanks, Murray!)

I write books. My latest is a YA science fiction novel called Homeland (it's the sequel to Little Brother). More books: Rapture of the Nerds (a novel, with Charlie Stross); With a Little Help (short stories); and The Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow (novella and nonfic). I speak all over the place and I tweet and tumble, too.

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Anonymous

Respect your elders, kids. Roger Daltrey has had a long, hard, awesome life. Cut him some slack.
Murray_H

Uh oh, site is overloaded. I uploaded the podcast file here: http://www.mediafire.com/?ydctyoozzmi

Please download from there if possible.
HDN

Thanks for putting up an alternative link; is there a part two to this?

That first kid is ridiculous. Wow.
BookGuy

Aw, c’mon, what’s with the Roger Daltrey slam? Music is an exhibition, not a competition.

And as an aside, I hope I still rock as hard as Daltrey does when I’m 65.
hadlock

Post more bluesy shit that was great.
aelfscine

I’d also add that in the vocals department, anyone capable of producing audible speech is destroying Roger Daltrey. I loved how Baba O’Riley had to be completely rearranged to accomodate his non-existent range.
Murray_H

@BookGuy – Would you be so accomodating if he was noodling around on a drumkit or a trombone?

@HDN – There’s a part 2 coming up with some other youngsters we’ve unearthed, but i couldn’t say when it’ll be ready to send out. Jay Gaunt is, indeed, ridiculous. Apparently he’s very popular with the girls at his school.
- BookGuy
  
  @Murray_H
  
  I don’t think I follow you. Are you implying that there is some minimal skill level required on harmonica, trombone, or drums before someone is allowed to play in public? I hope that doesn’t get around. Thing of the devastation wrought on middle school concert bands alone.
  
  He played a decent version of the solo that was on the original record. The whole performance was a bit rough, but it worked for me, virtuoso-like harmonic ability or no.
  - Anonymous
    
    I think he meant it’s easier to spot a noob on those instruments. “Enthusiastic amateur” is the required standard with harmonica.
musicman

boingboing’d already?