One of the best ever and one of the finest people I’ve ever met. My buddy and I play harp and we’d jam with Bill when he’d play locally. He was a great friend
This man William Clarke was the greatest Master Blaster of all times and heads above all the legends living and passed away with all due respect 🙌 I say Lil' Walter, Paul Butterfield, Paul Delay, his mentor George harmonica Smith, Charlie Musselwhite, Sugar Blue, Rod Piazza, John Mayall. They are all legends and helped mentor me in the finesse of the diatonic Mississippi saxophone 🎷 sorry Curtis Salgado l accidently left you out but your right up there too in the hall of fame. Thank you Lord for William Clarke. We all miss you the greatest harp playing legend of all time! RIP Sir.
'll never forget seeing William and Jeanette at the Peabody Memphis collect best blues song 1991 for "it must be jelly" after he played the King Biscuit show. I saw the band walking down Beale to eat at the corner opposite BB kings, Bill with suit and shades looking about 10 feet tall. Man oh man! Whadda sight.
I had the honor of first driving Mr. Clarke and his band back to their hotel after a gig in Trondheim, Norway, in the early nineties. How the four relatively big guys fit in my tiny car that night is beyond me... I was supposed to interview them for a local radio station but they were too "tired", so I drove them back to the hotel with a promise that I would get my interview the day after. I met them the day after for lunch in a nearby diner, got my interview and a few good stories as well. Great guys.
William brought a lot on the harmonica blues stage. Huge commitment. Fierce player, hi-energy...just a few like him thru decades, I believe... Bunch of personal licks inspired by horns, organ and gtr I think. He was thinking out of the box to me. Needed if you want to bring something new in the blues harmonica world ((; HE DID IT 💙 And thx much Donnie!!
Man if you could bottle that love and talent you could run the country! Mr. Clarke was the total real deal package. You know he's frontin' the band wherever he went.
A master indeed and I agree with the comment about this being some of the nicest 3rd position around. I've been playing along with this all day and I still can't get his choice low runs at 1:14. that's some hard fast detailed runs for that low on a G. Maybe he switches to a tounge block to hit the run..... anyway WC was one of the best and a Hell of a showman!!! I'm sure he's sitting around with Gary Primich having a laugh upstairs.
I believe he plays almost everything tongueblock. It's really obvious here cause you hear all these tongue slaps all over the three octaves. You can achieve this on the lower octave while lip pursing and maybe make any harmonica player believe you're playing tongue block when you're not. But when it gets to second and third octave, it just doesn't sound the same at all.
When you want to get as close as possible to the original African American blues legends get your chops together come up with great tunes like this and play like you mean it!!! Many try few succeed and Clarke was about the best!
@@beachidiot8530 i saw him for years and never noticed, then one day at the golden sails inn i was like, what the heck? so i had to ask, its a LONG STORY. perhaps another time. lol
One of the best ever and one of the finest people I’ve ever met. My buddy and I play harp and we’d jam with Bill when he’d play locally. He was a great friend
This man William Clarke was the greatest Master Blaster of all times and heads above all the legends living and passed away with all due respect 🙌 I say Lil' Walter, Paul Butterfield, Paul Delay, his mentor George harmonica Smith, Charlie Musselwhite, Sugar Blue, Rod Piazza, John Mayall. They are all legends and helped mentor me in the finesse of the diatonic Mississippi saxophone 🎷 sorry Curtis Salgado l accidently left you out but your right up there too in the hall of fame. Thank you Lord for William Clarke. We all miss you the greatest harp playing legend of all time! RIP Sir.
this is one of the very best 3rd positions songs I've ever heard. Bill was the real deal and he always will be one of the very best ever. RIP
I'd rather say it's a D harp in 2nd position
@@stratocastro It's a G diatonic played in third position.
@@synapsebomb1 I don't have G at the moment but I play along on D. Maybe it sounds higher then you're right
@@synapsebomb1 Here is my version at last ua-cam.com/video/y3ItT5BCcRs/v-deo.html
AWW, Yes Blowin them Family Jewels. I remember when Bill did this song for me after playing it about 50 times. It is a great tune..
Jeannette
R.I.P. William. One of the best.
'll never forget seeing William and Jeanette at the Peabody Memphis collect best blues song 1991 for "it must be jelly" after he played the King Biscuit show. I saw the band walking down Beale to eat at the corner opposite BB kings, Bill with suit and shades looking about 10 feet tall. Man oh man! Whadda sight.
AHHH Blowing the Family Jewels...A classic.
Jeannette Clarke
We miss him too Jeanette. God Bless you for the gift he was
I had the honor of first driving Mr. Clarke and his band back to their hotel after a gig in Trondheim, Norway, in the early nineties. How the four relatively big guys fit in my tiny car that night is beyond me... I was supposed to interview them for a local radio station but they were too "tired", so I drove them back to the hotel with a promise that I would get my interview the day after. I met them the day after for lunch in a nearby diner, got my interview and a few good stories as well. Great guys.
***** Where can I read that interview?
You can't. It was a local radio interview and the radio station is long gone, unfortunately.
Boy, do I miss seeing and hearing this great bluesman!
William brought a lot on the harmonica blues stage. Huge commitment. Fierce player, hi-energy...just a few like him thru decades, I believe... Bunch of personal licks inspired by horns, organ and gtr I think. He was thinking out of the box to me. Needed if you want to bring something new in the blues harmonica world ((; HE DID IT 💙 And thx much Donnie!!
The most incredible third possition!!!!
The man is blowin' like hell!!
Man if you could bottle that love and talent you could run the country! Mr. Clarke was the total real deal package. You know he's frontin' the band wherever he went.
Fricking awesome that these performances were preserved. Thank you so much!
Gone 14 years; Never Forgotten!
Stunning !!! Brilliant !!! Boss !!!
A true mastermind of the diatonic playing, defying the limitations of the instrument, what a genius!
Wonderful ❤
saw him in richmond and norfolk,va. he put on a helluva show!
@tenbarsteam
This was a diatonic harp that Bill was playing on Blowin the Family Jewels. I am Bill's widow.
Jeannette
Incredible playing!
The Best! Thanks Donnie!
WOW!!!
stunning
Thanks a lot Mr. BluesGeek, keep em coming. used to play this tune with my last band. Nils
Yeah ! Thanks again!!!
A master indeed and I agree with the comment about this being some of the nicest 3rd position around. I've been playing along with this all day and I still can't get his choice low runs at 1:14. that's some hard fast detailed runs for that low on a G. Maybe he switches to a tounge block to hit the run..... anyway WC was one of the best and a Hell of a showman!!! I'm sure he's sitting around with Gary Primich having a laugh upstairs.
I believe he plays almost everything tongueblock. It's really obvious here cause you hear all these tongue slaps all over the three octaves. You can achieve this on the lower octave while lip pursing and maybe make any harmonica player believe you're playing tongue block when you're not. But when it gets to second and third octave, it just doesn't sound the same at all.
Thanks for this Donnie! I'm doing homework to learn this what a workout
Thanks to whomever posted this!
The master kickin' it! I love this one, can't get enough it - thanks again for uploading it man!
That’s real playin !
Your welcome!!!
Jeannette
@jlodovici
thanks Jeannette, really appreciate that.
When you want to get as close as possible to the original African American blues legends get your chops together come up with great tunes like this and play like you mean it!!! Many try few succeed and Clarke was about the best!
Smokin.
Giant
How much more footage is there of this gig ? can you post it all?
did he play harp upside down? cause it certainly looks like he is here.
Yeah I noticed that too -- maybe because I play the same way
Yes, he played the harp upside down,look at the cover photo for "blowin like hell"
Yes....I think he was left handed.
@@beachidiot8530 i saw him for years and never noticed, then one day at the golden sails inn i was like, what the heck? so i had to ask, its a LONG STORY. perhaps another time. lol
@@sharkair2839 i would love to hear it. I have some good ones to share as well.
Any thumbs down on the song I'm sure was on accident
just democrats...
Great third position! He's playing a g harp in third putting him in Am.
Is this on chromatic or diatonic?