Chromatic Harmonica Masters (Top 4)

Who are the world's best every chromatic harp players? Here's Alex Paclin with his top 4. Do you agree with his picks? Drop a comment below

[@GaryItaliaander]

There are so many great musicians so it is always difficult to rate people. Certainly for me, Larry Adler was unique in what he did in elevating the harmonica to the concert platform and also in that he was able to entertain an audience even without his harmonica or mouth organ as he preferred to call it! I was fortunate to be a friend and wrote a book in tribute after Larry passed on in 2001, called 'Reflections' - A Tribute to Larry Adler, Harmonica Genius. I invited others to pay tribute (in the book) and contributors include Sting, Cher, Sir George Martin, Julian Lloyd Webber and many others. As a specialist portrait photographer (but with a professional music background and also a harmonica player) it was a great privilege for me to spend time with Larry and had the opportunity to photograph him in my studio, at his home as well as on stage on many occasions.

[@fingerhorn4]

What? No mention of Tommy Reilly - probably the most accomplished of all players, and who played folk, jazz, classical all equally well, with a beautiful sound and virtuosic ease.

Tommy Reilly, John Sebastian (senior), Stan Harper, Antonio Serrano, Robert Bonfiglio, Jose Staneck, Gabriel Grossi

[@Steve-cs8nd]

This guys gets it all wrong. Max Geldray was playing Jazz in 1932 when Toots was still a 10 year old boy and left many far better players out entirely. Geldray for a start was THE jazz player with no pretentiousness that alienates the tyro; you can still play functional jazz yet make it musical for the average human being to enjoy as well. Geldray never hit a bad note much as Wes Wonderful did for bop guitar; his lines were always rhetorically valid melodically and harmonically. By all means wander a little outside but you better resolve well and tap in to for the rhythm section and the people paying you. Tommy Reilly was an infinitely better classical technician and all around musician than Larry whose big breaks came with the “Genevieve” score but around a lot longer before that. Then there is other unsung monsters like Australia's Christian Marsh another outstanding player that deserves far more exposure. There are people that think Mark Chagall is an actual talented artist or Einstein was a real genius and both are wrong. I’m sick of pretentious warbling being sold as talented genius in the grounds that the listener doesn’t understand it ( but his manager with a dog in the pit does) and the hoard of media made superstar nobodies that can’t play for crap. Like Earl’s Scruggs mother wisely said “ Make it musically Melodic or you’ll starve” paraphrased Leave the Schoenberg twelve tone crap for when someone is about to be murdered in “Psycho” or for the pretentious minimalist guys that can’t really play!

[@_Summer_]

a top 4 list is surely not enough . and should be mentioned about tommy Reilly and Franz Chmel etc classical music master.

[@xxxxharp]

Great selections......Missed David Naiditch !

[@razabazal4669]

Love the info you give about each legend

[@mainman9061]

i would have liked to hear them

[@giovanotti7992]

Have you ever mentioned Franz Chmel?

[@dgrebin]

The clip labeled Bill Geezy is actually Clint Hoover

[@JL-bu8bz]

You guys have to listem Maurício Einhorn. For me the best with Toots, of course. He Plays jazz and samba jazz and he is a great composer.

[@d.ellasmyers326]

Maybe put some of the narration in captions (subtitles) so your script doesn’t drown out the music . Otherwise good job 👍🏼.

[@redgunnit]

What song did you choose for Hugo Diaz?

[@Guilherme-Ribeiro597]

You forgot to mention Stevie's Harmonica solo in Djavan's song "samurai"

[@clinthoover6660]

You have me listed as Bill Geezy on your clip. That is NOT my name. My name is Clint Hoover, I was in the Bill Geezy & The Promise Breakers Band 20 years ago. Please make this correction!

[@donaldkoilpillai8963]

Yes agree with your choice. But please don't forget Philip Achille!

[@claudetroester5337]

Très bonnes démonstrations de Virtuoses BRAVO BRAVO !!!!

[@Harmonicacom]

Merci

[@Aleksandrrr89]

And William Clarke with his teacher George Harmonica Smith

[@mylifeisart]

Ah man Robert Bonfiglio! Good call guys. He is fantastic too.

[@peterwrohr1388]

Great review

[@Harmonicacom]

thanks for watching!

[@dansando5804]

What's the song called when you announce Larry's Adler? It's so melodic.

[@Harmonicacom]

I'm not sure. @Alexpaclin can you please chime in?

[@APaclin]

It's Summertime with Peter Gabriel.

[@mauricewilliams8609]

This guy is one of the Master's of The Craft fantastic like to meet him someday

[@kajalchakraborty7654]

Salute to the all time legands

[@Harmonicacom]

SALUTE!

[@boystone]

Great selection there Alex! I would have probably mentioned Will Galison also.

[@HarmonicaStLouis]

Hey Listen to Ashay Kumar, Fantastic Indian Harmonica player

[@cathyhelenism]

What is the intro song being played by toots thielman?

[@Harmonicacom]

That's Bluesette!

[@sergiosarmiento2370]

Guys try with franco lusiani. And let me know

[@mylifeisart]

Alright. I guess if anyone can be said to be more technically proficient than Larry Adler and combine the level of emotional intonation with sheer virtuoso chops, it would be Brendan Power. Nobody else, in my humble opinion. I must have heard every recording Adler ever made. Same with Brenden Power. They made me fall in love with chromatic harp, having been a diatonic player of some renown in my area of Virginia for many years. Never could get the hang of the Chrom. But I could listen to them play forever and can play a good bit of Adler's lines on a 10 hole Richter. In Brendan's case. Nah I was never any good with his style and his tunings were not intuitive for me personally. He always made them sound so beautiful and effortless. World class instrumentalist.

[@mauricewilliams8609]

I knew Larry Adams cousin she did come upstairs on TV I also met toots and Stevie Wonder some of my friends a master harmonica place they play all over the world on the commercials and behind the TV screen when you go to the movies some of my friends are playing sound effects on some of the movies wow what a gig

[@vitaliarmonica]

My favourites are Stevie Wonder and Hugo Díaz.

[@rodrigomartingomez8857]

hugo diaz es dios!

[@herbertwells8757]

This should proceed chronologically and include Tommy Reilly and John Sebastian (senior-not the pop star). Notably missing from current players is Robert Bonfiglio. The impression I get is that was put together by someone who knows and cares little about harmonica history and little about music in general.

[@clinthoover6660]

On top of that I am in a clip and he has the wrong name! I'm NOT Bill Geezy, but Clint Hoover.

[@Mr-R.R.]

Cy Leo. Hands down

[@spoonproduction3452]

Hugo Diaz for me is the number one!

[@Harmonicacom]

I'll have to check it out!

[@williamhbynumiii5269]

Loved it!

[@BetterIdeas.]

Jerry Murad of the Harmonicats is near the all-time top

[@toasega]

Be great if you could just let the music speak for itself.

[@RRC1]

Exactly 💯

[@HermineDeurlooharmonica]

Hello!

[@Harmonicacom]

Hello!

[@arturolex8725]

Antonio Serrano Master!

[@andrewsandoz8005]

Little Walter, Sonny Boy Williamson great blues players.

[@Harmonicacom]

2 of my all time FAVS, Andrew!

[@JL-bu8bz]

No man please I love blues and I play, but jazz in the harmonica it s other levei

[@Crumbed304]

Rust in vrede Toots Thielemans

[@chino4257]

hugo diaz the best harmonica player of tango.... and franco luciani is contemporanio

[@sydlogan9300]

Nice list, but Tommy Reilly is a major omission.

[@papa_gummybear]

"Cézanne Street"

[@Harmonicacom]

Nice.

[@SergioZe]

Hugo Diaz

[@genewickersham4593]

Karen Mantler should be included.

[@anonymousaccordionist3326]

When selecting a video about chromatic harmonica masters, I would typically expect to hear them actually play the harmonica instead of a guy talking over them. You could have at least given more than a few seconds at the end of each over inflated paragraph of yours.

[@Persun_McPersonson]

You could have at least worded your criticism in a more constructive way instead of all entitled and demanding.

[@iyamwhite3931]

Grimmy awards are illegal. I gotta go

[@donlucas3984]

Listen to Franco Luciani.

[@shaharumibrahim3378]

We want to listen to the muzic....not to listen u are talking....

[@chensiding0]

Did he say See-zam street? Lol

[@Harmonicacom]

lol.

[@deusvult4838]

Bruh where Philip Achilles

[@Harmonicacom]

I'll have to check him out!

[@efdiyi]

Alex Paclin, I don't agree with your ranking, that is for sure. The best ranking is the no-ranking. No ranking at all. Especially if it is so general like this one you did. If you get more specific, maybe that would be more acceptable. Steve Wonder the best because he is the living musician that is most famous now? Brendan Power: too high in the ranking. For sure he is extremely good with traditional music, not sure in jazz. Really good for the inventions, are you including that in your ranking? Antonio Serrano, top of the range in jazz and the only one playing flamenco. Too low in the ranking. Hugo Díaz, the best in tangos, he is a legend, too low in the ranking. Those are just some examples. It is impossible to do a ranking just for "the best player", that is too general.

[@a.kgamerzz6032]

Ashay Tamta Mastero!!

[@raynavarrette5025]

Tollak Ollestad.

[@robertgrey2537]

You talk too much: this is supposed to be listened to (a minimum).

[@RRC1]

Exactly 💯

[@jennydude9852]

nah its a informative video, if u wanna listen look up the performances

[@MegaMelon666]

6:32 dubstep 🤔

[@orellaminx3530]

No Huey Lewis? Boo.

[@ludvigjohansson3173]

stop talking over the music....................

I hate that myself. I take that so seriously, I even get a bad temper that as I'm talking, people interject, talking about a different topic, or just can't wait until I'm finished talking. To me, that's a form of absolute disrespect.

[@harmonica212]

"You are missing some Harmonica players that are a true master of the Harmonica like Sugar Blue, Norton Buffalo, William Clarke, Billy Branch, Howard Levey, Rod Piazza, Curtis Salgado, and Little Sonny.

[@guillermoapelaezm]

It's a top 4 four of chromatic harmonica players.

[@harmonica212]

​@@guillermoapelaezmI know these are guys I thought should have been among the top 4. Chromatic Harmonica players. Those guys are really good too but if you have heard some of these players they are amazing. :-)"