Junior showed me it was ok to do the stompin and finger snapping and just anything that comes to mind. It's easy to learn something then accidentally sound like a robot. This and folks like Buddy Guy made me feel okay about expressing myself the way I want....because I got a big goofy looking face that gets goofier the more I play so this was key haha
Because of Listening to my Dad's Junior Wells' albums, I picked up the harp about 3 years ago. It's changed my life and given me so much soul. Junior was incredible
Love this guy, such a cool cat. One of the most confusing explanations of 2nd and 3rd positions ever! But, would watch him explain and play the harps till the battery dies
San Francisco in the late 60's was teeming with the Blues .in 1968 Jr.Wells had his " Comin' at You " Album out ..i was big on the Blues and bought it....i was standing outside The Avalon Ballroom on Sutter St. and who did i see ??!! Jr. Wells .i started talking to him told him i got his album and loved it..he put me on his guest list + a friend and said come on down tonight ..he was 1st Billing on the marque right above us...not only did he get us in. but invited us to the dressing room ....the whole band was straight outta Chicago's South Side..he also had a female friend with him...the band was PARTYING., drinking drinking liqour outta the bottle and passing it around they offered me& my friend and we took sips......a night i'll never forget.....he tore the house down...WAY down.......
Great story man, that definitely sounds like Junior. I used to hang at his home club Theresa's and grew up seeing all of the blues greats that were still around in the late 70's and 80's. They taught me how to drink whiskey and brandy straight out of the half pint passed around too. lol My 2 favorite genres are blues and SF late 60's rock. The Airplane, Dead, QMS, etc etc. It sounds like you were around for the glory days. God bless Bill Graham and Chet Helms. Thanks for sharing that story, it brought back some really great memories
@@dijonstreak I'd have loved to see him with Bloomfield. Fathers and Son's is one of my faves. I saw Bloomfield at the Boarding House in 1980 and spoke with him for a few minutes. It was a solo acoustic show. I had a number of great trips to SF, mostly to see the dead or JGB. I saw some great thunder and lightning shows at the Chi Chi. John C was another favorite guitarist of mine. I
Amos Wells Blakemore Jr - a.k.a. Junior Wells - was born in Memphis, Tennessee on December 9, 1934. Known to Blues fans as the "Godfather of the Blues", he was a gifted musician, one of the primary Blues harmonica players in Chicago after World War II, as well as and an animated vocalist. Not only was he known for his performances and recordings with Muddy Waters and Buddy Guy, but he also performed and, or recorded with the likes of Earl Hooker, Bonnie Raitt, Eric Clapton, The Rolling Stones, and Van Morrison. Influenced by Sonny Boy Williamson II and, especially, Walter Jacobs, a.k.a. Little Walter, Wells helped to define the sound of the harmonica in the 1950s. Initially taught by his cousin, Junior Parker (also the writer of the classic "Mystery Train", later a major hit for Elvis Presley), by the age of seven young Amos played the harmonica with surprising skill. He moved to Chicago in 1948 with his mother after his parents divorced and began sitting in with local musicians at house parties and clubs. In 1950, still a teenager, he passed an impromptu audition for guitarists Louis and David Myers, and the Deuces were born. When drummer Fred Below came aboard, they changed their name to the Aces. In the wake of scoring a huge hit with his solo effort "Juke" Little Walter quit the great Muddy Waters band in 1952. Without hesitation Wells quickly jumped ship and joined Muddy’s outfit. That didn't however stop the remaining Aces - who in turned joined forces with Little Walter - from backing Junior on his debut sessions for the States Records label, producing some seminal Chicago Blues cuts, including Junior’s original recording of "Hoodoo Man", a boisterous "Cut That Out", and the blazing instrumentals "Eagle Rock" and "Junior's Wail". More fireworks ensued the next year during a second session for States with a mournful "So All Alone". Muddy Waters himself contributed guitar on four tracks during this recording session. Already Wells was exhibiting his rebellious side; he was allegedly AWOL from the Army while in cutting these sides in the studio.
Dude wasn't cut out to teach. Don't hold it against him. Hang in there. 10 minutes in he starts tellin' stories of days with Muddy and Little Walter. Then about 20 in he does some numbers. Classic Junior Wells.
What has happened to Chicago? There were some great musicians that lived and thrived in that city. There was a lot of love and compassion. Junior Wells and others had the right spirit to move the city in the right direction. It's really sad what Chicago has become lately. God bless the brothers from down south that made that a great city. Great Music by great people. Who stole the soul?
The music passed down from generation to generation still exists on a much smaller level. If you want to see what it was like in Chicago decades ago with the music passed down and the traditions carried on by the new generations, go to New Orleans.
I love the calm and laid back sound that is his voice... i never thought I would ever be able to just sit and listen to a real man of the blues, and learn stuff, what a privilege.. Love to travel down south, and hang out on the front porch,listening to 'real' people play real music....
I played guitar with Jr. on two occasions at the old Checkerboard Lounge (43rd) in Chicago. He was very cool to me. He knew exactly what he wanted. ✨💙✨ lovely video thank you for posting!
Junior was one of a kind. As he said in the video, he always had time for someone who was sincere. One of the first clubs that I went to was Theresa's, which was his home club. The cover was $1. To those who spent time in Chicago clubs, you'll recognize the black lone ranger at 16:38. Damn, I had forgot about him. He had toy guns and everything. He was a regular and I'd see him almost every time I went out Wow does that bring back memories.
True Talent is immortal! The bearer of talent is immortal as long as the witnesses of this enlightenment are alive! Thank you Mr. Junior Wells for these emotions! Amen!
Love him so much. I thought I couldn't understand him because I couldn't talk "ghetto" until I saw him trying to show the band a song in the dressing room. I wasn't the only one. My fav!
Junior Wells was the best teacher. He even taught me how to walk around the world backwards just to cross the other side of the street. It took a while to learn, but I got there in the end.
I was just introduced to the fabulous musician, and I gotta say he's AWESOME! I play the harmonica too, and I just learn a thing or to from just watching this video. I see a lot of ingredients from other blues and funk artists. I wasn't searching for this guy he just came across my feed and I'm glad I found him.😊😮
I don't play harmonica and don't understand jack of what he's saying but man I could just drink and listen to him talk all day and just keep saying" that's right...I understand...that makes sens...get outta town...No way...wow..." :)
I was up at Legends and ran into Junior in the john. He was standing with his head down. I asked him if he had any words of wisdom for me. He raised his head up and said, "Damn, I am so fucked up!" and staggered out. He was playing an acoustic show with Buddy that night. High as a kite. Wouldn't stop talking. But that's Junior. Sounds like he's had a little taste here. 😉I appreciate his playing more than most.
Thank God that visual documents of great bluesmen like Junior Wells are out there. What a player,singer and showman he was. Feel very fortunate that I got to see him perform.
Hey Mariano, my wrong comment was aimed up like Jones comment saying it was the least informative video but most enjoyable. I think it was highly informative and educational and enjoyable! Sorry if there was a mix-up! I'll be quiet now! Shhhhhh!
I think you've been soaking in it for a long long time and I believe every word you said. That's a lot of information and that little harmonica takes very good care of you and you take very good care of it. Good you stayed with it because it's a rough world.
There is a lot of information here, if you can decode it. One gem is that blues in D can be played with C, G and High G harmonicas. This is eye-opening for me, as I may have misidentified some songs as in G, when in fact they are in D. Why? Because my C harp sounded good with the song. Anyway, I think what Junior is really saying is you have to close your eyes and play your harp. Get the feeling inside, whatever it is.
olrailbird That's true of all instruments. The moral of the story is to not restrict yourself. If you don't have an Eb harp so you can play crossharp with Bb, grab a different one and learn how to make it work.
Thanks for the upload John Yeaples, I've been play'n harp for some time but haven't seen this vid. You can sense in it that Junior is reluctant to accept that learning the blues harmonica can come from "indirect ways" like a video and I agree but man this is really motivational. Thanks
He explains in 9:36 the most important thing for blues harmonica (how to bend with tongue blocking technique, rarely explained by no one at that time ). Only with that make the video worth to watch. He also , plays acoustic with a unique groove ,and intention, also another tip very rare to fin in most of harmonica tutorials, finally he talk about mindset tequiniques wich is a key tip for this instrument where you cannot see what you are playing. So I find this video the most informative and also enjoyable instructional video ever
So in the key of D you can play a C harp in third position, based round the draw on the 4th hole, giving you the Dorian mode, often known as jazz minor, b3, natural 6, flat 7. Or you can play a G harp in cross position based round the draw on the second hole, giving you mixolydian mode, which is like a minor but with a flat 7th, but you can easily bend the 3 draw down to get a blue 3rd, and draw the 2 down to a flat 7th, plus the 1st and 4th draws go down to give a b5 , and blending these gives you a harder blues sound.
if lee oskars were good enough for junior wells then they are good enough for me i like them and you couldnt find a better compliment the to have junior play lee oskers
yup harp, mississippi saxophone, mouth organ are some of the common nicknames for diatonic harmonicas, the only nickname I have heard for chromatic harmonicas is 'chrome.'
The Harmonica is a very challenging instrument to play, requiring high maintenance, cleaning and adjusting the reeds, Especially if you play bending notes..
This video of the legendary Junior Wells is priceless! Junior didn’t just PLAY & SING the Blues …Junior WAS the Blues! 👍👍👍
Junior wells legend ,,,
Jr.Wells was not just a singer and harmonica player but he was also an excellent showman.His facial expressions told it all.
Ya the drink 🍸 will do that to ya. Had me Rollin this morninnnnn
Junior showed me it was ok to do the stompin and finger snapping and just anything that comes to mind. It's easy to learn something then accidentally sound like a robot. This and folks like Buddy Guy made me feel okay about expressing myself the way I want....because I got a big goofy looking face that gets goofier the more I play so this was key haha
This guy here is a real zen-type cat. He's tuned into something out there like an antenna.
That's one of the best definitions on his enormous feeling
Because of Listening to my Dad's Junior Wells' albums, I picked up the harp about 3 years ago. It's changed my life and given me so much soul. Junior was incredible
Junior was immense. Very badly missed by all blues lovers.
this is the best video on the internet. ever.
YES
Indeed
He's the best in my book, but i don't think he explains it very well. This is not a video for beginners.. :)
YES!
@@MyGabrielSales Really? You think>
Love this guy, such a cool cat. One of the most confusing explanations of 2nd and 3rd positions ever! But, would watch him explain and play the harps till the battery dies
Junior Wells and timing.......
This man is an atomic Clock.
I've been playing harp for 35 yrs. I love this man's style and tone. I've learned so much from JR WELLS. He's the man! He's an originator.
Seeing Junior and Buddy Guy in Cambridge in 1966 changed my life. Thanks Junior. Awesome!
San Francisco in the late 60's was teeming with the Blues .in 1968 Jr.Wells had his " Comin' at You " Album out ..i was big on the Blues and bought it....i was standing outside The Avalon Ballroom on Sutter St. and who did i see ??!! Jr. Wells .i started talking to him told him i got his album and loved it..he put me on his guest list + a friend and said come on down tonight ..he was 1st Billing on the marque right above us...not only did he get us in. but invited us to the dressing room ....the whole band was straight outta Chicago's South Side..he also had a female friend with him...the band was PARTYING., drinking drinking liqour outta the bottle and passing it around they offered me& my friend and we took sips......a night i'll never forget.....he tore the house down...WAY down.......
Great story man, that definitely sounds like Junior. I used to hang at his home club Theresa's and grew up seeing all of the blues greats that were still around in the late 70's and 80's. They taught me how to drink whiskey and brandy straight out of the half pint passed around too. lol My 2 favorite genres are blues and SF late 60's rock. The Airplane, Dead, QMS, etc etc. It sounds like you were around for the glory days. God bless Bill Graham and Chet Helms. Thanks for sharing that story, it brought back some really great memories
@@condor1087 also met Paul Butterfield but that's another story !
@@dijonstreak I'd have loved to see him with Bloomfield. Fathers and Son's is one of my faves. I saw Bloomfield at the Boarding House in 1980 and spoke with him for a few minutes. It was a solo acoustic show. I had a number of great trips to SF, mostly to see the dead or JGB. I saw some great thunder and lightning shows at the Chi Chi. John C was another favorite guitarist of mine. I
This is unbelievable. Thank you.
Beautiful human being, so glad this was captured!
Amos Wells Blakemore Jr - a.k.a. Junior Wells - was born in Memphis, Tennessee on December 9, 1934. Known to Blues fans as the "Godfather of the Blues", he was a gifted musician, one of the primary Blues harmonica players in Chicago after World War II, as well as and an animated vocalist. Not only was he known for his performances and recordings with Muddy Waters and Buddy Guy, but he also performed and, or recorded with the likes of Earl Hooker, Bonnie Raitt, Eric Clapton, The Rolling Stones, and Van Morrison.
Influenced by Sonny Boy Williamson II and, especially, Walter Jacobs, a.k.a. Little Walter, Wells helped to define the sound of the harmonica in the 1950s. Initially taught by his cousin, Junior Parker (also the writer of the classic "Mystery Train", later a major hit for Elvis Presley), by the age of seven young Amos played the harmonica with surprising skill. He moved to Chicago in 1948 with his mother after his parents divorced and began sitting in with local musicians at house parties and clubs. In 1950, still a teenager, he passed an impromptu audition for guitarists Louis and David Myers, and the Deuces were born. When drummer Fred Below came aboard, they changed their name to the Aces.
In the wake of scoring a huge hit with his solo effort "Juke" Little Walter quit the great Muddy Waters band in 1952. Without hesitation Wells quickly jumped ship and joined Muddy’s outfit. That didn't however stop the remaining Aces - who in turned joined forces with Little Walter - from backing Junior on his debut sessions for the States Records label, producing some seminal Chicago Blues cuts, including Junior’s original recording of "Hoodoo Man", a boisterous "Cut That Out", and the blazing instrumentals "Eagle Rock" and "Junior's Wail". More fireworks ensued the next year during a second session for States with a mournful "So All Alone". Muddy Waters himself contributed guitar on four tracks during this recording session. Already Wells was exhibiting his rebellious side; he was allegedly AWOL from the Army while in cutting these sides in the studio.
I had to Replay many times. Thx for this Video... I Never forget hir to Concerts in Berlin Quasimodo...
Dude wasn't cut out to teach. Don't hold it against him. Hang in there. 10 minutes in he starts tellin' stories of days with Muddy and Little Walter. Then about 20 in he does some numbers. Classic Junior Wells.
You right and I'm lost.
Teach? He doesn't need to teach.
The music was about more than notes...Lifes journey and th High Kings you met on it
You won't learn much about playing harmonica but you'll learn a LOT about the blues.
What has happened to Chicago? There were some great musicians that lived and thrived in that city. There was a lot of love and compassion. Junior Wells and others had the right spirit to move the city in the right direction. It's really sad what Chicago has become lately. God bless the brothers from down south that made that a great city. Great Music by great people. Who stole the soul?
The music passed down from generation to generation still exists on a much smaller level. If you want to see what it was like in Chicago decades ago with the music passed down and the traditions carried on by the new generations, go to New Orleans.
I love the calm and laid back sound that is his voice... i never thought I would ever be able to just sit and listen to a real man of the blues, and learn stuff, what a privilege..
Love to travel down south, and hang out on the front porch,listening to 'real' people play real music....
this is priceless and should be shown in every music soul !! soul and humility and humour !! youtube 's great invention and mr Wells a genius
I played guitar with Jr. on two occasions at the old Checkerboard Lounge (43rd) in Chicago. He was very cool to me. He knew exactly what he wanted. ✨💙✨ lovely video thank you for posting!
One , two , you know what to do . So glad was able to see him with buddy .
Junior was one of a kind. As he said in the video, he always had time for someone who was sincere. One of the first clubs that I went to was Theresa's, which was his home club. The cover was $1. To those who spent time in Chicago clubs, you'll recognize the black lone ranger at 16:38. Damn, I had forgot about him. He had toy guns and everything. He was a regular and I'd see him almost every time I went out Wow does that bring back memories.
True Talent is immortal! The bearer of talent is immortal as long as the witnesses of this enlightenment are alive! Thank you Mr. Junior Wells for these emotions! Amen!
Total masterpiece!!!! Long live Junior!
So Good.
Love him so much. I thought I couldn't understand him because I couldn't talk "ghetto" until I saw him trying to show the band a song in the dressing room. I wasn't the only one. My fav!
Junior Wells was the best teacher. He even taught me how to walk around the world backwards just to cross the other side of the street. It took a while to learn, but I got there in the end.
I was just introduced to the fabulous musician, and I gotta say he's AWESOME! I play the harmonica too, and I just learn a thing or to from just watching this video. I see a lot of ingredients from other blues and funk artists. I wasn't searching for this guy he just came across my feed and I'm glad I found him.😊😮
I'm horizontal dancing in bed, great vibe
This is real fantastic what a talent.
I don't play harmonica and don't understand jack of what he's saying but man I could just drink and listen to him talk all day and just keep saying" that's right...I understand...that makes sens...get outta town...No way...wow..." :)
fattirevsbud Charisma Baby! That is what he's got. Prob. a buzz as well....
fattirevsbud I totally agree
A master of armonica and vocals and a beautiful carismatich man
I was up at Legends and ran into Junior in the john. He was standing with his head down. I asked him if he had any words of wisdom for me. He raised his head up and said, "Damn, I am so fucked up!" and staggered out. He was playing an acoustic show with Buddy that night. High as a kite. Wouldn't stop talking. But that's Junior. Sounds like he's had a little taste here. 😉I appreciate his playing more than most.
13:12 the coolest coldest shit ive ever heard man . he had such an impression on me
Best video in the history of the human species.
Thank God that visual documents of great bluesmen like Junior Wells are out there. What a player,singer and showman he was. Feel very fortunate that I got to see him perform.
Hey Mariano, my wrong comment was aimed up like Jones comment saying it was the least informative video but most enjoyable. I think it was highly informative and educational and enjoyable! Sorry if there was a mix-up! I'll be quiet now! Shhhhhh!
Where in heck did you find this!!!??? Unbelievable! Everyone should see this!! THANK YOU.
It's on VHS. I have the cassette somewhere :-)
The legendary saxophone/harp player blues Man Mr Junior Wells have spoken 🎼🎵🎶🎤👏👏👏👏
Cool guy. I listen to this video not only to learn music, but also as an asmr.
I loved the concerts Junior did with Muddy Waters. Two legends sadly gone but never forgotten.
.♫.♪~Smiling~.♫♪.~ *~*~♪ GREAT Stuff Junior shares on the Harmonica....I really like this video....
Jr. Wells, you can tell he spent a lot of time around "Sonny Boy" Williamson II.
Great! Thanks for posting Junior Wells
Thanks for uploading this John. We wouldn't hear about his talent on this clip.
Glad Arlon R. is mentioned too.! Great guitarist !
Arlen Roth produced and directed this......Hot licks was his company!
"I just wanna smell this shit this mornin'"
Arlen gets all the fun !
Thanks for posting the video! 100 thumbs up!
Great lesson!!
That's wild.
I think you've been soaking in it for a long long time and I believe every word you said. That's a lot of information and that little harmonica takes very good care of you and you take very good care of it. Good you stayed with it because it's a rough world.
THANKS for the english version!! I've waited to watch this for a long time:-)
Hes so cool. Uuuuuuuuuu . Big Fan !
Junior Well master of the Harmonica .
What a damn groovy Blues at around 26 minutes
Now I know why I keep on Steppin
already crying, i hope you Arlene can produce a DVD on xxxx
There is a lot of information here, if you can decode it.
One gem is that blues in D can be played with C, G and High G harmonicas.
This is eye-opening for me, as I may have misidentified some songs as in G, when in fact they are in D. Why? Because my C harp sounded good with the song.
Anyway, I think what Junior is really saying is you have to close your eyes and play your harp. Get the feeling inside, whatever it is.
olrailbird That's true of all instruments. The moral of the story is to not restrict yourself. If you don't have an Eb harp so you can play crossharp with Bb, grab a different one and learn how to make it work.
Getting an Eb real soon now.
+olrailbird you can play third position on the C harmonica in the key of D. Thats why it sounded good.
A real master.
Fast forward to the end if you just came to hear an OG song live.
"You, you, you, you, you-hoohooo"
Thanks for the upload John Yeaples, I've been play'n harp for some time but haven't seen this vid. You can sense in it that Junior is reluctant to accept that learning the blues harmonica can come from "indirect ways" like a video and I agree but man this is really motivational. Thanks
superb musicianship , man superb
Legend!!
YEAH - Great video
This is probably both the least informative and most enjoyable instructional video ever.
Lol!
He explains in 9:36 the most important thing for blues harmonica (how to bend with tongue blocking technique, rarely explained by no one at that time ). Only with that make the video worth to watch. He also , plays acoustic with a unique groove ,and intention, also another tip very rare to fin in most of harmonica tutorials, finally he talk about mindset tequiniques wich is a key tip for this instrument where you cannot see what you are playing. So I find this video the most informative and also enjoyable instructional video ever
WRONG!
@@michealridenoour5320 shhhhh!!!!!!!
Thank you ❤
Walk on time, die on time! God bless JR.
Aww yes... rinstone denim jackets and Jerry curls...classic 80s ish
That's my hero
Take ya time!!!!
the way he just talks....cool cat man
One of my favorites
Thanks Junior, I have no idea what the f*** your saying except just play the damn thing and you'll figure it out. That's enough.
this is it! fantastico!!
So in the key of D you can play a C harp in third position, based round the draw on the 4th hole, giving you the Dorian mode, often known as jazz minor, b3, natural 6, flat 7. Or you can play a G harp in cross position based round the draw on the second hole, giving you mixolydian mode, which is like a minor but with a flat 7th, but you can easily bend the 3 draw down to get a blue 3rd, and draw the 2 down to a flat 7th, plus the 1st and 4th draws go down to give a b5 , and blending these gives you a harder blues sound.
The high g is just like the normal g, but an octave higher, but has different tonal qualities and bends very differently, more delicate.
Los héroes del blues,raza unica de la música inmortal,
Slayedelic!
OMG... This Cat is funny.... LMAO
fantastic
Word up
TELL A STORY jUNIOR
que facil parece !!! un maestro el hombre.
♥♥♥
i like this nice ,n, easy feel for a late night listen after a couple glasses a wine and a reefer or so yeah man
won't forget Mr Wells
The Bloooooos
Junior should have been a Senator, he's got a real talent for the Filibuster
JAIK WILLIS yah! He can sure run the clock!
GREAT!!!
if lee oskars were good enough for junior wells then they are good enough for me i like them and you couldnt find a better compliment the to have junior play lee oskers
the real deal.I always say he could of also been a star Tamla man as well.He had the voice and timing.
amazing
Junior liked bling bling
Wow
WHAT YEAR WAS THIS AND WHAT WAS IT FILMED🤔
Based on the gaudy jacket and the stonewashed denim I am guessing mid to late 80s, early 90s at the latest.
Anyone do you knows the name of the first song?
He would have loved the bedazzler
Fabio Lana, the harmonica is sometimes called that.
no sometimes it's called a harp. a saxophone is a total different instrument.
+Luke Novay Yeaples is right. It's a common name, along with harp.
yup harp, mississippi saxophone, mouth organ are some of the common nicknames for diatonic harmonicas, the only nickname I have heard for chromatic harmonicas is 'chrome.'
@todd long lol gold
The Harmonica is a very challenging instrument to play, requiring high maintenance, cleaning and adjusting the reeds, Especially if you play bending notes..
Con quei dentoni è troppo simpatico