Charles Porter blowing his Crackajack upside down (Photograph- Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales and Courtesy ACP Magazines Ltd). The origins of this dissertation came about due to the discovery of this newspaper report from 1933 (see below) that expounded Charles Porter’s upside down technique in drinking beer and playing the harmonica. It … Continue reading Over Under Sideways Down Hey!
Korumburra (Victoria) Ballarat Harmonica Band (Victoria) Cobdogla Harmonica Band (South Australia) Melbourne Crackajack Ladies Band ( Victoria. Now using Jazz Master mouth organs) Melbourne Boy’s Club (Victoria) Meccano Boys Mouth Organ Band (Western Australia) Chromonica Club Band (Western Australia) Western Harmonica Band - Hamilton (Victoria) Goroke (Wimmera Victoria) Geelong (Victoria) Geelong West City Harmonica Band … Continue reading Bandstand
Shep’s 1938 (?) Hohner Piccolo Following on from last month’s look at the Hohner trademark variations, I had mentioned I might take a look at my Hohner Piccolo harmonica (High G) with the star in the trademark. I have. Piccolo translates to small and this diatonic measures in at a fraction longer than three inches. … Continue reading Pocketless Piccolo
Melbourne Ladies Crackajack Mouth Organ Band With permission from Ray Grieves ‘Band in a Waistcoat Pocket’ Melbourne Ladies Crackajack Band at Mr. Harris’ funeral. Thomas Harris died suddenly while playing cricket. He had just been elected President of the Mouth Organ Bands Association that week. Thomas was a cousin of Harold Collier MLCB conductor (from … Continue reading All Crackajackies
Giddy Up I revisited my 1950’s Hohner Lone Star Rider and noticed two anomalies. Firstly, the six sided star is present (usually an indicator of pre WWII) and secondly, the label in the box suggests it was made in the 1930’s (4,500 men & 25,000,000 harmonicas per annum). One thing I’ve learnt on my harmonica … Continue reading Cowboy Reins
Fairlight Festivals 1971 Venue: 200 acre farm (Fairlight) four miles south of Mittagong on the way to Berrima NSW. Set in a gentle sloping clearing divided by a stream. One side set for camping the other music. Stage: An old Sydney tram elevated six feet off the ground with a twenty foot extension out the … Continue reading Fairlight Festival Revisited (or the adventures of the Mittagong Mafia).
Bring back the harmonica in schools. Teach them blues and country licks. Throw out the recorder, ukuleles and triangles! Just saying! Vine Vale School Tanunda (South Australia) Mouth Organ Band 1933 Bulimba (Queensland) State School Girls Mouth Organ Band 1939 Boys of the Buranda (Queensland) School Mouth Organ Band 1937 Orange Grove (New South Wales) … Continue reading Ring Ring Goes The Bell
Popping up in my research a few years back was evidence of the existence of a Jazz Master Chromatic. Victorian Laurie Smith evidently possessed one. A year after publishing this information, so did Canadian collector Doug Dawson. Where did he locate this Australian brand harmonica? Of all places in Sweden. Doug Dawson’s specimen. Recently I … Continue reading Wizard Master Blaster
Spectrum/Murtceps Daddy Cool The Dingoes Chain Country Radio Fraternity Mental As Anything John Farnham Band Captain Matchbox Whoopee Band Sid Rumpo Dynamic Hepnotics Western Flyer The Elks Billy Thorpe & The Aztecs Carson SCRA - Southern Contemporary Rock Assembly Galapagos Duck Langford Lever Stars Big Pig Snowdroppers Midnight Oil Mickey Finn Hoodoo Gurus Things Of … Continue reading Aussie Groups (with Lickin’ Stick)
Started out seeking fortune and glory It's a short song, but it's a hell of a story, when you spend your lifetime trying to get Your hands on the Holy Grail Mark Seymour Eureka! Lucky strike! Location: Tamworth the heart of Country music and former venue of the now defunct Hohner Golden Harmonica Championship. The … Continue reading Barran (The Holy Grail)
Harmonica Riff Raff 