Jew's harp music

This is a list of musical pieces and songs that include or feature the Jew's harp or other resonance based lamellophones. Jew's harp music is Library of Congress Subject Heading M175.J4.[2]

Variety of Western Jew's harps

Karl Eulenstein, famed German Maultrommelspieler

the range of a tenor Jew's harp[1] Play as string harmonics 

Morsing

Bamboo Jew's harps

Bass Đàn môi

Leo Tadagawa playing a mukkuri

7 tuned Kyrgyz komuz

Famous Jew's harpists include the German musicians Father Bruno Glatzl (1721—1773) of Melk Abbey (for whom Albrechtsberger wrote his concerti), Franz Koch (1761—1831), who was discovered by Frederick the Great,[3] and, "the most famous,"[4] Karl Eulenstein (1802—1890).[3] "Four of the famous Jew's Harp virtuosos of the world,"[5] today are Svein Westad,[6] Leo Tadagawa,[7] Trần Quang Hải, and the late John Wright (1948-2013).[8][9] Other performers include Phons Bakx and the earlier Angus Lawrie and Patric Devane.[8] US country musician Jimmie Fadden played the Jew's harp on many albums.[10]

In the experimental period at the end of the 18th and beginning of the 19th century there were very virtuoso instrumentalists on the mouth harp. Thus, for example, Johann Heinrich Scheibler was able to mount up to ten mouth harps on a support disc. He called the instrument "Aura". Each mouth harp was tuned to different basic tones, which made even chromatic sequences possible.

— Walter Maurer, translated from German[11]

1700s

• Johann Georg Albrechtsberger: four surviving Concerti for Jew's Harp & Mandora in D, E♭, E, and F (1769—1771),[12][13][14] 2 recorded by Hans Stadlmair conducting the Munich Chamber Orchestra (1981)[15][16][17]

1900s

• Charles Ives: "Washington's Birthday" (1909), A Symphony: New England Holidays (1913)[18][19]
• Flanagan Brothers: "On the Road to the Fair" and "Miss McLeod's Reel" (1920s or 30s), "melodic style"[20]
• La Bolduc: "Ton amour, ma Catherine" (1930) Play 
• Henry Hall Orchestra with Phyllis Robins: "I Took My Harp to a Party" (1933)[21]
• Jenny Howard: "I Took My Harp to a Party" (1933)[21]
• Sonny Terry: Sonny Terry's New Sound: The Jawharp In Blues & Folk Music (1961, FS 3821)[20][22][23][16]
• The Beatles: "The Fool on the Hill", Magical Mystery Tour (1967), "single boing"[20]
• The High Level Ranters (Colin Ross): Northumberland Forever (1968/1997)[24][25][26]
• Jack Elliott: "Broken Tanner", "Jack's Choice", and "In the Bar-Room", Jack Elliott of Birtley: The songs and stories of a Durham miner (1969)[24]
• Leonard Cohen: "Story of Isaac"[15] and "Tonight Will Be Fine", Songs from a Room (1969)
• John Wright: La Guimbarde (1971)[16][27]
• The Who: "Join Together" (1972), "fine melodic riff"[20][28]
• Emanuele Calanduccio: U Marranzanu (1973)[16][29]
• Leonard Cohen: "Is This What You Wanted", New Skin for the Old Ceremony (1974)
• Mario Ruspoli: Les Guimbardes (1974)[16][30]
• Various: "Banish Misfortune" (John, Michael, and David Wright), The Lark in the Clear Air (1974)[16][31][32]
• Various: North America Jew's Harp Festival 1997 Highlights (1997)[33]
• Makigami Koichi: Electric Eel (1998), "newly invented versions of the jaw harp"[34]
• Albert Smith: "The Pigeon On the Gate - Stepdance" (1977), The Voice of the People Volume 14: Troubles They Are But Few (1998)[20]
• Oberallgäuer Maultrommerltrio: Allgäuer Volksmusik auf der Maultrommel (1979)[35][16]
• The Clash: "The Guns of Brixton", London Calling (1979), "sound effect"[20]
• Red Hot Chili Peppers: "Give It Away", Blood Sugar Sex Magik (1991)
• Various: Khomus: Jew's Harp Music Of Turkic Peoples In The Urals, Siberia, And Central Asia (1995)[36]
• The instrument features prominently in the opening theme and the score to the 1990s British animated television show, Oakie Doke. "[37]"
• Various: Maultrommel Molln (1996), "Jew's Harp music from Austria and its neighbor countries"[38]
• Trân Quang Haï: Jew's Harps of the World (1998), "This recording features jew's harps from Bali, Yakutiya, Bashkiriya, Austria, and Norway, and also from different peoples of Vietnam."[39]
• Willie Kemp: "Glendarel Highlands", "Lovat Scouts", and "Monymusk", The Voice of the People Volume 7: First I'm Going to Tell You a Ditty (1998)[20]
• Tapani Varis: Jews Harp (1998), "solo and accompanied Jew's harp...collection of Finnish and Norwegian folk tunes...variety of harps"[40]
• Huun-Huur-Tu: "Sagly Khadyn Turu-La Boor (It's Probably Windy On Sandy Steppe)", Where Young Grass Grows (1999)[15]

2000s

• Svein Westad: Munnharpas Verden German: The World of the Jew's Harp (2000)[41] "Traditional and contemporary Jew's Harp compositions from Norway, Ireland, Vietnam, Indonesia, China, Japan, India and Kyrgyzstan performed by," Westad, Tadagawa, Trần, and Wright.[5]
• Traditional Kazakh: "Kuu" (Nurlanbek Nishanov),[42] "Jew's Harp Melody" (Edil Huseinov), The Silk Road: A Musical Caravan, Smithsonian Folkways Recordings #40438 (2002), "elaborate Jew's harp techniques of Kazakhstan"[43][15]
• The OddTones: We're Allowed (2002)[44]
• Various: Fourth International Jew's Harp Festival (2002)[45]
• Kid Rock: unspecified tracks (Jimmie "Bones" Trombly), Kid Rock (2003)[46]
• David Simons: "Four Kotekan", Prismatic Hearing (2004)[15][47]
• Miranda Lambert: "Me and Charlie Talking", Kerosene (2004)[48]
• John Zorn: "Terumah" (Rashanim), Masada Rock (2005)[15][49]
• Wu Man: "Old Joe Clark" (Lee Knight), Wu Man and Friends (2005)[15]
• Johnny Cash: "God's Gonna Cut You Down", American V: A Hundred Highways (2006)
• Wang Li: Guimbarde (2006)[50]
• Elizabeth Cook: "Times Are Tough in Rock 'N Roll", Balls (2007)[51]
• Alan Jackson: "Good Time", Good Time (2008)[52]
• Imogen Heap: "2-1", Ellipse (2009)[53]
• Thomas Dolby: "The Toad Lickers" (performed by Imogen Heap), A Map of the Floating City (2011)[54]
• Wang Li: Reve de Sang (2011)[55]
• Leonard Cohen: "Nightingale", Dear Heather (2004)[56]
• Sam Lee: "Wild Wood Amber", Ground of his Own (2012)[20]
• Karolina Cicha: "Za rieczkaju", 9 Languages (2013)[15]
• Faun: "Tanz Mit Mir", Von den Elben (2013)[57]
• Dirtwire: "Ibex" and "Taiga", Ondar EP (2014)[15][58]
• Wang Li: Past, Present, Future (2014)[59]
• Kepa Junkera: "Marea Zumaian", Maletak (2016)[15]
• Wang Li and Wu Wei: Overtones (2016)[15][60]
• Tyler Childers: "WhiteHouse Road" Purgatory (2017)

References

1. "Jew's Harp" . Encyclopædia Britannica (Eleventh ed.). Cambridge University Press. 1911 – via Wikisource.
2. Library of Congress (2011). Library of Congress Subject Headings, 33rd ed., Vol.III (F-K), p.4199. Library of Congress. ISSN 1048-9711.
3. Burnley, James (1886). The Romance of Invention: Vignettes from the Annals of Industry and Science, p.335. Cassell. [ISBN unspecified].
4. Wright, Michael (2015). The Jews-Harp in Britain and Ireland, p.163. Ashgate. ISBN 9781472414137.
5. "Munnharpas Verden", DanMoi.com.
6. Svein Westad at AllMusic.
7. Leo Tadagawa at AllMusic.
8. Phons Bakx at AllMusic.
9. Wright, Michael (2013). "John Wright obituary", TheGuardian.com.
10. Jimmie Fadden at AllMusic.
11. Maurer, Walter (1983). Accordion: Handbuch eines Instruments, seiner historischen Entwicklung un seiner Literature, p.19. Vienna: Edition Harmonia.
12. Albrechtsberger: Concerto for Jew's Harp, Amazon CD Listing (Munich Chamber Orchestra, December 19, 1992.
13. Biba, Otto. "Johann Georg Albrechtsberger", Entre ciel et terre: Johann Georg Albrechtsberger (French: Between heaven and earth), liner notes, p.6. Translated by Weiner, Howard.
14. Albrechtsberger: Concertos for Jew's Harp & Mandora at AllMusic.
15. WNYC Studios (2016). "#3878: Music for Jaw Harp", WNYC.org.
16. Fox (1988), p.218.
17. Zwei Maultrommelkonzerte at Discogs (list of releases).
18. Fox, Leonard (1988). The Jew's Harp: A Comprehensive Anthology. Associated University Presses, Inc. p. 33. ISBN 9780838751169. Retrieved 12 May 2015.
19. "How Should the Jew's Harp Part of 'Washington's Birthday' Be Played?", Vierundzwanzigsteljahrsschrift der Internationalen Maultrommelvirtuosengenossenschaft 1 (1982): 49–57.
20. Wright (2015), p.179. See: The Who - Join Together. YouTube. 20 March 2010. Retrieved 16 September 2016.
21. Wright (2015), p.176.
22. Sonny Terry's New Sound at Discogs
23. "Sonny Terry's New Sound: Jawharp in Blues and Folk Music: With Brownie McGhee and J. C. Burris", Smithsonian Folkways.
24. Wright (2015), p.172.
25. Northumberland Forever at AllMusic.
26. Northumberland Forever at Discogs
27. John Wright: La Guimbarde at Discogs (list of releases).
28. Atkins, John (2000). The Who on Record: A Critical History, 1963-1998, p.172. McFarland. ISBN 9780786406098.
29. Emanuele Calanduccio: U Marranzanu at Discogs (list of releases).
30. Mario Ruspoli: Les Guimbardes at Discogs.
31. Various Artists: The Lark in the Clear Air at AllMusic.
32. Wright (2015), p.174.
33. "North American Jew's Harp Festival - 1997 Highlights", JewsHarpGuild.org.
34. Makigami Koichi: Electric Eel at AllMusic.
35. Oberallgäuer Maultrommerltrio: Allgäuer Volksmusik auf der Maultrommel at Discogs.
36. Khomus: Jew's Harp Music Of Turkic Peoples In The Urals, Siberia, And Central Asia at Discogs.
37. "Oakie Doke Opening Theme
38. "Maultrommel Molln", DanMoi.com.
39. Jew's Harps of the World at AllMusic.
40. Jews Harp at AllMusic.
41. Svein Westad: Munnharpas Verden at Discogs.
42. "Kuu", Folkways.si.edu.
43. The Silk Road: A Musical Caravan at AllMusic.
44. "Oddtones", MouthMusic.com.
45. Fourth International Jew's Harp Festival at AllMusic.
46. Kid Rock: Kid Rock credits at AllMusic.
47. Prismatic Hearing at AllMusic.
48. Billboard Oct 30, 2004, p.31.
49. Masada Rock at AllMusic.
50. Wang Li: Guimbarde at Discogs
51. Chris Woodstra, John Bush, Stephen Thomas Erlewine; eds. (2008). Contemporary Country, p.36. Hal Leonard. ISBN 9780879309183. The jew's harp is, "something you don't hear on many records these days, if ever."
52. Alan Jackson: Good Time album credits at AllMusic.
53. Sherbourne, Simon (2009). "Imogen Heap: Recording Ellipse", SoundOnSound.com.
54. Thomas Dolby: A Map Of The Floating City at Discogs
55. "Wang Li: Reve de Sang ", Amazon.com.
56. Simmons, Sylvie (2012). I'm Your Man: The Life of Leonard Cohen, unpaginated. McClelland & Stewart. ISBN 9780771080425.
57. Faun: Von den Elben at Discogs.
58. (2017) "Dirtwire", SixDegreesRecords.com.
59. Helen (2015). "'Simplicity sets my music free': The sublime Jew's harp meditations of the artist Wang Li", DanMoi.com.
60. "Wang Li & Wu Wei", ZamanProduction.com.

External links

• "The online sound archive at the Musée de l´Homme in Paris is a treasure trove of Jew's harp music", DanMoi.com.