Charlie MCoy.

Bryan Bradfield · From: Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada.

I've owned many LP records fronted by and produced by harmonica player Charlie McCoy. I've found the music to be amazingly consistent and solidly enjoyable. While it may be considered to be country easy listening music, there is not a tune produced and recorded by Charlie McCoy that I haven't thoroughly enjoyed. Plus he employs the cream of the crop in Nashville musicians
Is there another series of instrumental LP records to compare with McCoy's product?

Dave Magram · From: San Jose, California, USA

Bryan,

Don't know if you've heard this story yet...

I remember hearing an interview somewhere that on "Most Likely You'll Go Your Way and I'll Go Mine" (on Bob Dylan's "Blonde on Blonde" album), the session musicians suggested to Dylan a short trumpet part after each chorus.

Session leader Al Kooper remembers:
“There was a little figure after each chorus that we wanted to put in on trumpet, but Dylan was not fond of overdubbing.

It was a nice lick, too. Simple, but nice. Now Charlie McCoy was already playing bass on the tune. So we started recording and when that section came up, he picked up a trumpet in his right hand and played the part, while he kept the bass going with his left hand--without missing a lick in either hand.”

When Dylan saw Charlie do this, he allegedly broke out laughing, ruining the first take when McCoy pulled off this musical tour de force.
Dylan then insisted that McCoy stand behind a curtain for the subsequent takes so Dylan wouldn’t see him playing both instruments at the same time!

- Dave

Bryan Bradfield · From: Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada.

That's a great story concerning 2 of my favourite musicians (Dylan & McCoy), and I had not heard it before. Thank you for that.

Concerning Nashville musicians, I was aware of Pete Drake's relationship with Dylan, but I'll have to revisit Blonde On Blonde for the Mcoy contribution.

Joachim Kettner · From: Germany

He's on the track on a Mickey Newbury tune sung by Gretchen Peters recorded about a year ago:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-Kmmni5ADA

Area Code was also great.
_________________
Fender Kingman, Sierra Crown D-10, Evans Amplifier, Soup Cube.

Pete Finney · From: East Nashville Tn.

That is a great story about Charlie playing bass and trumpet at the same time on a Dylan track, and it's been repeated in print in various places, but in Charlie's own words:

“Al Kooper was the one who floated that rumor about me playing bass and trumpet at the same time on a Dylan song, absolutely not true.”

Charlie did the bass-and-trumpet thing all the time with his own band back then, "The Escorts," most of whom he brought into the Blonde on Blonde sessions, since he was hired by Bob Johnston as leader on the sessions. He once told me that he demonstrated playing both instruments at once between takes at the sessions for everybody's amusement, but did NOT do it on the track (his trumpet part on the song was an overdub).

Charlie's brilliant bass playing on the John Wesley Harding album is my favorite stuff he did with Dylan; it's just him and Kenny Buttrey on drums for most of it, and they play some great creative stuff together with all that space. He played bass on Nashville Skyline and some of Self Portrait too, but reined it in a bit more, in keeping with the vibe of those records. And Charlie's El Paso/Grady Martin style guitar on "Desolation Row" isn't too shabby! I believe most of the bass on Blonde on Blonde is either Joe South or Henry Strezlecki; Charlie played some guitar, some bass, some trumpet, and harmonica on "Obviously Five Believers."

Obviously Charlie is an amazing, versatile musician, and it's hard to think of anyone more universally respected in this town.

Dave Magram · From: San Jose, California, USA

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