Larry Adler on the BBC

No cutup, just music.  I was listening to an old Goon Show, the BBC radio comedy series, and this scintillating sound came dancing out of the speakers.  And not cornball "filler" music, like most shows ran in the breaks.

Adler had quite a story.  Discovered playing for pennies in Times Square, he hit it big in vaudeville, and I mean Big.  Famous composers writing things for him to play, kind of big.  And no one had ever thought of the harmonica as a serious instrument.

The Commie Fighters turned his name into mud, after he fought back and sued them for libel.  But they kept it in court until he ran out of money for lawyers.  Couldn't buy a job in the US after that.  He moved to England, where at least he could work.  And thus to the Goons, where he regularly performed as "Max Geldray".

Probably the greatest harmonica player we'll ever hear.  His birthday was Feb 10th.

Larry Adler, 1955: Brazil