Top 10 Best Blues Harmonica Players

Paul Butterfield

Paul Butterfield was an American blues harmonica player, singer, and bandleader. He was born on December 17, 1942, in Chicago, Illinois. He died on May 4, 1987, in North Hollywood, Los Angeles, from an accidental drug overdose.

Even "extraordinary" is an understatement. Part of the magic comes from his playing the harp upside-down and backwards. As a result, his tone was fuller and richer than anyone before or since, due to his oral cavity being in unorthodox juxtaposition with the blow and draw plates. Because he played right-to-left, he discovered licks and created runs never heard before. His wind was superhuman. His vibrato is unmatched to this day. His use of chords was revolutionary, and when he applied vibrato to his chords, the effect was celestial, as it was with single notes. You'll never see his like again. Though his musical ability was superhuman, May 4th marked thirty years since we lost him to his all-too-human weaknesses. RIP.

Little Walter

Walter, a trailblazer, took blues from the country to the city, adding jazz elements and propelled by guitarists Robert Lockwood Jr. and Luther Tucker. Whether you hear his recordings or him backing Muddy Waters, Bo Diddley, and others, his sound and ability to improvise were like nothing blues had ever seen - all before age 38.
Other modern blues harp players emulate and follow, but Little Walter is the king.

Little Walter is the godfather of blues harmonica! He stands alone as the one who transformed the blues harmonica from an unamplified, background sideman instrument to an amplified lead instrument that could solo with power alongside the other amplified instruments of the band. It was not only his sound but his musicality, inventiveness, and songwriting that set him apart from all others. In so many ways, he was/is the premier harp player and the one who has most influenced all blues harp players! Little Walter is The Don!

Sonny Boy Williamson II

With lovely rounded notes, Sonny Boy produces a smooth harmonica sound, but with characteristic sudden attacks that catch the listener off guard. His gimmicky "in-mouth" playing could never distract from his wonderfully polished technique.

Incredibly creative. The vocals and the harp are extensions of each other.

While he stole his name, his playing is unique.

George "Harmonica" Smith

So very underappreciated and not as well known. I call his style "intricate simplicity."

Junior Wells

Junior was the epitome of soul blues. A great harp style, a tasty blend of Sonny Boy Williamson and Junior Walker, with the best hats and the dance moves of James Brown.

Jimmy Reed

Mathis James Reed (September 6, 1925 - August 29, 1976) was an American blues musician and songwriter. His distinctive style of electric blues was popular with a wide variety of audiences.

Reed's songs, such as "Honest I Do" (1957), "Baby What You Want Me to Do" (1960), "Big Boss Man" (1961),... read more

Walter Horton

Big Walter had the best tone coupled with a unique style. He was versatile, playing country and urban blues while throwing in bits of jazz, pop, and show tunes.

In my humble opinion, this gentleman doesn't play harp too shabbily either.

No one sounded like Walter Horton! Absolutely amazing!

Charlie Musselwhite

Top shelf - none better. I listened to his Stand Back album for six straight hours without picking up my harp, and when I started playing again, I was a different and far better player. Even my bandmates noticed it the next night on the gig. If you want to learn, this cat is the best!

Charlie Musselwhite is a fabulous blues harmonica player - one of the best, if not the best. I've seen him live in several blues clubs, and he always blew me away.
God bless Charlie.
- Jimmy D.

The blues overtook him when he was a little child and drove the poor boy wild!

Mick Jagger

Sir Michael Philip "Mick" Jagger is an English singer, songwriter, and actor, best known as the lead vocalist and a co-founder of the Rolling Stones. With a career spanning more than six decades, he has become one of the most influential frontmen in rock music history. Jagger was knighted in 2003 for... read more

He adds a great feel to it and locks in very well, with only one aim: to contribute to the song!

He does deserve to be here, and I'm glad he was added.

Sonny Boy Williamson I

The original. No one had heard the harmonica played like it before.

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James Harman

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Brendan Power

Sonny Terry

Will Wilde

A very credible blues harp player, and he deserves his place here, but his style leans more toward blues-rock and hard rock. His passion for harmonica knows no bounds. He is SERIOUSLY overlooked. Check out his band (Will Wilde Band) sometime, and you'll see what I mean. He has an amazing set of pipes on him too - an overall incredible musician.

He has to be heard to be believed. He can play all types of blues, but I particularly love his slow blues. He's just incredible. Check him out on YouTube as soon as you've read this. Any blues harmonica enthusiast will not be disappointed. Oh, and he's English. Just saying...

Jason Ricci

Yes, JR can shred (probably the best at this), but he can also do soulful, country-style blues with the best of them (check out his collaborations with JJ Appleton). His versatility, creativity, and originality are unmatched. If you play the harp, what he can do is otherworldly. Yes, he DOES have demons, but it's all part of his makeup.

Jason is a master of the craft. I'm a pro sax player on the New Orleans circuit and have shared the stage with him several times. Nobody shreds the "Mississippi Saxophone" like Mooncat.

No one has the speed, precision, and diversity coupled with the ability to play with such soul. He's the Jimi Hendrix of the harp.

John Popper

He should be at the top. This list is ridiculous, having him all the way down here at 15. Really?

Simply incredible. I can listen to his solos all day long.

James Cotton

I saw him late in his life, and he could not sing much due to throat cancer, but he could still play.

Cotton, in his prime, was right up there with his mentor Sonny Boy Williamson.

Alan Wilson

He never reached his full potential. Drugs and depression took him out early. For something tasty, try "Huautla" by Canned Heat.

The "Blind Owl" was so incredible. Take a listen.

Sugar Blue

Rick Estrin

Powerful. I've seen him at least a dozen times over the last 27 years, and he just seems to get better every time.

Saw Little Charlie and the Nightcats twice. Rick Estrin is awesome.
So is Little Charlie, by the way.

Check out "D.O.G." The song's a hoot, and his licks are mighty respectable.

Carey Bell

Taj Mahal

Henry Saint Clair Fredericks, born May 17, 1942, is better known by his stage name Taj Mahal. He is an American blues musician, singer-songwriter, and film composer. A self-taught multi-instrumentalist, he plays the guitar, piano, banjo, harmonica, and many other instruments.

Butterfield is rightly the first choice, but Taj's talent with the harp mustn't go unnoticed. He should really be in the top five.

Dirty, greasy, juicy, slurry, throaty harp. Loved him for more decades than I care to remember.

Norton Buffalo

He is incredible in so many ways. He is versatile in his playing and a great entertainer.

Robert Plant

Robert Anthony Plant (born 20 August 1948) is an English singer, songwriter, and musician best known as the lead singer and lyricist of Led Zeppelin. He's celebrated for his powerful, wide-ranging voice and charismatic stage presence. After Zeppelin's dissolution, Plant released numerous solo albums... read more

John Mayall

John Brumwell Mayall OBE (November 29, 1933 - July 22, 2024) was an English blues and rock musician, songwriter, and producer. In the 1960s, he founded John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers, a band whose rotating lineup included some of the most influential blues and blues rock musicians ever, such as Eric... read more

Paul Jones

Lead with Manfred Mann - 76 and still playing at his best. He's got to be in the top ten!