[Harp-L] Re: OB style Klezmer on the diatonic - introducing JasonRosenblatt

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> Just wondering what criteria you use when evaluating what is "doing it 
> right"? 
>
> All I can see is there is tone and there is intonation. Other issues 
> like musicality are not strictly OB issues; they are common to all 
> musicians. 
>
> BTW I'm not trying to defend OB artist, just trying to gain some insight. 
>
> You need not answer, I realize this subject may be embarassing although 
> maybe people need to learn; there are not many to coach them. 
>
> Pierre

I can't answer for Chris, obviously. 

However, I think there are several reasons why, in my opinion, very few are 
"doing it right" and none of them, even Howard Levy, much as I admire him, 
are "doing it right" all the time. 

Let me explain. 

First of all, you can't dissociate technique and musicality. It is often 
said that technique is merely a tool for music (often by people who are 
overly technical, in my opinion), but playing happens in the instant. In the 
spur of the moment when you actually play, technique and musicality are 
completely intertwined. 

Now many "overblowers" feel, and often rightly so, that they can play things 
that most laymen can't. The problem, is that they end up playing these 
things because they can. And that's not musical, that's pure technique. So 
first of all, there's very often a matter of taste involved. Playing stuff 
not because it sounds great, or music, but because you can and others can't. 

The other aspect that I often hear listening to records by overblowers is 
overconfidence. Because they are so proficient technically, they think they 
can pull off stuff that, in fact, they can't quite pull off. They overreach, 
of you will. Give me any record by Howard Levy (and I have many) and I'll 
point out to you the choked notes, the lost rhythmic patterns, etc. They're 
all in there. Most often, it doesn't affect the overall quality of the 
music. Sometimes, it does. As you go down the pyramid from HL, which, 
unfortunately you have to do since nearly all overblowers worship at 
Howards' fount, these things get more frequent, more annoying, and the 
overall quality of the music goes down. 

I remember discussing this with one of the top guys of that particular crowd 
in Europe. The man can play jazz that will make your jaw drop, be-bop at 
breaking pace, etc. When I asked him why he never played slow, he had the 
honesty of admitting that the chances that an overblow will squeak or sound 
odd when playing slow are much higher. How is that a musical decision ? 

Anyway, after yesterday's discussion, I went and dug up Jason Rosenblatt's 
CD, and although not perfect, it's very nice because he has a lot of obvious 
technical baggage that he does not use. He plays what needs to be played to 
make the music sound good, and that's just how it should be. I will be 
reviewing it very soon. 

Ben