Re: [Harp-L] re: Improv in Blues]

[One2one2three@xxxxxxx]

If you guys want to hear 14 original, fresh sounding blues and jazz based 
harp tunes check out WWW.ShakinSmith.com  This guy is MUCHO scarey with a 
diatonic, frustrates the hell out of me...if you get a chance to catch him live 
anywhere, do it. No fancy custom harps ( plays Big Rivers ) no fancy gear ( solid 
state Lab Series amp ) but CRAZY musical lines and tone...very impressive in 
this day and age when so many players sound alike...don't even bother to try and 
cop the licks, just listen and learn...


Ben said:
 Of course many a harp player grew up musically by listening to other harp 
players. Unfortunately, of that many, very very few have their own voice. I'm 
not going to name names, but I suspect those who have found a voice have had a 
wider range of influences than just other harp players. 

This is what I tell to my students : listen to other instruments. Horn 
players, guitarists, whatever. Emulate.

If you must listen to harp players, do not under any circumstance listen to 
the same player repeatedly.

The issue with harp playing is everyone is listening to the same few masters. 
Little Big Sonny Boy Walter, as I call him. Guitarists have dozens of heroes 
to get influenced from. We have four. So if we listen to them only, we all 
sound more or less the same.

Ben
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