Re: [Harp-L] Re: Improv in Blues : Re: Shakin Smith

[One2one2three@xxxxxxx]

In a message dated 4/22/2005 5:42:22 PM Eastern Standard Time, AV1901@xxxxxxx 
writes: regarding ShakinSmith's website :
 andy vincent said:
> I went to the web site and listened to all the MP3's there. With perhaps  
> the 
> exception of the last one, it sounded like a nice job of using Sonny Boy  
> Williamson II (Rice Miller) licks and style. The website bio stressed Shakin 
>  
> Smith's SBII influences. I liked his playing, but other than the last cut 
> (No  
> Apostrophe - I think that's what it was called), not much new ground to my 
> ears. 
> Rick Estrin of Little Charlie &the Nitecats and Kim Wilson do the best SBII 
> style playing of living harp players that I have seen/heard, IMHO.

   Andy :
           Two things that are VERY clear to me : You never seen Shakin Smith 
play, and never heard any of his previous recordings, right ?  Go back and 
listen again...or, better yet, purchase the C.D. then do a review, it's only 
fair..I hear a TON of new ground on tunes like : Dark Rhapsody, Tenacity, 
A.M.Blues, Chess Piece ( recorded in Robert Lockwood Jr.'s home with a Sony Mini 
Disc, with Robert on fire, commenting at the end Aww-damn, I thought I was 
finished with this s*!t when I quit workin" for Chess !!! ) Also, No Apostrophe, The 
Best I can, It's Never Too Late....no Sonny Boy influence in these songs. New 
ground and original to my BIG EARS...the intros, hooks, solo's, endings, 
vocals, songwriting...
      As far as sounding like or imitating Sonny Boy or Big Or Little Walter, 
I didn't mention any comparisons like you did praising Rick Estrin and Kim 
Wilson, ( did you know Jason Ricci won a Sonny Boy Blow-Off, c'mon the kids O.K. 
but...) those guys ain't bad, I've heard both plenty of times, but again, you 
have never seen Shakin Smith in a live setting, because if you did, your jaw 
would drop, you would buy the C.D. and hit the old wood shed, 
guaranteed...It's like Sonny Boy said : " whole lottsa people talkin', but a mighty few people 
know...."
                      All the best...
                                    Mike