Subject: [Harp-L] Blues on the chromatic



       
 
Damien Masterson writes (excerpted):
 
" Every time I tried to record something fresh and innovative  
using chromatic in a "Blues" vein, it was shunned by Blues club owners  
as "too jazzy" and written off by Jazz people as "blues" or soul, or  
whatever. Maybe I just sucked. I'll never know. My point is, it's a  
tricky area."
 
....and while it's been a long time since I read your story (I do  remember a 
most interesting background) ...I wanted to write this  first before going to 
listen to your music - please let me tell you  that everything you've written 
has struck a chord with me...most  especially what you've said above. THIS is 
what I think the idea of  "Blues" on a chromatic should be.  I can't stand 
when some  self-defined critic sticks labels on any music as "too jazzy" or "too 
 Soul, too R&B" or whatever.  Jazz has grown, adapted and changed  over the 
years...and I love a lot of the newer versions of it...yet am  constantly 
belittled by music snobs because I like those changes  and enjoy the way certain 
musicians interpret it.  How music  makes you feel is what's important to me and 
not some other person's idea  that one has to stick with a rigid formula of 
what constitutes Jazz or  Blues. 
 
 As far as the harmonica goes, I've heard some nice  chromatic playing by 
some really good musicians, but frankly I'm not all  that enamoured of the 
old-style chromatic playing while accepting that  people who play it do so by 
choice, but I still have never  experienced  what I really think could be done with 
the instrument in  jazz or Blues, the way I've heard favourite saxophone 
players express  themselves.  
 
I'm still dying to hear what I think of as "Jazz" or  "R&B" and "Soul"....  
the music I grew up with...the music  that's in MY head.  If I could ever play 
it, I'd be thrilled, but I'm  not skilled enough.  Clearly you have the 
skills....I've heard about  you peripherally.....but like every other harmonica 
player...you get no  real respect from the music industry.  
 
Now you have me very intrigued...and I want to hear what it is you  play.  It 
just might be what I've been waiting all along to  hear and somehow missed 
till now.  From the very little I've already  known other people to say about 
you....this much I would put  money on....that you do not "suck".  :)  
 
So kudos to the poster who asked the question about Blues on  chromatic...if 
enough of us care, this just may be the beginnings of  something good. Great 
post!
 
Elizabeth
 
   "Message: 4
Date: Tue, 27 Jun 2006 14:50:16  -0700
From: Damien Masterson <damienzm@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject:  [Harp-L] Blues on the chromatic
To: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
Message-ID:  <ae892732fcae3806105421b11e5e1eca@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Content-Type:  text/plain;    charset=ISO-8859-1;     format=flowed

It's always a good idea to check the archives as  well. There are 
several postings on this subject from a couple of  years ago.

Blues on the chromatic is a very subjective  thing. What kind of blues 
are you listening to? Are you one of these  guys that heard Little 
Walter and decided that was all you ever wanted  to do with your life? 
Nothing wrong with that. Listen to him, George  Smith (who does little 
for me personally on chrom) or William Clarke,  others mentioned. Do you 
prefer rock blues? Do you like twisted stuff?  Are you a classic, black, 
Chicago fan or a Stevie Ray Vaughan person?  The truth is, these are all 
very different sounds, very different  chords and types of energy. What 
is "The Blues", anyway? Some think  it's one thing, few can agree. Try 
Paul Delay's chrom playing and see  what you think. The Harmonicats 
recorded some nice blues. What kind of  Blues do you like? That will 
narrow it down quite a bit.

I love to play the blues on the chromatic. I like my blues  chromatic 
playing better than anyone out there. Hubris? Maybe. I love  Bill 
Barrett and there's Stevie Wonder, who is not typically playing  "Blues" 
on the chromatic, although one might argue technique-wise  there's 
little difference. I would. Do I have recordings of my best  chromatic 
"blues" playing? Not really... If I'm going to kick down 10  grand for a 
record that expresses who I think I am, I'd rather try  something 
different. I respect people who use their instrument's  potential in the 
Blues, and have grown beyond the D minor draw  chord/octave blowing that 
was popular over 60 years ago. Everyone  poses with a chrom, don't they? 
Ignorance truly is bliss.

As  wide an appeal the harmonica has, there's not a huge market for 
people  stepping outside the extremely limited paradigm, and even the 
old  diatonic masters are for the most part currently parked on their  
couches. Every time I tried to record something fresh and innovative  
using chromatic in a "Blues" vein, it was shunned by Blues club owners  
as "too jazzy" and written off by Jazz people as "blues" or soul, or  
whatever. Maybe I just sucked. I'll never know. My point is, it's a  
tricky area. In the archives, you'll find JP Pagan giving a great  
review of me playing blues chromatic in Barcelona. I wish I had a  
recording of that night! I love Jimi Hendrix, originally found the  
"Blues" from Led Zeppelin before I discovered the old cats. For  
whatever reason, I am not capable of writing or producing a kickass,  
cliché "Blues" album. Every time I try, I screw it up by trying to  make 
it more "Interesting"... In my mind, what's interesting about  that 
music is the passion and on the edge balance of emotion and  delicate 
restraint that allows someone to  express themselves so  completely 
without harmony or their chops getting in the way.  Obviously not so 
easy... Maybe that's why the apparently limited  diatonic, with it's 
richter tuning, has been the choice harp for raw  expression. Too much 
freedom can really bog you down!

If you want to hear some different Blues on the chromatic,  check 
out Bill Barrett's "Backbone" as well his other recordings, from  my 
albums: Intercâmbio: "Joe's Fried Chicken" (Featured on Raw  Record's 
"San Francisco's Best Blues" compilation), my searing  chromatic solo on 
Cubacambio: "In my time", Half the solos and intros  on Scrapbook, 
especially "Jaded", "Student Loan" and "Funk ala Fax",  and solos from 
"Pocket Pool" and "Uh-Oh" on my ne'er to be released  "Blue World Order" 
project. I'll post some links later.
Are they 12 bar shuffle blues? No. Do they sound like "Juke"? Hell  
no. But if that's what you're looking for, then maybe you should be  
asking different questions. Mike Turk and Howard Levy can play  
spectacular blues on diatonic harmonicas, but most of us have grown  
beyond the blues harp of our forefathers. Not to dismiss it's beauty  
and appeal. Listen to it. Study it. Learn as much from it as you can.  
Then take a theory class, practice and learn how to create your own  
thing. For all of the flack John Popper gets for being limited in  
scope, he did what few of us are capable of: Developed his own way to  
play the blues harp, developed his own sound and became an icon. Few  on 
this list can boast the same. Sucks, huh?

For those of you who honestly want to hear some "blues  chromatic", 
I suggest you do a couple of things: Expand your horizons  on what the 
"blues" are, Spend some money and support some chromatic  players out 
there. Take a risk! You know who we are! I'll give you a  money back 
guarantee. Listen to new music a few times, don't write it  off right 
away, the best stuff is often an acquired taste, or over  your head. I 
finally get music that turned me off 10 years ago. And  lastly - if you 
are playing harmonica and interested in the chromatic  - get out of your 
box and expose yourself to some scary, freaky music.  Go to the other 
extreme! Some of the best "Blues" I have heard have  come from African 
records. Labels will stop making sense. Your wife  will hate your music. 
Your kids will be scared. You won't be able to  listen to the radio much 
anymore. Hang in there - It's worth  it!

Damien Masterson  http://www.damienmasterson.com
or  enter my name in any search engine
415 305 7138    damienzm@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Damien Endorses Hohner Harmonicas and Audix  Microphones






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