Subject: Re: [Harp-L] Why do you want to play blues? In defense of the blues

[EGS1217@xxxxxxx]

"I started playing harp at age 53 (and am now 60). I didn't know  there
were organizations (like SPAH and various harmonica clubs) for  the
first couple of years that I tried to learn."
 
Bob: ...this is great..and pretty much echoes my own 'returning to  
harmonica' playing experience...except I didn't head for 'blues' per se.   Only fell in 
love with 'that sound' after hearing it at my first Buckeye...Just  want to 
play all of the music I enjoy on a harmonica, but I understand the  feeling of 
a fish out of water not having known anything of the big harmonica  world out 
there...
 
 "I looked for CDs with harp and "discovered" Kim Wilson, Paul  Butterfield, 
etc. I absolutely LOVED the emotional content of their playing-and  still love 
it more than any othermusic I like-and I like a lot of different  styles and 
genres of music. For
example, a player like Smokey Joe can move me  to tears, because his 
playing is filled with just the right techniques to  convey a message about 
how HE feels about the song, and I can FEEL it too!  He's not one of the
ODBGs, but he can PLAY MUSIC that reaches to the  core!"
 
...wow!  I thought people were hearing only his brilliant jazz riffs  (in his 
youtube videos) and not that he really is playing 'emotionally'.   I'm going 
to 'out' him here..he'll probably be pis...er, I mean ticked off at  me  ;)  
....I've been privileged to hear a cassette he did at least 20  years ago of 
his playing on clarinet, trumpet, different saxophones...maybe even  a trombone 
in there...all amazing.  I didn't know (or believe) at first  that it was our 
Smojoe playing, because he'd said he'd never had a  professionally produced 
album and this sure sounded like one.  It's  stupendous. He truly can do 
anything he wants to on a chromatic (and is no  slouch on a diatonic either).  
 
At this Spah he did me an enormous favour..telling me I needed to practice  
to get a couple of songs 'nailed'...before I could play at an open mic (with 
him  backing me)...so I really did hole up in my room as much as possible after 
we'd  narrowed it down to a few songs..practicing more than I usually do.  
Then  of course I threw all caution aside and decided on a song at the  last 
second I hadn't played at all before, lol.  :)  
 
 Smokey was up to the challenge..we played at the very last open mic  
Saturday afternoon....me still shaking in my shoes...with no audience at all - I  was 
thrilled. I most often play with my eyes closed...opened them to see at  
least 20 people streaming by out of the seniors matinee...all  making surprised 
but favourable comments on my playing.  I nearly  fell off the stage, but 
managed to hang on a bit longer, until Warren Bee  plonked down in the middle of 
"Ain't no Sunshine'....calling out to me in  surprise...and that's when I lost 
the thread in the middle of the song (don't  worry,Warren - not blaming you :)  
but managed to salvage it...only because  SmoJoe kept going, riffing on and 
improvising as only he can.  We hadn't  practiced that one either, actually.  
 
Come to think of it, the one song I DID practice..Moon River, was the  most 
boring since my backing track was a bit slow...but SmoJoe knows just about  
every song and can make anybody sound good.  I'm ever so grateful. I  now have 
two open mics under my belt..this one with actual music behind me and  someone 
of his caliber playing along, giving me encouragement and  backing.  How cool 
is that?

"My own playing tends more toward songs  with an established melody,
such as gospel, country, bluegrass, rather than  the blues, which is more
about a feeling rather than a specific melody  (IMHO). When I succeed in
conveying the emotional flavor to the audience,  often I'm left in tears at 
the end of the song."
 
....wow...I feel exactly the same way.  Which leads back to: how does  one 
keep playing when tears are leaking into one's instrument?...doesn't matter  
quite so much when playing a guitar or piano...but with a harmonica it's quite  
the quandary - at least for me....

"To me, the "blues" format (chord  progression) is somewhat similar in
nature to Japanese haiku (poetry). Haiku  has a very strict (restricted)
form, yet the masters of haiku can create  entire worlds of emotional 
content within it. The same is true of genuine  blues players. For ME,
a player is "genuine" when he//she can convey the  emotional content
of the song to the listener, causing the same emotions to  be felt as part
of the music, REGARDLESS of the genre."
 
..actually...I don't think of any music as 'structured'...since all of my  
playing (piano as well) is purely by ear, but I do agree that if I can't  feel 
the emotion in or behind the playing (or singing) the artist loses me  rather 
quickly, again regardless of the genre..and to me if I can't convey the  
meaning of the song, there's no point in playing at all.
 
 "I've also heard several 
technically brilliant harmonica players  who cannot (IMHO) play the blues.
Playing a bajillion notes just to show off  ones chops as a speed freak just
turns me off. The chops are there, but it  ain't got no soul. (I qualify that 
as the opinion of a genuine "white bread"  kind of guy; what would I know 
about the blues?!? It's not like I've ever  experienced any tragedy in my 
"short" life - ROTFLMAO!)"
 
....weeeeell.. there are 'blues' players who play a 'bajillion' notes, and  
there are those who don't really consider themselves purely blues artists..but  
rather: 'blues/rock/indie/jazz innovative players who can play a bajillion  
notes who also 'convey emotion' in other aspects of their songs...especially if 
 they're also vocalists.  One certainly doesn't preclude the other. One  
person I know in particular just oozes 'soul' (and, like me..has  experienced 
sufficient pain in life to qualify to express it  through his music)...but doesn't 
necessarily put it into every piece he plays  for the several hours 
performing for an audience every night on the  road.  I don't think any artist/human 
could survive that kind of  soul-baring.  However...it's there in the half-dozen 
deeply felt  songs/instrumentals he plays and sings during his performances.  
So if one  is judging by one or two single videos...one might miss out on the 
'soul' of  that performer...


"For those with a dismissive attitude toward the "simplicity" of  blues, I'd
suggest a deeper LISTENING to all parts of it, rather than  focusing on the 
external, somewhat limited form. Minimalism is extremely  hard to work 
toward in any field. Elegance arrives when everything  unnecessary has
been pared away."
 
...absolutely...and I'd say this could also apply to those with a similarly  
dismissive attitude towards what the media has termed 'smooth' jazz, for wont 
of  a better name. Good music is good music regardless of what it's called.  
Sometimes a purely melodious horn line can be beauty personified all  by itself 
and not require dissonance to be considered acceptable or trad.  jazz...Guess 
I really do dislike the labels...

"I've seen the same kind  of attitude in martial arts. Minimalist techniques 
that "git'r done" are  deprecated in favor of "flash," the Hollywood fiction
that requires multiple  cameras and lots of retakes to get "right." I much
prefer one simple  technique that stops the fight cold to ten thousand
flashy techniques that  leave the opponent still fighting 15 minutes later.
And on THAT subject, I'm  a 4th-degree black belt, so I AM qualified to have
an opinion.

My  $0.02 worth,
Crazy Bob"
 
...you should ask SmoJoe to send you the most hilarious 'fight' video I've  
just seen. It personifies what you've just described.
 
Elizabeth
 
> Date: Fri, 22 Aug 2008 03:54:39 -0700
> From: Gary Popenoe  
> Subject: Re: [Harp-L] Why do you want to play blues? In defense of  the
>     blues.
> To: Richard Hammersley 
> Cc:  Bill Kumpe , Harp-l 
> 
> Guys, I play all of the genre and, while I  am not expert in all, I  
> have learned that the simpler forms are  every bit as challenging as  
> the more complex for many of the  reasons you have already mentioned.
> 
> A minimalist heart felt  solo in the manner of Big Walter Horton takes  
> so much feel and  specialized technique it will only be mastered by  
> someone with  great experience both in life and with the instrument.
> 
> The very  same can be said about mastering the other genre.
> 
> I think it  was the great percussionist Airto who said something like  
> it  takes a great musician to make great music just banging two rocks  
>  together. (If some one can source that quote, let me know. )
> 
>  One of my favorite challenges is backing up singer songwriters. This   
> role often excludes solos and is limited to gracing the song with   
> color notes and some simple figures. It is a true excercise in  "less  
> is more." There is no forest of notes to hide my mistakes.  Everything  
> must be reduced to only that which is essential to the  message.
> 
> What is interesting and compelling is that I have  learned that this  
> must be my goal whether it is blues or  bebop.
> 
> When I get it right, the audience listens."
>  





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