Re: [Harp-L] "Sounds like Harmonica" - Coltrane - feeling vs technique - Summertime - etc etc.



This is a comment on a number of recent threads. The most harmoniconious sax player of the post bop school is IMHO Albert Ayler in his last years for instance:

http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=5whf6v8-yZE

To me, this weird but simple playing is just above any harp playing I have ever heard because of the feeling projected. I also like Rahsan Roland Kirk's rendition of "Summertime" (on harmonica, chromatic I think) despite its probably poor harmonica technique. I also think Don Cherry tells a lot.

Albert Ayler is what I aspire to because it is beautiful. Becoming beautiful requires massive technique and spirit. These are not things that can be acquired easily or lightly.

I would love to read more talk about the spirit of the harmonica! To me harp customization, effect acquisition syndrome and endlessly expanding the harmonica repertory into tunes not written for that instrument do not cut it. For instance, enough Summertime already! There is not A definitive but probably two dozen definitive versions of this, including Larry Adler's.

I would also love to hear more tunes that are harmoniconious rather than being "Isn't it amazing s/he can play it on a harmonica" tunes. I want "I cannot imagine this being played on any other instrument" performances - there are, of course, many of these, but still not enough.

Love harmonica love the feel of the harmonica love the sound of the harmonica. But the inverted snobbery of "we only play harmonica and people disrespect us" is frankly a pain.

I await the Albert Ayler of harmonica. Jason Ricci gets near sometimes, but struggles to sustain it through an entire song performance.

Critically yours - i.e. I can dish it out but I can't play it.; except in my dreams

Keep dreaming

Richard

On 22 Oct 2008, at 18:54, Warren Bee wrote:

I am really enjoying this topic and hearing how the different strokes for
different folks opinions are coming out. I have come full circle over the
years in my thoughts about this. I started out thrilled to finally find an
instrument that I could play and enjoy. I started because I LOVED the way
harmonicas sounded. Then as time passed and I progressed I got into a real
experimental stage using effects pedals and such to try and sound "not like
a harmonica". Of course being a second position 98% of the time player no
matter what processing I used it still would make guys like Buddha cringe.
Oh well! Now I have come back to preferring minimal effects. A touch of
reverb or slap-echo still lets the "harmonica sound" come through. I have
retired my flange, chorus, POG, tremolo, wah wah toys, at least for now. I
am also venturing into more positions, like fifth, my favorite after second.
Even as I expand on my musicality I still like to hear the notes sound like
a harmonica. Now when it comes to listening to other harp players I love it
ALL. I am not a purist at all and think that anything and everything goes.
As far as audiences go I think there are probably an equal amount of people
that love hearing a harp not sound like a harp and the other half loving the
harmonica sound. I think that that is some of the cool experience of being
at a Jason Ricci show. He swings hard both ways. At times he is of another
universe and at others he takes you right down to the delta in Mississippi.
Now Madcat is something special to me. When I saw him recently with Triple
Play he really covered a lot of musical turf from roots to serious jazz. No
matter what he played it sounded like "harmonica" and I liked that. Viva le
difference!




WB

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