Re: [Harp-L] Butterfield.....tone

[cljdm@xxxxxxx]

Hi everyone,
 
I am enjoying this thread a great deal. Butter's worth and contributions to 
 all things harmonica  did not become fully realized by me until I had been 
 playing harp for at least 15 years. I always realized he was a great 
player,  but then began to appreciate him on so many more levels. I guess  my 
ears got bigger and more "tuned in".
 
His phrasing and intonation started to jump out at me once I knew what  to 
listen for. Don't get me wrong, his harp always moved me, but as I became  
more aware of how much actual control he had over his Marine Band, I started 
to  consider him as one of my , if not my favorite players.
 
I have given this example before, but I guess I can give it again. Try to  
find " Gene's Tune" off his "Live" CD. 
It is a fantastic example of what Paul Butterfield was capable of.  He  
just leads the band into a space where they are all churning this tune to  
musical heights I can't describe here. Not blues, not exactly jazz, definitely  
not pop, but absolutely great instrumental music. He was a GREAT band 
leader,  although I have heard he was a bit hard to deal with at times.
 
He brought a greater respect for our instrument like few others. Another  
example of this is on Levon Helm's New Years Eve "RKO All Stars" CD. Even 
though  he is not the band leader here, he is allowed to contribute at his own 
will. And  always does so in such a tasty manner. This is a band with horns 
and guitars,  yet Butter seems to be the one leading the tunes with his harp 
(IMO). And  Helms seems to be fine with that. That is respect in my book, 
cause they cut the  CD just as is, live again. Has tons of his harp on it. 
One of my few regrets in  life is not seeing Paul Butterfield's  Band live. 
That must have been  something to witness and be a part of, judging by the 
live recordings he has  left behind.
 
Oh, and he doesn't sing so bad either!
 
Happy Holidays,
 
Chris Mastakas
 
 
 
In a message dated 12/20/2009 12:53:51 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
tomsmics@xxxxxxxxxxxx writes:

Time for  the annual Butterfield debate/review/criticism/analysis, and this 
year's has  been pretty good.  There have definitely been some astute 
commentary, and  I'd like to add just a few thoughts to some of what I've read.

I think  the comments that imply Butter's "style" was not more fully formed 
until he  added the horns are onto something. In fact, I think he probably 
had two  "stylistic" periods--much like Walter.  The first would be his 
"blues"  period, evidenced best by the first two albums (although he was, by 
East-West,  already showing maturity in different areas).  By the time "Keep On 
 Movin" came out you could sense his style was leaving blues behind 
(although  he could play ALL of that stuff in his sleep) and clearly more 
interested in  jazz.  If you have a chance to get a copy of the "Live" re-release on  
Rhino, that has a second CD's worth of cuts, including some wonderful  
instrumentals, you can hear him competing with his horn players, being pushed  
by them.  Great examples of how he integrated our humble instrument into  
fully formed horn arrangements like no one had ever done before.

By  Better Days he had, to my ears, really honed his style to something 
truly  unique, a sound that could cut across all genres--folk, country blues,  
Chicago, soul, jazz.  You can argue all day about who had the best chops  
and tone, but you won't hear many harp players who can touch Butter's  range.

In the late '90s my wife and I got to spend some time with David  Sanborn 
after a gig in Ft. Worth, hanging out and talking for an hour.   We got into 
a conversation about Paul's tone, and it was my contention that  Paul could 
reach an emotional level that Sanborn has become so famous for in  his 
career.  It's that pitch range of an alto that just grabs your senses  and has a 
communicative range you can't ignore.  And that to me is one of  the most 
impressive things about Butter, espcially "late period" Butter  (before the 
drugs and decline of the last ten years):  His playing was so  emotional;  
Butter's comment that the harp was "the heart's horn" was no  off the cuff 
remark.  He saw the instrument as potentially expressive as  the human voice and 
to my ears was always striving to communicate true feeling  with his 
playing.  I haven't heard anyone do this since then.  And  that's what makes him 
so special, and why he sits in that small circle of  icons we all revere.  
TOM ELLIS/Tom's  Mics
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