[Harp-L] Living a Butter Life




I was playing harp for a couple months into '73 and listened to Cotton, Oskar and Mayall who were my first influences. Then my brother came home with the Butterfield Live lp and it blew me away with the energy, soul and fluid harp lines I haven't heard in the past. For many years Butter was my mentor though I've never seen him live. The attack and release of each note was a solo in itself. Although I owned lps of all the greats Butter had the most fluid "Boss" tone in my book.


Skip to the mid '90's there was a resurgence of 50's-60's blues in this area and guitarists wanting to play more traditional. I was so caught up in the progressive single note technique that I got passed up for gigs by guitarists that wanted a more traditional blues sound. I had almost no knowledge of chording, octave playing and tongue techniques. I fit in better with blues rock guitarists then those in the Muddy/Wolf Magic Sam vein.

I had to stop listening to Butter for a few years to focus on other players. I couldn't get what LW was doing until I heard Kim Wilson even though I owned LW lp's for
over 25 years. I didn't care for the effects used on LW recordings at the time. It made it hard to figure out his solos. Then I paid attention to what Oscher and Cotton were playing on Muddy's recordings in the late 60's and stuff Guyger and Primich were currently playing. Gradually I found a happy medium where I can feel comfortable on stage with both blues rockers and old school blues players keeping the two styles separate.


I can see why some players don't care for Butterfield. His style is unique to him without the usual bag o'tricks blues harp players are known for.
I think studying Butterfield taught a lot of us how to crossover into other musical styles. He wasn't a harp player. He was a musician.


Case in point. I was at the local blues jam 2 weeks ago. The set leader calls out a Tracy Chapman tune in Em for the first song. I shook my head and hoped for the best since I knew non of her tunes. I credit the time I put in learning Butterfields use of vibrato on attack and release of notes to pull it off. The 20 something guitarist shook my hand later and said, "Wow, I didn't think anyone could play like that on harmonica". The bass player who called the tune said, "I like playing with you Mike. When the song is dragging you always bring up the energy when you solo making the rest of us play better". I went up later and played some old school blues with actual blues musicians.



Michael Easton
www.harmonicarepair.com






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