Re: [Harp-L] Can anyone point to a middle octave 1st position blues: Howard Levy

["Brendan Power" <bren@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

The most incredible 1st Position Blues solo I've ever heard is by Howard
Levy on his new instructional DVD 'Out of the Box'. For all you
overblow-haters out there, check this out (the last tune, about 3:50 in):
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3MtRHq8ERCE
 
That's first position Blues on a standard C harp, as it's never been heard
before... Down home and sexy as hell!
 
I don't overblow myself (I retune my harps to get the juicy notes as normal
bends), but this cut really shows how bluesy and expressive the overblows
can be in the lips of a master. Howard's extraordinary technique and great
harmonic understanding allows him to use the overblows as enharmonic notes.
 
For example, he achieves the G on 6 blow by overblowing hole 5 and bending
up. Same with 5 blow (E): he's bending up the overblow on 4 to get the E.
That way, the critical 3rd and 5th notes in the scale become expressive
through bending - just as they are in Cross Harp.
 
First Position in the middle octave is normally thought of as very
inexpressive (that's why they call it Straight Harp). This cut gives the lie
to that forever.

Brendan Power
WEBSITE: http://www.brendan-power.com
YOUTUBE: http://www.youtube.com/BrendanPowerMusic