RE: [Harp-L] What Harp-l does best



Michael,

despite you asked Robert I allow myself to answer:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lee_Konitz

I don't know your personal musical taste. I like 'Jazz Nocturne' and
'Brazilian Rhapsody' but also many of his other albums to which you can
listen to samples at and buy from Amazon. For some recordings it might be
recommendable to look for them in a more specalized record store. 

To throw my 2 cents in the hat about the ongoing discussion 'work vs. fun':
I agree with Robert concerning the fact that it's always better to know more
than too little. But as many others on this list playing an instrument as
leisure and therefor maybe put less pressure on myself than in my
professional field where I have to perform. And if you have family - well
those of you with family will understand what I am talking about 'setting
priorities'.... Which doesn't mean that I wouldn't like to take some courses
on musical theory, improve my skills in reading music (faster). I see my
harmonica teacher once a month (if I could I would see him more frequently)
and we work through some interesting material. I hope there will come a time
in my life I can spend more time on music.

Tom (mostly Harp-L lurker and 'any kind of good music lover')

-----Original Message-----
From: michael rubin [mailto:michaelrubinharmonica@xxxxxxxxx] 
Sent: Saturday, November 21, 2009 8:05 PM
To: Robert Bonfiglio
Cc: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: [Harp-L] What Harp-l does best


Robert,
Thanks for the kind words.  I had no idea you actually knew who I was.  I
like it when you play chrome at the blues jams.  Who is Lee Konitz?  Is
there a CD you you recommend? Michael Rubin

On 11/21/09, Robert Bonfiglio <bon@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> Recently I was performing a concert with guitarist that had studied
> with Segova when the guitarist was a kid.  In order to fund his 
> concert series, we did a school outreach concert where he asked the 
> kids "How many of you play Guitar Hero?" and a hundred raised their 
> hands and "How many actually play the guitar?" and two raised their 
> hands.  I don't want to have the playing of the harmonica go down the 
> Guitar Hero road.
>
> I have followed the reaction to my sarcastic post and it had the
> "stirring things up" effect I had hoped.  My wife teaches flute and it 
> would never be stated on a flute list or in a publication that a 
> "newbie" should not learn their scales or study with a teacher.  And I 
> happen to think, but don't tell my wife, that the harmonica is a more 
> expressive instrument than the flute.
>
> But that said, and this is for you "newbies" out there, I steal licks
> and I mean STEAL.  From Sonnyboy 1 and 2, James Cotton, Paparozzi, 
> Toots, John Sebastian Jr. and Sr., Miles, Lee Konitz, Stevie - I took 
> his whole Alfie for my Time Life recording, Madcat, etc.  If I hadn't 
> been so under the influence I would have taken Michael Rubin's way of 
> approaching a solo (at the SPAH) which is not in your face, but coming 
> at you sideways kind of like Lee Konitz, but please don't tell him I 
> steal.
>
> What harp-l does best IMO is let you go out and steal those licks,
> have fun, and when you come up against something you can't do - there 
> is the harp-l list and someone like Winslow or Richard Hunter or 
> Madcat or Paparozzi or Howard or Hendrik or Musselwhite will tell you 
> what they did or what gear they use or where to find a teacher or a 
> seminar.
>
> One must remember that a lot of us have taught 100's of students and
> might know the best, fastest, and most fun to get from point A to 
> point B - which roads to take and which lead nowhere -because we took 
> already those roads.
>
> So steal the licks, have fun, but maybe sit at the piano and play a G
> 7th chord and take out your C harp and play your lick over the chord 
> and learn the notes in the chord and how your lick sounds over those 
> notes.
>
> Your favorite players, who "know nothing" will tell you I played piano
> as a kid, or I play a little guitar, or I can read music, etc  And all 
> will say I wish I had more knowledge of music, not less.
>
> Harmonically yours,
>
> Robert Bonfiglio
> http://www.robertbonfiglio.com
>
> _______________________________________________
> Harp-L is sponsored by SPAH, http://www.spah.org Harp-L@xxxxxxxxxx 
> http://harp-l.org/mailman/listinfo/harp-l
>






This archive was generated by a fusion of Pipermail 0.09 (Mailman edition) and MHonArc 2.6.8.