[Harp-L] RE: "there's no harmonica in this tune"



Great post. Please tell Cousin Al about Del McCoury. lol

Message: 2
Date: Tue, 25 Jan 2011 09:38:08 -0500
From: Warren Bee <spahpublicity@xxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [Harp-L] "there's no harmonica in this tune"
To: Harp L Harp L <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
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As I read this bluegrass harmonica thread it really reminds me of why I
have always had a problem with "real heady self rightous musicians". The
type that are so boxed into a frame of mind that they forget what IMHO
is the purpose for music in the first place: to have fun, to use all
parts of the brain; technical and creative, to communicate ideas and
feelings, to share and to encourage listeners to stir up personal
emotions and thoughts of their own.

Over the years I have been in and out of many musical ensembles. Nothing
is more frustrating in my world than to be in a rehearsal situation with
participants introducing new material and the evil words rear their ugly
head : "Theres no harmonica on this tune...sit this one out" Now I
understand that if it gets to showtime and the harp doesn't "work" at
all then that is the time to sit it out. When I have been working with
musicians that have "open minds" about instrumentation this is where I
have experienced the most "musical growth" personally. Finding your
place in a "non harmonica" song makes you think about horn lines,
rhythms, SPACE, accents, other instruments, different positions etc.
Most importantly it gets you thinking about being part of a
conversation/story and not "look at me, look at me, look ma no hands". I
am stepping out on a limb with this next comment but as usual that won't
stop me. Curious what responses it generates from y'all:

The reasons that many like to limit "outside of the box instrumentation"
is FEAR and EGO. The "tradition" cry can make a good smoke screen for
the truth.

My 5 minute flash of bluegrass fame came back in '93 at the Strawberry
Park Bluegrass Festival. I was asked on stage by Del McCoury and his
Grammy award winning band. Back in that time frame I must have been to
at least 12 bluegrass festivals and NEVER saw a non stringed instrument
on stage. I was attending these events as an avid fan of the music not
as an aspiring bluegrass harp player. I had no bluegrass licks in my
pocket. I was asked on stage because Del knew I wasn't a hack and
because it was a "fun" break from tradition. The stage and the audience
of about 1000 was all smiles. None bigger than mine! We ripped through a
song Del called "Rocky Mountain Special". I faked it all the way through
and we got a standing ovation after the tune. Was I incredible and
awesome, nah, just good enough to let them shine and me squeeze into
some cracks. My point: Del & company had no fears and controlled egos on
that stage. It was all about ENTERTAINMENT and GOOD TIMES. Now that's
what I call TRADITION!

WB



My friend Cousin Al has been the King of Bluegrass Radio since the
early/mid-70's; first on KFAT radio in Gilroy, CA ("Garlic Capitol of
the
World") and now for over twenty years on KPIG radio in Freedom, CA.
Every
Sunday evening w/o fail on 107 oink 5.If you live in the Santa
Cruz/Monterey/Salinas area, you know what I mean.  And everybody who
records
and performs bluegrass nationally knows Cousin Al. And nobody knows
bluegrass music like Cousin Al, that's what they say.  
 
I didn't play harp unitl about ten years ago, and it was a couple years
after that when I dropped by "the Sty" during his show. Hadn't seen Al
for
many years; had my harps w/ me and played along to some of the songs he
was
spinning (ok, they're on CD now, so DJ's don't actually "spin" anything
anymore). Finally I had to ask: "Hey Cousin Al, who is the best
harmonica
player in bluegrass music?" With a sad and sympathetic look at me he
said:
"Steve, there is no harmonica in bluegrass music."
 
And I realized that in all the years I'd listened to Cousin Al's show, I
couldn't recall ever hearing any harmonica. Oh, well.
 
SLH





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