[Harp-L] Re: Suggested players to learn from

[Michael Easton <diachrome@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Funny you should mention that lp Martin.  I was listening to it today  
on my ipod along with the Better Days at Winterland Live and the   
complete '71 Live recordings.
Although not wholly blues in content the RCO lp is very melodic and  
the songs are perfect for Butter's style.

On Mar 19, 2012, at 12:55 PM, harp-l-request@xxxxxxxxxx wrote:

> Message: 9
> Date: Mon, 19 Mar 2012 10:43:03 -0700 (PDT)
> From: martin oldsberg <martinoldsberg@xxxxxxxxx>
> Subject: [Harp-L] re: Suggested player to learn from -- I answer
> 	myself ...
> To: "harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx" <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
> Message-ID:
> 	<1332178983.98869.YahooMailNeo@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1

snip

> Turns out I had done my research poorly. One good answer was so to  
> say lying before my very eyes, on Spotify. I have one record w/  
> Levon Helm & The RCO All Stars, harmonica by Butterfield -- but I  
> had somehow missed that they recorded a live concert in 1977.
>   This is a shining example of how to integrate the harmonica in a  
> band -- a rather large band w/ horns -- and where you get just the  
> right amount of harmonica, because Paul shows restraint. He´s  
> present on every song, sings a couple himself, takes solos, but  
> shuts his mouth completely at times.
>   It´s not complicated stuff (roughly the same songs/type of songs  
> as on the RCO All Stars record) but you could easily have ruined  
> this w/ a more aggressive/ self-flaunting harp player.
>
> The attraction of Butterfield isn´t shared by all, so I gather, and  
> that´s in order. He has a very big, almost crude, vibrato that makes  
> him instantly recognizable. I like the intensity he projects in that  
> -- but I can understand people calling it un-subtle or something.
>   Also he seems not really to have mastered the upper octave in his  
> playing, can´t really say why, but few, if any blues players in the  
> 50´s and 60´s could comfortably go through all three octaves.  
> (Disproof is welcome: I think Charlie Musselwhite may have been the  
> first ... "modern" blues player to achieve this.)
>
> Cheers,
> Martin

Take Care
Mike
www.harmonicarepair.net