Re: [Harp-L] Is Junior Wells over-rated?

["Leonardo K. Shikida" <shikida@xxxxxxxxx>]

Wells is not overrated.

He's got more than 50 emails at harp-l.

Every harp player on Earth knows him.

:-)

[]

Leo


On Fri, Apr 5, 2013 at 12:39 PM, Benoît FELTEN <benoit.felten@xxxxxxxxx>wrote:

> I haven't gotten myself involved in a debate on a blues harp player in
> close to a decade, so I thought I'd give this one a shot ;-)
>
> First, when you say overrated, what exactly do you mean? If you ask the man
> in the street, what will he answer ?
>
> - "Huh?"
>
> Junior Wells isn't rated. Sadly, in my opinion, but that's a fact of life.
> You have to be not just a fan of blues but a bit of a scholar to know who
> Junior Wells is. My suspiscion is that the question you're really asking
> is: "isn't Junior Wells a bit of hack when it comes to harmonica
> technique?"
>
> Then I'd say yes, you're probably right. In the same way that Muddy Waters
> is a bit of hack when it comes to guitar technique. And Pinetop Perkins a
> bit of a hack when it comes to piano technique. And...
>
> You get my point. I think you're using the wrong yardstick to analyse a
> music that was quintessentially not about technique. Sadly (in my opinion)
> it has become much too much about technique, and guitar heroes don't help
> in this respect.
>
> Going  back to Junior Wells, his music, for the most part, enchants me. I
> will listen to him over Little Walter any day. Not because I don't like
> Walter, but because Wells (to my ears) was so much more than a competent
> harmonica player. He had a distinctive style, both musically and
> personally. He had a presence that carries over through his recordings. His
> banter can be annoying at times, on some of the live records, but that's
> who he was too...
>
> Funnily enough, the really early stuff that I've heard mentioned on this
> thread isn't what I like the most about him. Don't get me wrong, I love
> Hoodoo Man Blues and I think that's the album when Junior became himself.
> And maybe shed the technique for feeling and presence. All things
> considered though, my favourite Junior Wells album and the one I keep going
> back to is his swansong, "Come on in this house". It's warm, it's relaxed,
> it's got a bunch of really hot young slide guitar players backing him with
> respect and intensity. Don't get it for the harmonica playing: it may be
> fine and characteristic, but it won't blow your mind. Listen to it on a
> quiet saturday evening on the porch (if it's warm enough where you are) or
> in your living room while you sip a bourbon, and you'll get it.
>
> Benoit
>
>
> 2013/4/3 Dan Hazen <bluesmandan76@xxxxxxxxx>
>
> > Hey everybody. I'm not wanting to start a firestorm of disagreement, just
> > wanting others' heated opinions on the subject (ha-ha). For several
> years,
> > I've tried to listen to and appreciate Junior Wells, but apart from his
> > playing on the old recording of Messin' with the Kid, I just do not
> > appreciate his playing. His singing is okay, but his playing (please
> > forgive me) seems like a lot of sloppy chord work to me, though some of
> his
> > syncopation and 'pops' are good. If you appreciate his style, and have
> > particular songs or youtubes that you think are great, I would like to
> know
> > about them, because so far, whenever I hear him play, I think, "meh." I
> > want to like him, but just don't. I've read elsewhere (can't recall
> where)
> > that he tried to claim he wrote 'Juke' and Little Walter stole it... a
> > claim I find ridiculous, as it certainly doesn't sound anything like the
> > other examples of Junior's playing I have heard. In fact, I wonder
> > (tongue-in-cheek, folks) if he played the harp on that recording of
> Messin'
> > with the Kid, since it doesn't sound like the other examples of his
> playing
> > I have heard. It's fast, furious, precise, rolling... I like it a lot.
> The
> > little bit of chord work towards the end of the solo is right on. But I
> > have yet to see a live version of the track in which Junior plays like he
> > did on the recording... parts of his live versions sound similar, but
> > chords are way off... as in this version:
> > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJhCmvMV3sU  which contains one of the
> > longer examples of him soloing, but it definitely is not like the
> > recording... chords are way off to my ears. Great singer, but mediocre
> harp
> > player???
> > Humbly yours,
> > Troublemaker Dan.
> >
>
>
>
> --
> Benoît FELTEN
> www.benoitfelten.com
> Analog Impressions <http://benoitfelten.tumblr.com/>
>