Re: [Harp-L] Little Walter is overrated



Obviously a matter of taste. LW was a flat out great player. His phrasing and attack are as good as anything ever done. There are trumpet players who are technically superior to Louis Armstrong too. Charlie Christian wasn't a technical freak on guitar. John Coltrane's playing wasn't about pushing the limits of technique. LW could swing and had a subtle way of making the same riff sound new 4 bars after playing it the first time.

Not that it matters, but I'm not that big on Sonny Terry. Terry was good but he got in on the ground floor of the folk boom (before WWII) like Josh White and got quasi-mainstream recognition long before LW. Buddy Moss could play harp as well and made most of his records playing guitar. I'm more partial to Noah Lewis, Jazz Gillum, and several of Terry's other contemporaries.

---- Fred <fssharp@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Ok, I've been on harp-L since the mid 90's.  Love the list.  It suddenly
occurred to me that Little Walter is overrated, I have the complete LW CD
set.  Like some of the tunes.  Some good harp playing.  I guess it was
innovative at the time.  Compared to what the folks on this list are doing,
not so much.  Case in point:  Chicken Shack.  A quick YouTube search found
an awesome version by Paul Harrington.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTa9y6rWdsA

I was pointed back to the Little Walter version.  No comparison.  Paul kicks
butt. Yeah, LW was a pioneer.  So was Daniel Boone.  So what!  Am I missing
something?  Personally, I like almost all contemporary players better.  Just
because he was the first, does that make him the best?  Sorry, I don't get
it.  Give me BW, Butter, Slim Harpo, Sonny Terry anytime.  I just think this
guy is over rated.

Fred S





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