Re: Sleazy Chromatic Bluesy Techniques

[haandruss@xxxxxxx (Harvey A. Andruss, III)]

yekkim@xxxxxxxxxxxxx asked on  Mon, 19 Sep 1994 06:02:38 -0500 about
chromatic harmonica bending, who's doing it, how're they doing it, who's
who in jazz, etc.  A couple of quick items before the real experts pipe in.
 

You can't bend as far on a chromatic as on a diatonic (marine band type),
it's not as easy, but people do it (not a waste of time, but not always
sleazy either ;).  Removing half the windsavers is one way Brendon Power
'opens it up' a little, making it a little easier, but there's a trade-off
in you lose volume and control I think. He's the sideman Sting's latest and
there's been quite of chatter on harp-l about his own latest CD soon to be
available in the US, which focuses on Irish folk music.  HIP#4 (Winslow's
mag) talks quite a bit about him and his 3 releases (tape, CDs) and his
special altered tuning (changes reeds or files them to different pitches).
Most appear to agree that he's worth checking out, although he's not always
Jazz (blues pharasing, folk, pop -- you name it).  I don't know what label
he's on, but your local CD store should be able to order it, or go through
Kevins' or Farrel's mail order (I have to make the plunge one of these
days).

Seems like 'many' of the contemporary jazz harmonica folk are equally adept
at diatonica and chromatic, which isn't easy since the difference in
tunings (solo/concert vs. Richter) can really mess you up (solo is much
more logical, as Toots Thielmanns would attest to -- another one worth
checking out), but not any more than alternate tunings on a guitar (Mike
Turk, Harmonica Salad is just one that comes to mind -- thanks for loaning
me this one , Chris M, and the Van Staaten too)  Others like Howard Levy
just do diatonic (he dropped the chromatic) since he can get all the notes
he needs by bending and overblowing/overdrawing (lotsa chatter hear on
harp-l on this lately).  That includes 12 tone and microtonal.  Many others
have or are starting to exercise this technique.   HIP#4 lists a bunch
more, but I can't remember them all (don't have that big of a personal
collection either, but I am going for that Daniel Herzhaft one,
Freeandise). Enough for now. PS Does Joliet Joe record? 


Regards,                  haandruss@xxxxxxx                  
Harv                      *Opinions my own*