Re: Those higher notes

[Mike Curtis <wd6ehr@xxxxxxxxxx>]

> 
> I wrote...
> 
> > Praise be to Popper for proving the harp ain't just for blues anymore.
> 
> Rocket writes....
> 
> > You haven't been doing your listening homework. Popper's a
> > Johnny-come-lately of harp players not playing the blues. And there's many
> > players out there who can spoo hi-velocity high notes just as fast as
> > Poppin' Fresh who also understand concepts such as playing with soul,
> > humility and moderation.
> 
> And YOU haven't been doing your teaching homework.
> Imagine making a statement like that without mentioning any names!
> And screw moderation - too much of everything is just enough.
> 
> But Anyway, let me rephrase.....
> 
> Praise be to Popper for proving to the top 40 and classic rock indoctrinated
> masses that the harp ain't just for blues anymore.

Poppers quite good at what he does.  He's fast, and clean.  Just because
he doesn't copy Big Walter (I got it right!) doesn't make him any less of
a harp player. 

"Humility" doesn't mix well with musicianship and showmanship.  One of 
the greatest showmen of all time is Little Richard - by no stretch of the 
imagination a humble person.  Humble people don't spend a lifetime trying 
to learn to play or sing, so they can get paid pennies on the dollar 
compared to what they'd get if they had a "real" job (unless they're in 
the top 0.1% of the field - nasty odds???)

Too many harp players don't know about the top 4 holes.  There's plenty 
of good music available there.

As far as putting on a show, what's so wrong with tips on showmanship?  I
don't know of a single "showman" who puts on a show truly of their own
volition.  They've seen others do things, and incorporate these into their
acts.  Back in the 60's, white bands wore business suits and ties, and
just stood there and played.  If they did otherwise, the audience would
not have responded favorably - not like they do now, when it's rather
expected of musicians to dance and do aerobics on stage.  Look at some
early Beatles video footage some time. 

Black vocal groups (they didn't really have "bands"  much for top 40 type
stuff) danced carefully choreographed and rehearsed synchronous dance
steps.  Mick Jagger?  He followed James Brown one night, and copped some
of JB's moves - I believe it was when they were on the Sullivan show. 
(And the Stones were all wearing - you guessed it - even Keith Richard :-)
Before that, Jagger just stood there and sang, like all the other white
bands.  But Mick has always been daring and willing to take chances. 

Perhaps we should never practice our music, either?  We don't want to be
"white bread" now, do we?  We should play spontaneously.  Like a 4 year
old with a shiny new harp.  Right :-) An act should be well rehearsed,
both musically and mechanically.  A good show is as important as a good
musical performance.  Both require forethought and practice. 

And yes, I've had requests to "lie on the floor".  Just like I get
requests for Take 5, Kingbee, Equinox, Mustang Sally, Easy (yes I play Big
Walter :-), Maiden Voyage, Born on the Bayou, Theme from Moulin Rouge,
Blitzkrieg Bop, Willow Weep for Me, 6 Days on the Road, and any other
legitimate performance I do.  In this business, the audience is the boss, 
and we get a lot more work keeping that in mind.

 -- mike