Re: On harp instrumentals

[<lists@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

> Ben wrote:
> > If you haven't listened to Greg Szlapczynski's 3 CDs, you need to. You
will
> > love his instrumentals.
>
> I have to agree with Ben, Greg Szlapczynski rates up there with Carlos Del
> Junco, in my book, in his approach to the diatonic harmonica: based in the
> blues but with a strong dose of jazz and other influences.  I have two of
his
> three CDs and they are among my favorite music, not just harp music.

And I have a copy of the third one that I should've sent you what, a year
ago ?

Anyone in the US can purchase the latest CD La Part du Diable on Amazon.fr
or Fnac.com or Alapage.com. It'sd electro, and after a short adoption
period, it's my favourite Greg CD by far. Hell, who am I kidding, it's one
of my favourite CDs full stop. And that's coming from someone who has more
or less stopped listening to harp players in the last year or so !

Why do I find instrumentals interesting ? Well I have to add a provisio
first : an "instrumental" sounds like someone soloing over a chord sequence.
That I don't like and that's not what I'm after. A good instrumental, to me,
needs to have a strong theme, an interesting chord structure, be arranged,
etc. It's not background elevator stuff or blues jamming !

And that's just as hard to compose if not harder than anything with lyrics !

But then again, I listen to a lot more jazz and rock than I listen to blues
these days, so to me, instrumentals are compositions, if you see what I mean
!

Ben FELTEN, Editor
www.planetharmonica.com