Kim Wilson's Momentum Playing

[IcemanLE@xxxxxxx]

In a message dated 7/7/03 11:59:49 PM Eastern Daylight Time, 
s_c_o_r_c_h_e_r@xxxxxxx writes:


> Kim Wilson's incredible FIRST position (G harp)
> work on "Trust My Baby" ("Tigerman") is a current favorite
> of mine. 

An alternative to studying the classic blues playing of the ODBG's (this is 
what I call the Masters of the Harmonica - ie the Little and Bigs, all the 
Sonny's etc), is to study all facets of Kim's playing. He is a great gathering 
source of all that the masters had to offer rolled up in one living guy.

Get the re-releases of his earliest T-bird stuff, solo CD's, guest 
appearances on other CD's (Willie Smith, Bonnie Raitt, Jimmy Rogers, etc) and the more 
current T-Bird releases (which have at least one or two good tunes 
w/harmonica).

Go see him play live.

Get the SPAH Video.

Through studying all these resources and in my interviews and just hanging 
with Kim, I find that he has a tremendous momentum approach to the craft. Kim 
has told me that he hasn't "planned out" his solos since he used to learn off 
the old vintage records. He works off the momentum he establishes with his inner 
groove and his ideas spin out, like meteors caught in the gravitational pull 
of a heavenly body that circle and are propelled into outer space.

Off course, he has a tremendous quiver full of "idea" arrows that he has 
collected over the course of his professional career from which to draw upon, but 
he shoots them off in constantly new and fresh configurations.

The center of his creative universe is this strong sense of momentum which 
imparts the motion to the ideas. I've developed a concept based on momentum that 
teaches students to develop their own sense of groove and how to open the 
door that leads to improvisation.

This is the basis for my upcoming class at Blues Week, if anyone is 
interested in this area of blues harmonica performance.

The Iceman