XB v Overblow

[jazmaan <dmf273@xxxxxxxxx>]

Took my XB down to the Venice Beach boardwalk this afternoon just to jam with the
itinerant musicians down there.   I began just playing my usual blues stuff, then
getting a little more adventurous I started playing some new licks , taking advantage
of the new bends and slides that are available.

In the context of 2nd position blues I think that any intonation issues are far
outweighed by the advantages of all those new enharmonic options. And many of those
enharmonic options just sound so RIGHT in a blues context, like "Yeah, that's what I'm
talking about!"  

Also, I believe that the wide open tone you can get out of an XB is much more in
keeping with the traditional blues idiom than what I hear most overblowers playing. 
(No slight intended to Carlos, who is kind of the exception that proves the rule.)  

I understand why those of you who have invested time and money in overblowing won't
want to change horses.  But, without being too morbid about it, once you guys are gone,
I think the next generation will be X-Blowers not Over-Blowers.  There's just too many
things you can do on an XB that you can't do overblowing.   I only wish I'd had one of
these when I was 14 years old!