Re: Finding your "Niche"

[Joe and Cass Leone <leone@xxxxxxxx>]

On Apr 6, 2004, at 8:02 AM, Snaruhn@xxxxxxx wrote:

> Hi Smokey-Joe,
>
>  we wrote long posts, do we?

   * Ja, I just hope people don't get annoyed.

>  Your commenting was even longer than mine because
>  you didn´t leave nothing I said. However, we shouldn´t worry about 
> that. Years ago
>  Winslow Yerxa and Wim Dijkgraaf changed even longer posts about 
> musical theory.

  *Ja, The "Wizard" has been quiet lately.
>
>  Well, I have the feeling that you got some points wrong, 
> respectively, I could have misinterpreted you.

   *Wouldn't be the first time I got something wrong. :)
>
>  < Jeez, Seigfried, your vocabulary is a little over my head. : ) >
>
>  Your :) indicates that you are kidding but what do you really mean?

   * Nein, the smiley was so that you didn't think I was being 
facetious. (Some) of your wording is "really" over my head...no joke. I 
can get along in 3 languages but YOU are better at English than 'I' am, 
(and that's scarey).

>  Was it the
>  "holy cow" or the "hornet´s nest" which irritated you? I used these 
> terms because
>  I assumed that my criticism of  the "you have to find your niche" is 
> surely 
>  criticized in general.

>  * Nein, nothing irritated me. 
>
>  Apropos Hendrik Meurkens. Obviously, you do know him well, me too.

   * Not really, I have spoken with him on, let's see?.....maybe 6 
occasions (totaling a couple hours). I don't consider actually knowing 
him. I used to hang out with a famous harmonica player. In the 13 yrs I 
knew him, only 5-6 were fairly close. And although he took a liking to 
me (how could you NOT? :), and confided a LOT of personal stuff, I 
still wouldn't consider myself an authority. AND, I would NEVER talk 
about him in any way that wasn't common knowledge.

  This is why I posted the other day about people who write books. I  
certainly wasn't taking a jab or tossing a pie at anyone. It's NOT the 
writers.  I had just found that when one doesn't have first hand 
knowledge, they tend to bend stuff to "flavour" the situation. Sort of 
like acting the big shot while the interviewer is listening. My 27 
years of doing investigations has made me gun shy.

  It's nice to know that there ARE people who do the right thing, 
research everything right down to the bone, and don't go on heresay. 
While I have never been one to read biographical stories, I am SURE to 
make an exeption and read the Little Walter book.
>
>  I met him for the first time in Berlin (before he went to Brazil) 
> where he performed
>  a jazz concert. I contacted him because he had a problem with his HB 
> during his performance. Suddenly, he made variations on a single note, 
> went backwards and
>  his drummer gave him another instrument. Yes, he informed me that his 
> breath is
>  obviously so strong or wet that the slide occasionally sticks during 
> his playing.

  * Ja, guageing by his size, his lungs must be 1.5 times average. You 
(obviously) know him QUITE well indeed. :) He moved from Park Ave. (New 
York) and is in N.J. now. His wife plays a mean piano.
>
>  <... 'I' could tell right away that it wasn't Toots. Hendrik (MY 
> opinion) is
>  < smoother and faster, and doesn't go quite as far into orbit. >
>
>  I don´t know what you mean by "smoother" but faster?
>  Then, compare Toots on his "Scotch on the rocks" (CD "Harmonica 
> Jazz").

  * OK, never heard THAT one. I do know that after listening to one of 
Hendrik's "Chorinhos", it's hard to imagine going that speed AT that 
"difficulty" level. Those "Ain't" easy runs, "senior".
>
>  To mention also this: Actually, Hendrik has grey, almost white hair.

  * Well, I haven't seen him in 8 yrs (since moving to Florida). Last 
time I saw him, he had some "salt" running through the "flaxen".

> BTW, there is also a psychological side of the human memory. 
> Generally, people
>  remember good events rather than bad events. Moreover, it´s possible 
> that
>  one can edge out bad events so that finally the memory about this 
> event is
>  absolutely gone.

  * I remember the bad events. I have had so many.
>     
>  I noticed positively that you know of the Belgium painter van Meer. 
> Please,
>  understand me right, I don´t kidding you, but this was an event long 
> time ago
>  and happened in a small corner of Europe. Normally, Americans aren´t 
> much
>  interested what is going on across the Ocean. That may have 
> geographical reasons,
>  Europe is far away, though the American roots lay in the "old world".

  * Being a "State Dept. Brat", I lived 8 of my first 18 yrs in Europe 
(mostly Italy). History taught overseas is different from the U.S.
>
>  BTW, I´m a strict opponent to our actual government which tends to 
> the actual
>  "anti-Americanism". Excuse my "non-harp formed sidestep" (Harpie`s 
> formulation)

  * By the same token, some of us (here) don't agree with everything OUR 
Govt. does, but there's not much we can do about it. We're smart enough 
to know that the "people" are OK, regardless of what the "Governments" 
say.
>
> In summary: I´m not completely convinced of your point of view that 
> the clones
>  < shot themselves in the foot >

  All I meant was that it (sometimes) pays to be a little different. 
Stevie Wonder, Howard Levy, Larry Adler, John Popper (to name a few) 
all have a distinguishable sound. Remember, anything I write is just my 
opinion. I'm CERTAINLY no authority, AND I cast a suspicious eye on 
those who claim to BE.
>
>  Nevertheless, nice to speak with you, Joe. We can continue if harp-l 
> is pleased
>  about our conversation. But as I said, I defend my point of view with 
> the best
>  of my ability, notwithstanding others might think about that. I have 
> a lot of further
>  examples underlining my opinion.   
>
>  I wish you all the best and stay well

  I feel the same, always enjoy your posts. They are a breath of fresh 
air...........Gieuseppi
>
>  Siegfried