Ben Felten wrote:
Now many "overblowers" feel, and often rightly so, that they can
play things that most laymen can't. The problem, is that they end
up playing these things because they can. And that's > some aspect of
pride and ego at being able to pull off stun a group with something
particularly tasteful, certainly because they could, but not because
others couldn't.
The other aspect that I often hear listening to records by
overblowers is overconfidence. Because they are so proficient
technically, they think they can pull off stuff that, in fact,
they can't quite pull off. They overreach, of you will. Give me
any record by Howard Levy (and I have many) and I'll point out to
I think there's something to be said for reaching above your
ability, not below, for practicing and performing and recording
things that stretch your abilities. I'd rather hear Carlos Del
Junco do something really innovative and miss a couple of notes than
hear the same old rehashed blues number for the umpteenth time
played "flawlessly".
I remember discussing this with one of the top guys of that
particular crowd in Europe. The man can play jazz that will make
your jaw drop, be-bop at breaking pace, etc. When I asked him why
he never played slow, he had the honesty of admitting that the
chances that an overblow will squeak or sound odd when playing
slow are much higher. How is that a musical decision ?
I find it hard to believe that a person's entire musical style is
based on the idea that playing faster makes it easier to "hide" a
particular type of note or intonation. That maybe a side effect
that makes it easier, but, some people like to play a lot of notes
fast (and not just harmonica players -- check out John Coltrane or
Ornette Coleman). In fact, it's very difficult to hit overblows
quickly and in passing without choking them.> expression of human emotion
and ideas.
Instead of a performance being a set of perfectly sculpted cubes
stacked together in regular rows, it's more like a collection of
uneven, irregular stones assembled by a skilled mason into a
beautiful mélange.
-tim
Tim Moyer
Working Man's Harps
http://www.workingmansharps.com/
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