[Harp-L] Re: Harp-L Digest, Vol 20, Issue 59

[Richard Hunter <turtlehill@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

jazmaan@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx wrote:
>My latest XB-Melody project is a rendition of Wardell Gray's bebop blues 
>"Jackie".    I wish that
>Harp-L had an upload space, but since it doesn't, I'm using this flaky 
>server out of Slovakia (its
>free).   Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.   Anyway, try visiting
>http://www.bebopradio.com and scroll down to the bottom of the page where 
>you'll see a link for
>"Jackie"...
>I await your criticism and comments!
>

My comments are the usual:
1)  Some of the bent notes stick out very noticeably, especially in the head choruses, where the listener's expectations are shaped by the melody.
2)  The improvised sections work better.  This listener, at least, was able to concentrate more on the flow of the lines, and let the very different sound of certain bent notes ride, most of the time.

The XB-40 can certainly be used for chromatic playing, but that's not the primary design goal.  The design goal was to produce an instrument with enhanced expressive capabilities, which is why every note on the XB-40 bends a whole step (as opposed to a half-step, which is better for chromatic playing).  That design goal was achieved.  But the ability to control the sound of chromatic pitches is important, especially if you want a fluid line in a style like bebop (or baroque, etc.), and that's not what the XB-40 was designed for. 

I appreciate that this is an example of a work in progress, and that the ultimate goal is a fully convincing bebop performance on XB-40.  It appears to me that it's going to take a while to get there.  I continue to think that a chromatic harp is a better solution for fully chromatic material like bebop, especially given that instruments like the CX12 can produce strong, expressive bends up and down the 3-octave range of the harp.  I note that Gregoire Maret plays chromatic on most of his jazz material, and I suspect it's for that very reason.

But either way, it takes years of work to play great bebop.  So as Tony Glover said in "Blues Harp," it's your bread, man,  blow as thou pleaseth.

Regards, Richard Hunter