Re: [Harp-L] Re: review of JJ Milteau´s "Blue 3rd"

["Planet Harmonica" <lists@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hey Martin,

You've certainly laid down the dilemna alright, although I would disagree with one thing : on these tracks on his own albums, and this is especially the case in Blue 3rd, where JJ takes the sideman seat, I don't think he's anonymous. That's why I feel that he may have found a high road our of the dilemna. After all, there is a long tradition of the harmonica as a side instrument, and indeed one could suggest that there's a lot more striking genius in diatonic harmonica accompaniment as there is in diatonic harmonica lead. And this is undoubtedly where JJM is coming from.

I had a kind of epiphany seeing him live in St Aignan a year ago. I honestly didn't think I would enjoy it that much. I had seen him live over a dozen times, and I didn't find much to it anymore. And then, that concert. Just him and Manu on guitar, and the most beautiful, full bodied, warm yet powerful harp sound I'd heard in years, if ever, sparse playing, something akin to musical zen. It made me listen to Blue 3rd in a whole different way. Listen to the intro to "Some Kind of Pressure". First of all, the thing that catches your ear is the vibration of the double bass, and then, as if in response, comes the vibration of the harp. THAT's where JJ is going. He's not quite there yet, it's hit and miss, but it's certainly not anonymous. It's unmistakebly Milteau.

And I also agree with you that Routes is the ultimate harmonica album. It's also Milteau's poorest selling album of the 90s, believe it or not. I think he has understood that the general public does not want to hear harmonica music played for harmonica players, and although, IMO, Route isn't in that category at all (unlike a good many instrumental harp albums), that's how JJ interepreted its failure.

Ben FELTEN
http://harmonica.typepad.com




----- Original Message ----- 
  From: martin oldsberg 
  To: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx 
  Sent: Sunday, April 24, 2005 7:14 PM
  Subject: [Harp-L] Re: review of JJ Milteau´s "Blue 3rd"



  JJ Milteau´s "Blue 3td", as well as "Memphis" seems to me to point to something interesting, akin to a "problem", for artists basically known for their instrumental prowess. Ben says in his review that JJM now plays without "flash", and there´s no denying that this is the road he has taken. Moreover, I think he has found himself in what for lack of better words could be called "The Virtuoso´s Predicament": i.e. your original claim to fame is that you are a "harmonica virtuoso" (admittedly a label we´ve seen attached too many times to any schmuck who can play three notes in a row), and as time passes along you begin to see the emptiness of being some sort of instrumental "freak" who play rapid scales standing on your head while the guys in the front row roars enthustiastically, and it´s only a matter of time ´til another, even faster one, comes along. ("There´s one in every crowd", as Mr Clapton said many years ago.)

    The thing to do then is often to start downsizeing the flashy output and take the Miles Davis turn, sometimes to the extent where you almost plays nothing at all (a concert I saw a while ago with guitarist John Abercrombie could be an example: he was now discreet to the point of being almost inaudible; formerly a bona fide virtuoso, as I recall it). 

    JJM´s dilemma seems to be how to go ahead, still being a "harmonica player". (Not many people are that interested, remember.) JJM has become on his last two albums a very tasteful, but  somewhat anonymous, harmonica player fronting a group of "stars", and perhaps, at least on Memphis, a bit over-awed of these very competent musicians. 

    But I still think something´s missing. It was obvious that he couldn´t go on making albums like "Bastille blues" anymore, been there, done that etc. However, it seems that when he has put himself in the backseat, the great versatility and playfulness of "Routes" is not as clearly present as one could hope ("Routes" is my all-time "harmonica album", a slightly ridiculous concept, I admit - do we think of  Don Byas as a guy who made "sax albums? - but say a non-vocal record where he plays various types of music showcasing the harmonica and makes it interesting all the time. Not many have done that.)

    It´ll be fun to see what comes next. I for one would hope for a slight return to "Routes", and perhaps more of a dip into the melodious French traditions, chansons, jazz manouche and what have you. Perhaps without any "stars" and their not necessarily all the time stellar material. And staying clear of the elevators.

   

  Cheers

  Martin

   

  PS A pity that when he choose a "standard" for "Blue 3rd" it was "What a wonderful world" . Nice enough, but hasn´t it been worn down quite a bit over the years . And wouldn´t it have gained from being played in 1 pos? Why is it that nobody plays in first these days?! (But now I´m bitching .)




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