Re: [Harp-L] Re: Shakin Smith

"Planet Harmonica" <lists@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> · Sun, 24 Apr 2005 20:18:31 +0200

Well, I've debated about this way too long on French blues lists, but if you can mention traditional blues and jason ricci in the same sentence, we don't define it in the same fashion. Jason is an amazing player who fits way better in the jam rock tradition, from what I've heard on his live bootlegs, as he does in the blues milieu. Furthermore, traditional blues was not a musical idiom first and foremost, it was a vocal idiom. The renewal and freshness in blues owes as much to lyrics (if not more) as it does to instrumental approach. 

I guess we'll just agree to disagree...

Ben FELTEN
http://harmonica.typepad.com
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Chris Michalek 
  To: lists@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx ; harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx 
  Sent: Sunday, April 24, 2005 7:43 PM
  Subject: Re: [Harp-L] Re: Shakin Smith

  Like anything else blues is evolving into something more edgy ala
  Jason Ricci. Jason is a blues player more than anything else.  His
  music is very riff and pattern based.  It's all mostly pentatonic
  blues stuff.  It is the blues.

  It seems that perhaps you definition of the blues comes attached to
  folks like the Walters, Smith, Clarke etc...  Do you think Jazz
  Gillium is blues or country?  It's all blues that has progressed
  through out the decades.

  Peloquin is definately a blues cats with a jazzy/R&B tinge but it's
  still blues and as far as the Traditional sound goes, Dennis takes
  the cake.  To my ears he makes traditional blues sound fresh. I'm the
  kind of guy that can't handle blues for more than a few songs (even
  if I am the player) but Dennis et all would keep me at my table all
  night.  Maybe becaues their playing is unpredictable?  I dunno the
  reason but I would rather listen to Dennis vs George Smith.
  G Smith is too predicatble for me whereas Dennis will put a smile on
  my face with every solo.  

  >
  >
  >
  >---- Original Message ----
  >From: lists@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
  >To: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
  >Subject: Re: [Harp-L] Re: Shakin Smith
  >Date: Sun, 24 Apr 2005 19:24:24 +0200
  >
  >>
  >><< As far as blues is concerned the only fresh and groundbreaking
  >blues
  >>chaps are cats like:
  >>
  >>Jason Ricci
  >>Dennis Gruenling
  >>Michael Peloquin
  >>
  >>Those are the only guys that can hold my attention for an entire
  >>night. Shakin Smith couldn't hold my attention for more that a few
  >>bars.>>
  >>
  >>Well, two of these three can hardly be defined as blues, and the
  >third (Gruenling) isn't all that different from the masters that
  >inspire him (and I say this as someone who enjoys this stuff). 
  >>
  >>I think defining freshness in blues as 'people who don't do blues'
  >is a bit silly. There are some players who manage to remain well
  >within the blues idiom and still sound fresh. Yes, they are rare as
  >rocking horsehit, but they exist. Steve Guyger is one of the them,
  >Steven de Bruyn was one of them (he doesn't do blues anymore), Paul
  >deLay, when he does blues, is one of them, and there are probably a
  >rare few others around. That doesn't mean it's not possible, just
  >that it takes someone special to do it.
  >>
  >>So, to sum it up, I agree with you that there is precious little
  >interesting released in blues today, but what there is isn't people
  >taking a bit of blues and moving outside of its realm (interesting
  >though Jason may be, he's more a rock act than a blues act, IMO, and
  >Michael is a lot more into soul and jazz to my ears than
  >straight-ahead blues)
  >>
  >>Ben
  >>
  >>
  >>
  >>>
  >>>
  >>>
  >>>---- Original Message ----
  >>>From: AV1901@xxxxxxx
  >>>To: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
  >>>Subject: RE: [Harp-L] Re:Improv in Blues : Re: Shakin Smith
  >>>Date: Sun, 24 Apr 2005 10:58:51 EDT
  >>>
  >>>>
  >>>> 
  >>>>Mike:
  >>>> 
  >>>>I said I listened to all the MP3's on the web site you referenced.
  >>>My  
  >>>>comments clearly stated this, and did not generalize to the
  >artist's
  >>>work as a  
  >>>>whole. I stick with my statement based on what I heard there. If
  >you
  >>>only listen  
  >>>>to those MP3s on his site, and you know and use the licks of
  >SBWII,
  >>>you gotta  
  >>>>say Shakin' was influenced by SBWII. His own posted bio tends to
  >>>support my  
  >>>>position. And being influenced by SBWII is not a bad thing.
  >>>> 
  >>>>I'll say this, as a general statement, many harp players sound
  >>>better live  
  >>>>than on CD/MP3. I'll take your word for it on Shakin Smith, as
  >I've
  >>>never  
  >>>>seen/heard him live. You clearly know more about this player than
  >I
  >>>do. Does he  
  >>>>ever get outside Buffalo? I'm near Philly.
  >>>> 
  >>>>Just my opinion - on the MP3s *you* suggested Harp-Lers listen to
  >-
  >>>I  didn't 
  >>>>hear much new ground, except the last cut. And I like 'old ground'
  >>>stuff  
  >>>>done well, which is what Shakin' seemed to be doing there. New
  >>>ground for  new 
  >>>>ground's sake sometimes leaves me cold.
  >>>> 
  >>>>Its all good.
  >>>> 
  >>>>Andy Vincent
  >>>>
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  >>>>
  >>
  >>Chris Michalek
  >>
  >>www.michalekstrone.com
  >>CD Available
  >>http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/michalekstrone
  >>
  >>
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  Chris Michalek

  www.michalekstrone.com
  CD Available
  http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/michalekstrone