Re: [Harp-L] Re: Popper and such

[Richard Hunter <turtlehill@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

"Chris Michalek" wrote:
<I don't think Popper is all that fast.  I know of a few harpers that
<can rip off blistering runs that are faster and more musically
<pleasing.  I think too many people have resigned themselves to the
<fact that Popper is fast.  I say not really.

Well, I think he's pretty damn fast, whether or not other players can
play faster, and whether it's musically pleasing has nothing to do with
how fast it is. (I think it's pretty musically pleasing, but whatever.)
He can keep up the speed for quite a while, too -- it's not just an
occasional fast lick.  There's no doubt about it in my mind: he
understands the layout of a standard diatonic tuning very, very well,
and he can use breathing patterns against that layout to make a lot of
things happen very quickly.

In Winslow Yerxa's HIP #4 or #5, there was an interview with Howard
Levy, and Levy certainly thought Popper had speed.

So do I.  I also think he's got good lyrics, a much better than average
voice, good-or-better songwriting skills, and a very strong delivery in
front of an audience.  

Some people on this list seem to think Popper is putting one over on the
audience.  As if.  He's got the goods.

Thanks, Richard Hunter
hunterharp.com