[Harp-L] Re:Butter, soul, & overblows

[Roscoharp@xxxxxxx]

In a message dated 12/6/2005 8:29:44 A.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
harp-l-archives@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx writes:
 
Mike Easton writes:

When  someone like Howard Levy sites Butterfield as an inspiration his   
young followers should take notice.
Butterfield was technical but had a  truckload of soul sauce on top.  
Levy became technical but learned to  keep the soul from Butter.

I hear a lot of overblow players that learn  Howard's  technique but  
have zilch for soul.  Maybe they  ought to back up a little
and check out  PB.

mike



Hey list (& Mike), 
What has overblowing got to do with this discussion?? Did I miss something?  
I get the digest version, so maybe I did overlook something.
 
So anyway, here are a couple rants:
 
I hear lots of horn players with what I think of as  'no soul', lots  of 
pianists with 'no soul', lots of guitar players,  drummers,  chromatic players, & 
yes, lots of blue harpists with  'no soul', & never an overblow is heard. 
Conversely, I hear some so  called "overblow players" who have buckets of soul. At 
least in my opinion. And  it is all only opinion. Playing overblows doesn't 
add or subtract  soul. I would be hard pressed to come up with a " lot of 
overblow players that  learn Howard's  technique but  have zilch for soul" as Mike 
writes.  For that matter, I would have a hard time coming up with "a lot" of   
'overblow players', period. (I'm not sure there are thirty people using  
overblows regularly & with facility  in their music. I might be way  off.)
BTW, Good luck trying to define 'soul.'  Your 'soul'  is surely  different 
than mine.
 
Another thing, someone who uses overblows is just a player with a technique  
that gets a few extra notes out of the instrument. Some of these folks are  
inluenced by Howard, many aren't. I love listening to him, but I don't hear much 
 influence in my own playing. I've grown to dislike  the identifying  term 
'overblow player'.....like overblows are the goal of the music, or there is  a 
monolithic movement to stamp out traditional blues harp or something.
 
Butter was a very early influence on me.  Like, years before I even  took up 
harp seriously. I sort of don't care if someone else doesn't get it, or  
hasn't gotten it yet.     



Later,
Rosco
_may.be  au.gust_ (http://www.maybeaugust.com/) 
 
download or stream live recordings: _may.be au.gust_ 
(http://www.maybeaugust.com/Live.aspx)