[Harp-L] Re : Harmonica America & Classical Music

["" <party_man1@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Bonfiglio sez :
"
Excerpt -

" My only hope is that trends will swing back to more intellectual endeavors and I can go back to recording the major works for Harmonica and Orchestra . "

Randy Singer sez :

Excerpt -

"  If it takes throwing in some sugar ( diatonic blues), I say , GO FOR IT.
I believe that a little bit of conformity goes a long way. Especially
when you get to be our age!!!!

peace and much respect,

randy singer "

Douglas Tate Sez :

Excerpt -
 " I have been a deep deep classical music guy for years and years way back
into the dark ages. Hated pop, despised the diatonic harmonica, etc. etc...
you get the picture.

Funnily enough, the wealth of music I now get into was from ... ghasp... actually listening to other types of music! The reason I got to be turned on to AT LEAST five different styles of music outside my own personal bigotry was because I listened to it LIVE.... it's MUSIC for goodness sake and when you hear it played well it (almos) doesn't matter what you listen to, you will find you thrill to it. "


=====================================================================

Hurricane Sezes :

When I became engrossed in music as a kid , it was a heavily variegated house hold of music being played through out the day from my parent's home . The variety played there in the home covered all sorts of genres from Country Western to Pop , Swing , Spanish type stuff from all over the world from Andean flutes to Spanish Flamenco , Cuban Bolero's , every conceivable type was played including the Classics , but , except two , Blues & Jazz .


I don't know why my folks didn't like these to genres but none the less these two eventually found a way into my heart and that was that .

Seeing the post of Mr. Robert Bonfiglio's attitude towards how he perceives the importance of " more " intellectual type music with the classics as his foundation is an interesting point to ponder . Randy Singer's post felt a little closer to home with myself ( and not to knock Robert Bonfiglio's comment at all because I see and understand where he's coming from :) lastly the post of Douglas Tate's , sums it up so nicely ........

....... Me ?

Well , . . .  I see music as a giant toy box , filled with many more little boxes of "styles " of music ...... I like the concept of why limit  myself to just one type of musical toy box ? ......

This post is timely to me in that I am about to begin a new music project , one that will encompass many diverse styles . I will work with ( to begin with ) two younger musicians who have matured musically now and realize just how we can become unique with all the experiences we share musically . No limits , elements of the " Classics , Rock , Blues , Jazz " and who knows what else we can possibly cook up , it's exciting because of the tremendous variety of musical styles that we will try to meld into something cohesively strong and not be so badly fragmented that the identity of who we are and what we are trying to be and accomplish musically is not lost in the translation , ( this stuff could be so nebulas and then again be so solid too )  and there in lies the beauty & challenge .

The pro's on why we should study the classics and play them in their " strictly " written form is a " good " thing ( I guess I don't have to go in detail on the " why of it "  right ? ) . The preservation and more importantly the origianl interpretation of these classics composition is soooooooooooooo important to show and realize them in their glorious purity , and when done right is breath taking to witness to say the least - nuff said on that .

ONE EXAMPLE ( Oh WELL 2 )

Jazz & Blues :

The pro's for other forms of music like :

Jazz & Blues have their power and glory too , as real as Bach or Ludwig Von Beethoven's stuff ,  they can be compared ( The Classics & their exacting nature and Blues & Jazz with their history ) to each other as water melon and beluga caviar ... Cognac & White Lightning ..... north American smoked salmon & French Coquille San Jacque , Chateau Brian with a Bordeliase sause & a Hot Pastrami on Swiss , or Cordon Bleu & southern fried chicken

Randy Singer & Douglas Tate : 

Are ya with me on this ? Knowing the " feeling " that these forms of music create - - [ creation as in a great individual musician(s) ad lib / improvisation ] - and then seeing the reaction of the multitudes as they listen ( and have been listening in great numbers since they [ Jazz & Blues ] hit the scene ) one ( me at least ) would surmise from the reaction(s) seen over the years why The Blues & Jazz ( as well as other forms of music ) have their validity for certain standing ( The Classics :) side by side with the other half of this post .

When realizing what the individual(s) do as they create on the fly wonderful musical expressions through their own " personal musical statement " is truly a magnificent thing period ...... Waldo De los Rios , the late composer from Spain who broke with convention with the addition of an electric bass & a modern set of drummers " traps " and " Reverberi " from Italy , also one who broke with  tradional ways  of playing the Classics are a great example of a Jazzed  up mentality and approach to music akin to the way The Blues & Jazz legends like Louie Armstrong & Duke Ellington did their creative thang is what I'm talking about !

Personal creativity is where I see the biggest difference in the Classics and the others forms of music I mentioned . The imporov , the live never to be seen again performance that is so special that if you didn't see it or record it , that is it , the moment is lost in it's beauty .. and .. those who play it , those who love listening to it seek out those moments of musical excellence and perfection like a philatelist seeks out a rare stamp.


Performances now and 100 years ago are not so different I think .

Today's performances  ( albeit any of them , Classics , Pop , Blues or Jazz ) in what ever genre you like to listen too have this to offer .

In the Classics :

Larry Adler , and those who continue to play the Classics ( like Sígnore Robert Bonfiglio & Douglas Tate ) thrill us ( me and them that digs that stuff :) with their ability to dig into these gems of time and reproduce them accurately and beautiful too ( hats off now ) and then as Douglas Tate puts is so nicely about the thrill from all the different types of musical styles that ALL HAVE beauty and grace  .

I stand in the light of all , basking in the wonderful radiance of them all and consider myself lucky to have ears .

Whether your a monster classical type or a monster improv -- I say :

" ! Viva le deference ! "

I love you both . Now , can we all be friends :)


Sincerely :

Hurricane Ramón          

_______________________________________________
Join Excite! - http://www.excite.com
The most personalized portal on the Web!