[Harp-L] This is a JOHN POPPER (there I said it) post

[Michael Fugazzi <mfugazzi67@xxxxxxxxx>]

I've been a Blues Traveler fan since I was 14 (now 24).  I have all their CDs, the DVD, a couple of shirt, etc.  That being said I don't think my harp playing sounds anything like his.  However, they are one of the better pop/rock bands around IMO.
 
Two things that I'd like to bring up:
 
1.  Has anybody listened to their albums since "four"?  Anybody care to comment on "Truth Be Told"?  Not much harp "winking" on that one, and certainly some expanded harp playing.  Including slower passages and melody based solos (same can be said of "Bridge").
 
2.  How come nobody brings up his rhythm playing?  His best playing is often behind every other insturment in the mix.  Listen carefully on any of the more recent albums and you can hear great stuff that none of us probably ever trys to emulate.
 
Like him or don't like him.  He's my only true harp rockstar (sorry Jason, but you still pull at my blues strings!!!).  Sometimes it is nice to just rock out and not think about what the harp is playing (hey it is often hippie music).
 
My only complaint about the Popper threads is that people say everything he plays sounds the same.  Now how many of us can play a four hour gig (and in this case play harp on every tune) and not sound "the same"? How many of us have some stock stuff that seems to slip into too many songs???  This is especially true of blues players in general.  I am guilty as charged.  I encourage you to throw in any album of yours and not hear some recycled material throughout.  I know an accomplished harp player (not on the list) who trys too hard to sound different every song and it loses all the engaging qualities of a good musician to me.
 
I like how Paul deLay plays those short staccato high notes a lot.  Or how Adam Gussow lays down a overblow riff to go to the IV a couple of times an album.  Or how Ricci does that wah sounding triplet thing I can't figure out for the life of me.  Musselwhite's high end major pentatonic sounding run.  James Cotton and draw-blow pattern on the 3 and 4 holes.  I could go on might I might be confusing some people.
 
 
I hope one day people say, "That must be Fugazzi," in the ultra cool he's good and got style sort of way.  Not the crappy can't stand it way.
 
 
 
 
 


Mike Fugazzi
Harmonica/Vocals
NiteRail

http://www.niterail.com

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