[Harp-L] RE : " Squawk " , was Clarification

["Hurrican Ramón" <party_man1@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Hurricane Sez ;


My my  my  . . . I read the first thread on this topic  - - ooooo ouch , look out scout cause the avalanche did fall heh heh .  .

But in the defense of those who don't hit the floor and say stuff like " we're not worthy Lenny & Jr. " , I can understand that sometimes the styles of those two GIANTS of Saxville get to many people ears in a negative way ..... My mom , God Bless her she has fits when she hears a sax like that she's 82 ......

To the brother hood of those who know why Lenny & Jr. Walker are so hip and so now - - Right on - -  Right On - - Right On ...

When I first caught Lenny's act here in southern Cal when Tower Of Power was ripping big numbers in concert sales & recordings  he floored me deep and I never was the same , just like how I felt the first time I heard Jr. Walker live too ( or Louis Armstrong for that matter who could do it with a trumpet or Rod Steward with his voice - - yeah his nick name was " Old Gravel Throat in his first years with Jeff Beck & then his own band  Faces ) , Lenny I heard in the late 60's , Jr. Walker in the early 60's.

Lenny's style was on stage was totally an another thing being a 60's kind of guy mixed in with a non-rock 60's R&B explosion band like T of P , he did reflect the times , his stage dress was unbelievable some times ala Elton John wackoness ( Mark & Robert , did ya ever see him in the Clowns outfit ?  Way Cool ! ! ! )  - - - besides being a monster sax he could move man , he could dance like the devil too ! No joking Lenny was unique when he hit the scene and still is when he dress in a tux with tails  - - man did them tails on his tux jacket fly when he began spinning as he played and danced .

Now Jr. Walker , a class act with a class band to back up , and man did he have some fine looking threads on too , he was as stylish on stage as B.B.King .

The edge these men keep as their signature style is unique , it's not something just anyone can pull off looking non-chalant because it's not easy , just like harp over blows-n-other stuff harp .

Robert Paparozzi & Michael Peloquin know what I'm talking bout as I surmise many others do too and or soon will ( well for some dedicated cat(s) or kitten(s) ). And it's no biggie if some one doesn't dig them Squawkers too , what slides down hard sometimes is ( ¿ are ? ) the reason(s)  some of these questions or dislikes are coming from when I hear the negative(s) about this sax style and or harp over blows ,  seems to come from the same level of understanding ( or maybe misunderstanding ) and that too is cool no matter what . 

Comments about over blows on a harp and other harp related licks that come only through hard work and many many hours of dedication over more and more years of practice and the way " Squawk " was presented kind of smelled a lot like each other to this mans eyes as I read & now write back my personal opinion . And I say " It's a good Thang " :)

Personal perspective :

Perplexed with the question of just how to make my harp playing interesting and not end up in a repetitive  predictable  dogmatic " close but no cigar " result(s) from the crowd , one must ponder deep and heavily on just what makes a guy or gals sound unique and always fresh - -

Observation :

Looking at the way of how beautiful and gracefully put JR Walker showed me , I put forward this Jr. Walker song :

" What Doe's It Take "

When realizing the departure of Jr. Walkers signature rip and take no prisoners type groove , we have , a total opposite with elements of the Squawk but metered with some of the tastiest & graceful romantic type licks any pop R&B song has ever had to offer the listener ...........

Correlation :

Sweet & Sour pork , salt & pepper , opposites that live in perfect harmony and do not stand out by themselves half as much as the do when together .


I learned along time ago to make my harp runs ( or any instrument  ) sound incredibly fast I had to first set up my song(s) slowly and establish some kind of medium that looked fairly lively , but then when contrasted by some other faster run  , man - - - the results are fantastic . Squawk is kind of like that in it's own unique way I suppose , ya have to know the where and when and why of it all to make it work like those two ( Lenny & Jr. ) do .  

I do not purport myself to be a Jr. Walker or Lenny Picket level because  they are in a league of their own . I do know what makes them musically tick though and try to use the same stuff they do in the thought process of making my harp playing dynamic , different & fresh as can be and I'm taking this type of approach to my guitar playing as well . But - - - as I write , I realize  I 'm crazy about Stevie Ray Vaughn & Duke Ellington too :) 


Sincerely :

Hurricane Ramón

aka :

Party_Man1@xxxxxxxxxx



           




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