[Harp-L] Ballads Harp Vs Sax

[Pierre <plavio@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Been listening to sax ballads by Getz/Gilberto (e.g. Girl From Ipanema etc.) and Charlie Parker (Jazz Jam) and I am wondering whether anyone has ever done a convincing evocative jazz ballad (basically creating a totally relaxed mood) on a diatonic with or without overblows? 

Has this been done on diatonics? Can it be done given the inability to play certain notes legato and given the colour of bent and OB notes?

Toots seems to be able to play legato on the Chro, is this a chro thing or can it be done on diatonics?

Any tips on shaping notes the way they do on saxes? how do they do that? I hear it, but I don't know what I'm hearing? is it bending or just amplitude changes? 

By the way, here's a thought: if ballads and straight ahead jazz can't be done on diatonics without cherry picking,  then maybe it means a diatonic harmonica is not a general instrument. Sort of like a tuba, an instrument that can only be used in certain places or roles. In which case maybe that means blues players are normal and overblowers are just excentric (nutty) people  ;-)

Here's a challenge, play its A Wonderfull World ballad style (e.g. creating a totally relaxed mood) on a diatonic. Toots does a great rendition of this tune on the Toots/Kenny Werner CD.  Interesting to see if OBers could do this as well as valve diatonic harp guys.

Pierre.

PS: Not sure if the tune I proposed is a good test as I think the melody is diatonic anyway. Perhaps 1st position should be excluded. Maybe it needs to be done in several positions like Richard Hunter's Scrapple challenge.