[Harp-L] Jazz Harp players

[IcemanLE@xxxxxxx]

I think that the best jazz harp players are the ones that have studied jazz 
as an entity.

Howard Levy, Galison, Turk have all been jazz students - outside of playing 
harmonica. This means study/understanding of jazz theory, composition, styles, 
history.

Imagine enrolling in a Jazz College and taking 2 years of courses to 
understand this art form, getting A's from all the teachers, and then learning to play 
the harmonica, applying it to the jazz idiom.

This is certainly different from playing blues harmonica, becoming interested 
in jazz tunes, learning to play the heads on the harmonica and then working 
out solos over the changes. I know of some excellent contemporary recorded 
diatonic harmonica players doing jazz tunes in which the solos are quotes from 
Howard Levy, Miles Davis, or whoever they are listening to for inspiration.

Both approaches are effective. I find the strongest foundation through 
studying and understanding jazz as is and then applying that knowledge to the 
harmonica.

The Iceman