[Harp-L] lists

[Jonathan Ross <jross38@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

I truly despise lists of "top five" and so forth.  It's the same  
problem I have with Grammys or the Oscars--art cannot be judged the  
same way a footrace can.

Now that I've said that, here's my list--the caveat, of course, is  
that it is meaningless, personal and simply a fun if frustrating  
exercise.  I'm limiting myself to albums here, which again makes  
things difficult.  No particular order, they are just numbered so  
that I don't go too far.

1.  "Mussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition" by Vladimir Ashkenazy.

Split into two sections, the first is Ashkenazy playing the original  
piano piece.  An amazing work, Romantic, Impressionistic and  
Expressionistic all at once, and with an intimacy which can only be  
captured by a solo performance.  There is a raw emotionalism here  
which shows this work in the proper context: an elegy for a lost  
friend.  The second section is Ashkenazy's orchestral arrangement.   
Less bombastic than the more well known version, it still manages to  
convey the emotional content of the original--though the intimacy of  
the piano version is naturally missing.  A brilliant album and a  
brilliant piece of music.

2.  "Mingus Dynasty" by Charles Mingus.

I could choose any Mingus, really, but I love the version of "Mood  
Indigo" on this.  To me that song shows everything I love about  
Mingus' music--his amazing bass playing, his ability to get creative,  
wild and yet fully realized solos from his musicians and that swing.   
Not even Chick Webb, Lionel Hampton or Count Basie could swing as  
hard as Mingus in his prime--he just got his band going with such  
amazing drive and ferocity that I've never heard elsewhere.

3.  "Headhunters" by Herbie Hancock and the Headhunters.

The ultimate fusion album.  Raw, powerful and pure funk.  Herbie  
finally let his synthesizer playing come to the fore and really  
created some of the most beautiful synth sounds ever here--his  
strings are the most lush I've ever heard.  A tour de force of all  
parties involved.

4.  "Atlantis" by Sun Ra and his Solar Arkestra.

When you hear Sun Ra you say "what the hell is that".  But it's how  
you say that phrase--either with interest or disgust.  And that  
initial reaction will never change.  Sun Ra is not an acquired taste,  
he is innate.  I love his music, and this is amongst my favorite  
albums (like Mingus or Herbie, I could choose dozens).  The first few  
pieces are but sketches--like looking at the line drawings of a great  
painter, he uses a small band and the music is not fully fleshed  
out.  The masterpiece is the title track.  He plays one of the most  
amazing electric organ pieces ever created--at first it sounds like  
simply noise, but listening closer reveals the intricacies within  
what he's playing.  Ra had an amazing ability to sound completely and  
utterly out of control while the reality was the exact opposite.   
Amazing.

5.  "Reveultas: Centennial Antrhology"  several orchestras playing  
the music of Silvestre Revueltas.

This is worth it for the two versions of the amazing "Sensemaya".   
The original Leopold Stokowski version which brought Reveultas to  
worldwide attention is dynamic, energetic and wild.  The orchestra  
doesn't really know what to do with the odd meter (7/8, IIRC) and the  
pace is extreme.  But Stokowski makes it work through sheer force of  
will.  The newer version by Eduardo Mata and the New Philharmonica  
Orchestra is much more comfortable--they know the piece well with the  
meter flowing smoothly rather than forceably, and the pace is much  
more sensible--not leisurly, just no break-neck like Stokowski.   
Nuances lost in the Stokowski are found again.  Both are needed  
though--as the sheer beauty of the Mata version is offset by the  
brute force of the Stokowski.  And both showcase a composer as  
revolutionairy as Stravinsky, but sadly not as well known.

Those are the five I think of right now.  The amount of stuff which  
is omitted shows the futility of the effort.  Now, for five harmonica  
albums (or albums with harmonica), here goes:

1. "Songs in the Key of Life", Stevie Wonder.

The best mixture of all the elements of funk in one album: soft soul,  
hard-core thumpers and everything in-between.  Add to that some  
amazing chromatic playing and you have something truly wonderful.

Unintentionally bad pun.

2.  "The Complete Bluebird Recordings: "John Lee Williamson".

I am a huge Sonny Boy fan and this is the best collection.  His  
unique playing so fits the big, vibrant personality which comes forth  
in his singing.  He really was instrumental in putting the harmonica  
right at the forefront of the blues and his styling was just so  
influential on all that came after.

3.  "100% Cotton", The James Cotton Band.

A perfect example of blues-funk.  Can fit in either camp without any  
questions.  Cotton really smokes on this and the band is in top form.

4.  "Why Can't We Be Friends", War.

Lee Oskar was one of the people who made me want to play harmonica.   
This was the album.  He was a master of putting the harp in a band  
context.  He didn't need to be the soloist or anything other than a  
member of the band, any by doing that he made himself integral to the  
band.  Oskar's playing is understated, relaxed and brilliant all at  
once.

5.  "Harmonica Masters" on the Yazoo label.

A truly must-own collection of early harmonica.  There isn't a bad  
song here, and the variety of styles and playing is fantastic.  If  
you like early American music and/or harmonica, this is as good as it  
gets.

Again, so many more.  I can't believe I made a list without Sonny  
Terry (the other person besides Oskar who made me want to play harp),  
but that's the inherent idiocy of such lists.

That said, this was a fun little exercise, and got me to download  
some stuff to my iPod I hadn't gotten to yet.






 ()()    JR "Bulldogge" Ross
()  ()   & Snuffy, too:)
`----'