RE: [Harp-L] John Popper Criticism REBUKED....



I have heard quite a number of players much better and decades more experienced than myself refer to NPMFs (No Playing Mother F*ckers). On the other hand, this can be said about pretty much everyone... As most art forms, music is a pretty subjective thing. It seems as though there are many cats who listen to Popper and dig him; big ups to him for that. I think he's probably aware what Little Walter disciples will say about him but you got to give him one thing; He's going for it. That video of Dennis Gruenling on youtube, where the cat is sitting in with him and he plays some very "dylan-like" harp doing 3-4 draw/blow 4-5 draw blow type business, Dennis is very complementary and encouraging him to go for the motherf*cker. Maybe that's the enlightened manner of behavior for a musician? He COULD have called him a NPMF.

I believe however, most of us can identify when something completely lacks soul or some cats are up in the club messing with effects pedals, trying to impress females. Some people do deserve what they get.

One love,
R

From: "Noah Hoehn" <nhoehn@xxxxxxxxxxx>
To: matthewsmart@xxxxxxxxx
CC: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [Harp-L] John Popper Criticism REBUKED....
Date: Thu, 14 Dec 2006 07:41:26 +0000

Matt,

I disagree with your post and I would like to challenge you to explain further. As a John Popper fan I would appreciate it if you fleshed out your point(s). Here are the problems I see with your statements:

First, I think your friend is wrong about Keith Richard's quote. If you can prove the quote then I would like to see it. Here's a quote from Popper that I think proves yours wrong: "I actually met Mick Jagger, and I said, "If you need my help on 'Miss You...,'" and he said, "Well, I'll let you know, thanks." And I think I kind of hurt his feelings the way I put it to him. And in Rolling Stone, I read Keith Richards kind of saying to Mick, like, "Hey, why don't you get the guy from Blues Traveler to sit in?," and Mick's, like, "F#*$ off!" And the interviewer's like, "Yeah, he's good." And Mick said, "Too good." And I was on cloud nine. That's one of my favorite stories I'll ever have. Mick Jagger says I'm too good. How cool is that?"

It's doubtful that Richards continually denied Popper because he played too many notes. It is likely that Jagger didn't want to get upstaged as told by Popper himself.

--Busted--

Let's suspend reality for a minute and say that Richards DID in fact say that to Popper... So what. You want to know something Matt? Mozart was told by Emperor Joseph II that his opera "Die Entführung aus dem Serail" had "too many notes". Big deal. It's all about taste.

So while we're talking about taste... You made a really pathetic statement in, "That is not playing. It is "wacking off" with your instrument." It's pathetic because in fact, John Popper is playing. He's blowing and drawing air through his instrument. Or maybe, I'm not enlightened enough to know what "playing" is. So won't you please elaborate on that? And wacking off eh? Boy... I won't make ad hominem attacks to make my point but alot of what BostonMoeJo said in his reply comes to mind. So here goes:

DEFINE FOR ME WHAT WACKING OFF ON ONE'S INSTRUMENT IS.

Is it 16th notes? 32nd notes? 64th notes? Since I'm sure that you'll duck and run under the "just an opinion man..." response... I'd like your opinion on my playing. That's right--I'm willing to put myself out there on this one. So as a Popper guy, I'd like you to listen to my stuff at http://www.viciousaloysius.com/ and tell us what you think.

Feisty,
Noah



----Original Message Follows----
From: "Matt Smart" <matthewsmart@xxxxxxxxx>
To: "billhines4@xxxxxxxxxxx" <billhines4@xxxxxxxxxxx>
CC: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: [Harp-L] Youtube of LD Miller with John Popper
Date: Mon, 11 Dec 2006 19:06:05 -0500

A friend of mine told me a funny story about Popper.  Apparently, when
Traveler were opening for the Stones, Popper kept asking to sit in with
them.  After asking several times to no avail, he finally got a word in
Keith Richard's ear.  Keith's reply?

"Too many f*#@ing notes!"

That is not playing. It is "wacking off" with your instrument.

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