Re: [Harp-L] re: a question

["Rob Paparozzi" <chromboy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi JR,

    I have heard Howard play in all 12 Keys on a "A" Filisko Diatonic.
We did a show two years ago for "Harpin' Help" in South Belmar, NJ
(USA).....
I drove and he showed me that he was only going to bring in
2 - 'A' Harps to the venue (one would be a backup).

    The setlist was 12 Standards, I don't have the list off hand, but the
idea was to
keep each STANDARD in it's original key ie: Wave-D, Meditation-C, Black
Orpheus Am, Giant Steps-B etc, etc
I was on stage and even sang a few of these so I witnessed it first hand. It
was just Howard and Matt King an excellent Jazz Pianist in a duo setting.
I'll try and get a copy of the setlist and keys and I get a chance.

     Some may say "oh that's just a parlor trick", but on that
Sunday....Howard played and executed ALL the tunes meticulously, soulfully -
totally professionally sounding.......I listened like everyone in that room
and heard great MUSIC....IMO he transcended all the aforementioned issues
and left us with a beautiful & masterful performance.

Howard's playing is requested by some of the "Heaviest" names in the Music
Biz, so he must be doing something right,-) He IMHO, he has opened WORLDS
for the Diatonic. Much like Larry Adler did for Legit Chromatic and Toots
did for Jazz Chromatic and Little Walter & Paul Butterfield did for Blues
Diatonic and Stevie did for Funk Chromatic.

Chromatic conceptualiztion and execution on the Diatonic is NOT an easy
task, it requires a different set of rules, techniques and LOTS of practice
not unlike most instruments, they all have their strengths and weakness'.
Whether or not the world (the listener or producer) is ready for this is
TOTALLY up to the player and it looks likes alot of these daring players are
starting to make a mark...onward I say!,-)


All the best,
Rob Paparozzi

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jonathan R. Ross" <jross38@xxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Monday, February 06, 2006 8:09 AM
Subject: [Harp-L] re: a question


> Chris wrote (in regards to playing in all keys on a single harp):
>
> >Of course Howard Levy can do it.
>
> He can?  I haven't heard him do it, and while I haven't heard as much of
> Howard as Chris, I've heard a fair amount.  Howard is a great player,
> but I've not heard him be able to transcend the real limitations of the
> instrument in regards to timbre and intonation of altered notes.
>
> >I think playing everything on one harp is silly and short-sighted
> >while a great exercise in and of itself I think it's mostly an
> >exercise in arrogance.
>
> Agreed.
>
> >I believe without a doubt nearly anything can
> >be playing in any on any diatonic.
>
> I do not.  I've yet to hear it done and frankly I've been hearing people
> try for ten years and not really get any closer to this goal.  I believe
> that it is beyond the capabilities of the instrument, and has become a
> false goal which needs to be reconsidered.
>
> >I pick harps and position based on appropriateness and situation.
>
> Which is something I'd love to hear you discuss more, such as giving a
> few examples of choices and such.  I think this is one of the least
> talked about yet most important areas of harmonica playing.
>
> >To be clear, I don't change harps in the the middle of a song to
> >:"make the changes" I will change harps in the middle of "song" if
> >that song segues into another ie
>
> I don't see why changing harps in the middle of a song, a melody or a
> bar is something which isn't considered as a possibility.  To me it
> would open a whole new dimension to what one can play especially in
> terms of the timbre and intonation issues which come with playing the
> diatonic in complex musics.  I think that even playing a single diatonic
> in a highly complex song has not yet been shown to be a truly viable
> path--there are always intonation and timbre issues which get in the way
> of the music rather than enhance it, even for the best.  Sometimes when
> listening to the top "overblowers" (as it were) I find myself thinking
> that there are some great musical ideas here, if only the instrument
> would get out of the way and let them out.  To me the limitations of the
> diatonic need to be acknowledged as real and that they often preclude
> successful playing of complex pieces unless many techniques are brought
> to bear including but not limited to bends and overbends, changing
> harps, alternate tunings and probably more I'm missing.
>
>
>
>  oo    JR "Bulldogge" Ross
> ()()   & Snuffy, too:)
> `--'
>
>
>
>
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