Re: [Harp-L] Paul Reddick

["samblancato" <samblancato@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi Folks, 

 

I spotted this Paul Reddick thread and thought I'd share my thoughts.  I
have Rattlebag and Villanelle and I really love both of these CDs both for
the harp work and for everything else musically they offer. Reddick has
managed to capture very traditional elements from several blues traditions
and present them in a really new way.    What I especially find appealing
that's present on both these CDs is that many of the songs have a
trance-like groove, a sensibility that seems willing to let the spare
melodic and harmonic elements just "be" without attempting to embellish the
sound with the familiar hooks that many others would try to fit into that
sound. He keeps things basic - maybe this is where the Keith Richards
feeling comes from.  

 

The harmonica work on Rattlebag isn't real complex but it definitely takes a
lot of energy to play, especially on the title song.  I tried playing along,
doing what he does, and while the phrasing isn't too hard to do (hence my
being able to play along), it's relentless and really challenges my timing
because to pull it off the timing has to be unwavering.  There are scarce
opportunities to empty out your lungs.  

 

I've had both these CDs for close to a year but I've been playing them a lot
as of late because I've been hankering for something new.  My girlfriend
said to me the other night "why does so much of the blues seem to come from
some by-gone era?"  And while on the surface this seems like a naive
question I can see her point (though it may say more about my CD collection
than the Blues in general).  Paul Reddick is doing new things with this form
both with the music and with lyrics that seems to reinforce or reconstruct
the basic root elements rather than making a departure from them.  

 

Sam Blancato, Pittsburgh

 

P.S.  Another CD that's very similar in feeling to Villanalle, give Charlie
Musselwhite's Sanctuary a try.  Again, there's that trance thing gong on.