RE: [Harp-L] pathetic, again

["Steve Shaw" <moorcot@xxxxxxx>]

Gosh, what a relief it isn't just me.  Only a few days ago, on A. N. Other 
forum, not to do with the harmonica, someone was attempting to speak 
authoritatively on the topic in question using Wikipedia as his only source. 
 My somewhat sceptical reply was that, though I couldn't really question 
his source as such, I would have to take his advocacy with a large pinch of 
salt as I was only too aware of the dodgy Wikipedia harmonica entry, on a 
topic I did know something about.  It's a bit like trusting what newspapers 
say, until the day they print something about you, when you then realise 
what rubbish they are capable of peddling.  Like you, I was challenged to 
edit the entry, but the game was definitely not worth the candle...



http://mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/trad_irish_harmonica
HEAR my CD clips: http://www.gjk2.com/steveshaw/cd.htm

> So, for all those who defended Wikipedia, try this out.
>
> "The harmonica is commonly used in blues (e.g. Jason Ricci) and folk  music 
> (e.g. Bob Dylan), but also in jazz (e.g. Howard Levy),  classical music, 
> country music (e.g. Charlie McCoy), rock and roll  (e.g. John Popper) and 
> pop music (e.g. Rosco Selley). Increasingly,  the harmonica is finding its 
> place in more electronically generated  music, such as dance and hip-hop 
> (e.g. Jeff Grossberg), as well as  funk and acid jazz (e.g. Chris 
> Michalek). Harmonica seems to be an  instrument that crosses ethnic, 
> musical, and cultural divides in a  manner that is not as well duplicated 
> by many other instruments."
>
> Let's see.  Dylan as an example of folk harmonica?  He hasn't played  folk 
> music since 1965.  It's a lot less egregious than many here.  I  like many 
> of the players above, but how many records have most of  these people sold? 
>  Ten?  The only ones who belong in a main-page  encyclopedia page on 
> harmonica are Popper, Levy and McCoy.  Hell,  Adler isn't mentioned, Toots 
> isn't mentioned, Little Walter isn't  mentioned--and if we're going by 
> impact on the world at large and the  easiest way to judge that, sales, 
> STEVIE isn't mentioned!
>
> This is pathetic, and a wonderful example of everything I was talking  
> about with regards to Wikipedia in general, and the harmonica page  there 
> in specific.
>
> I know, I'll get the chorus of "well, why don't you change it?"   Because, 
> if I just delete it (as it deserves--there's a whole section  below about 
> genres and players) it will be seen as too much deletion  of material and 
> so forth.  I'd love to hear someone defend the above.
>
> And note, this isn't a diss on any of the players mentioned.  I quite  like 
> many of them individually and their playing as well, but I bet  more than 
> one of them would be embarrassed to see themselves as the  exemplars of 
> their genre.
>
> I skimmed the rest.  It doesn't get better.  Ah, the joys of freedom  
> without knowledge.