Re: [Harp-L] Rockford Files...

["Chris Michalek" <chris@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

A number of years ago his Against the Grain group was playing at the Mall of America. He did his schtick on all the soundtracks he's played on. He specifically mention Rockford files and how he was ask to play a particular part on the chromatic but using his better judgement he came up with his own diatonic part and that's what they used.
Tommy is a tremendous musician but he just doesn't play the harp very well. During his show at the mall he was asked to play some blues and he was terrible at it by his own admission he said he couldn't play like a real blues harp player.


>-----Original Message-----
>From: Tom Ball [mailto:havaball@xxxxxxx]
>Sent: Wednesday, March 15, 2006 03:18 PM
>To: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
>Subject: Re: [Harp-L] Rockford Files...
>
>Obviously I can't speak for Tommy (for whom, by the way, I have
>tremendous respect,) but:
>
>For film or TV music, it's up to the producer (or composer) as to
>what kind or style of playing they want. Ultimately what stays on the
>track is what *they* want to stay on the track.
>
>I think the playing on Rockford fits exactly right when one considers
>the Jim Rockford character as portrayed by James Garner: a sort-of
>carefree L.A. private eye bachelor who lives in a cluttered trailer
>on the beach, can't keep up with his taxes or payroll, gets involved
>in a scam now and then, enjoys his beer, his love life is a mess, etc
>etc. It wouldn't surprise me one iota if Mike Post didn't *want* the
>harmonica to be too dead-on perfect... Hell, Tommy Morgan can play
>anything -- he's a pro's pro.
>
>Although I haven't done nearly as many sessions as Tommy, on more
>than one occasion doing TV music I have been asked to "play down" --
>to actually play worse. This can happen when a producer wants to
>make a certain musical point -- albeit, a point that sometimes I
>can't see, don't understand, or think is BS. But then, hey, it's
>their money so I shut my trap and do it. <shrug> I can't count the
>number of times I've heard in the studio, "More Dylanesque!" or "Make
>it more campfire!" It's pretty rare that studio players get a real
>chance to stretch out and show what they can do. Rather, we're
>simply expected to be musical extensions of a producer's (or
>composer's) artistic vision -- like it or not. As Dr John puts it,
>"If I don't do it, somebody else will..."
>
>Sure beats a career in Pizza Delivery, tho -- which is why I answer
>the phone each and every time it rings. :)
>
>cheers,
>Tom Ball
>http://www.tomball.us
>http://www.tomballkennysultan.com
>=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
>
>>
>>Can anyone tell me why whoever played on Rockford Files played it so sloppy?
>>
>>Was it that basic disdain for diatonic that some accomplished old school
>>chromatic players seem to have for the diatonic, thus never having honed any
>>bending or tonal chops on that instrument?
>>
>>Maybe (I doubt it) the producer demanded slop that sounded like someone who
>>had been playing diatonic for 3 months.
>>
>>there, I said it, I feel better. I feel that the more that there is sloppy
>>harmonica in the mainstream, the more that it sets us back as musicians.
>>
>>
>>Michael Peloquin
>>http://tinyurl.com/5tpjg
>>http://www.harpsax.com
>>
>>
>>>From: "Winslow Yerxa" <winslowyerxa@xxxxxxxxx>
>>>Eddie Gordon has also claimed that he was first to record the Sesame
>>>Street theme for PBS, even though Toots Thielemans was used for the
>> >final version that played until a couple of years ago.
>> >
>> >Winslow
>>
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