Re: [Harp-L] Tommy Morgan

["Rob Paparozzi" <chromboy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

If I were a composer-arranger for TV or Movies.....had a budget and (time is
money) and was trying to paint a picture with my music, I'd pick Tommy
Morgan ANYDAY of the week over a Blues harp with slick licks. It's about
getting the JOB done. Bernard Purdie lectured a group of top players at
Chris M's Summit in Minneapolis.
Bernard told us, "If you think your gonna go in to the studio for a producer
and play what YOU want, the way YOU want to.....you WILL be shown the door".
Ofcourse it was a Film that called for Slick Blues Stuff, Tommy wouldn't be
your guy. But you have to look at the "variety" factor that was VERY
prominent during Mr. Morgans era in the studios. He covered SO many styles
and lots of times within ONE session for Cartoons, Movies & TV.

This above statement is in NO way made to disrespect what Chris Smith and
Chris M have said, but I thought we should put Tommy's work in perspective.
"Lousy Playing?" He's following the direction of his employers, offering his
expertise and nailing every measure in front of him!...I wish  "I" could
learn to play "THAT" lousy,-)! I've NEVER thought of HACK when I heard his
work...there's WAY too much MUSIC immersed in there.

 Session work is a JOB, that requires a tremendous amount of Skill. Slick
Licks and being a real studio level player are IMO TWO different animals.
There is a time and place for everything. Chris (Smith) I know how
frustrating it can be when your are asked about other players in the studio,
so I found your story amusing. In NY I'm always asked..."Do you know,
Galison, Meurkens, Popper?" or..."aren't you Robert, that Classical Player?"
or this one's the funniest "Rob...I love your work with Honey and the mighty
flyers",-)))))

    I just LOVE the diversity and versatility of Mr.Morgan's playing
especially on "The Rockford Files"
Bass,Chromatic and Diatonic IMO each used brilliantly from "Tommy's
Toolbox"!

Hey that's just my opinion, I thank Tommy for being a Musician FIRST, that
just happens to have a toolbox full of reeded 'thingys' that he makes
beautiful music on.

all the best,
rob paparozzi
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "chris smith" <harpshredder@xxxxxxxxx>
To: <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Wednesday, March 15, 2006 10:46 PM
Subject: [Harp-L] Tommy Morgan


>     Well Chris (M.),
>                             This is one I agree with
> you on. When I first heard the T.V. shows Tommy Morgan
> played on, I thought who is this hack ?
> (Sanford and Son, Rockford Files, Dukes Of
> Hazzard,etc.). Then on virtually every harp session I
> did the players would say "You know Tommy Morgan ?" I
> got so irritated with it I started saying ,"Yeah, he
> knows me !" It didn't take long to find out he was the
> 1st call harp session man in L.A. (home of ,by far,
> the most recording sessions in the world).I thought
> how could this hack get all this work ? Well, of
> course, it turns out he's not a hack- just a lousy
> blues-country diatonic
> player. He has an M.A. from Juilliard and is one of
> the best sight-readers on any instrument of all the
> session players in L.A. He's a fantastic chromatic
> player. Fortunately for me there are are times when
> composers like my sound and feel  better so I get
> called to redo his stuff or instead of him and
> unfortunately there are just as many times
> a composer likes his championship reading compared to
> my pedestrian level. I did learn a lot from the one
> time I met him.
>
>        Chris "Hammer" Smith
>
>
> Chris "Hammer" Smith
> Hammer Smith Band
> Official Myspace Page http://myspace.com/chrishammersmith
> harpshredder@xxxxxxxxx
>
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