Re: [Harp-L] Re: Taylor Hicks

[Ken Hildebrand <airmojoken@xxxxxxxxx>]

David,

I had the same reaction when I first saw Taylor... way
before we knew he was a harp player.  Taylor made me
smile... something I need more and more of these days!

Sure, watching all the really bad talent seemed
excruciating this year (in previous years, I laughed
many times--not really this year).  I've enjoyed
watching the show in the past with my now 14-year old
son, who loves music (loves my CD collection!), plays
trumpet and piano, and loves plays and theater work. 
The main reason I've watched the show, was to spend
time with him and hopefully get a chuckle or two from
the really bad auditions, and hopefully be amazed at
some really good auditions.

After Taylor's very first audition (loved his "Swannee
River"!), I looked at my son and told him "I really
like this guy!".  I loved his soulful singing...
finding out later that he also played harp was just
icing on the cake!  And I love it when Simon Cowell is
so very very wrong!

I've always supported every harp player I could
possibly support, and I've bought albums and CD's from
recommendations on Harp-L, Spah's Harmonica
Happenings, or just browsing through mail order
harmonica catalogs.  Yeah, I've been disappointed by
some (not even one song that I would deem "iPod
worthy" !), but most of the time I find songs that I
like, as I have a very wide range of music interests.

Ok, Taylor's impromptu 'Jailhouse Rock' was definitely
not top-notch, but I enjoyed it and I was entertained,
and it showed he could play some harp.  He's
definitely "iPod worthy" (I already own his CD "Under
the Radar" and several AI songs loaded on my iPod).

I look forward to buying his next CD.  I have never
bought any other AI contestants CDs (well my son did
like Ruben Stoddard, so I bought that one for him).

If you don't like American Idol or Taylor Hicks, so be
it, but I always support my fellow harp players... and
singers that I like (from Dean Martin and Frank
Sinatra,  to Tom Waits (one of my favorite non-harp
albums is 'The Heart of Saturday Night" to Mike Cross,
and an endless list of harp players (The Harmonicats,
Pete Pederson, Norton Buffalo, Madcat, PT Gazell, Mike
Stevens, Gary Primich, William Clarke, Robert
Bonfiglio, and Rod Piazzo (just to name a few!).

It is more than obvious that Taylor Hicks loves music
and is a great talented entertainer.  I'm glad
American Idol finally found someone that I really
like, and I will support him!

VOTE FOR TAYLOR

Ken Hildebrand (SPAH member since 1978)


--- "jazmaan@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx" <dmf273@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> Bobbie, 
> 
> I wasn't planning to write about Taylor Hicks
> anymore but I feel I have to respond to you.
> 
> You ask how many of us Harp-L'ers would like Hicks
> if we didn't know he played harp?   I, for one,
> liked Taylor from the first audition, before I had a
> clue he was a harp player.  At that first
> audition he sang an a cappella version of Sam
> Cooke's "A Change Is Gonna Come".   That song choice
> was already a breath of fresh air compared to almost
> every other audition up to that point (except
> Paris Bennett's "Take Five" which was also
> outstanding.)
> 
> But next, when they asked him to sing one more he
> broke into "Swanee River"!   What a gutsy choice
> that was!  When other contestants were auditioning
> with Top 40 material, he picks a Ray Charles
> cover of a Stephen Foster tune that's obscure even
> to most Ray Charles fans.  And he did a
> wonderful job with it.
> 
> I just watched the clip someone posted of Taylor on
> a news show reprising "Jailhouse Rock" with
> harmonica intro and solos.   Ok, he's not an amazing
> harp player like some of the players on this
> list.   But dang it, he is exciting to watch and he
> holds my interest a lot MORE than some of the
> virtuosos here.  He's a natural and I knew it from
> the first note that came out of his mouth at
> the first audition.   Taylor is the only contestant
> who is truly spontaneous. Even while competing
> he is still making real music, not just
> regurgitating an over-rehearsed routine.  I've seen
> him do
> "Jailhouse Rock" three times now and every
> performance was musically different.  I don't think
> he
> could repeat himself if he wanted to.
> 
> Taylor deserves to win!
> 
>  
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
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> 



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