Subject: Re: Subject: [Harp-L] Re: Music and perception

[EGS1217@xxxxxxx]

Responding to Smo-Joe's answer to mine:
 
"On Nov 28, 2006, at 12:46 AM, EGS1217@xxxxxxx wrote
> ..  Excellent point, Smo-Joe....Like you, that is in my opinion,   
> comparing apples to oranges.  Poor Toots gets dragged out  for every  
> chromatic argument, yet I've seen Randy Singer  more than hold HIS  
> own in a session with Toots...Randy was  fabulous...played "Toots"  
> almost better than "Toots"  did.

Paul Farmer said it best the other day. To paraphrase: *I  prefer to  
listen to some of the 'lesser' players* (notice  please..not in  
quotes). There are a few players who don't have  the rep of a Steevie  
or a Toots, or a Levy, etc, and while  hurting peoples feelings is not  
high on my list of entertainment  values, I am compelled to agree and  
add that there are a few  people who I can listen to all day. Randolph  
would be one of  them. Will Galison is another. Even Hendrik (whose  
CDs I have  ALL of and is, incidentely my favorite chromo player,  
wears on  me after a while merely because of his PAST preponderance of   
Latin material.

Now Latin is my favorite, but too much coconut  creme pie will also  
make me queezy.
 
....That's interesting and made me think about my "favourite players"  in any 
genre.  The only one I could come up with whose music I  have and do listen 
to non-stop (10 CD's worth) for hours without getting  bored, was Peter White.  
It's nothing to do with harmonica, but  everything to do with how I hear 
melody and the sax players he  utilizes.  I love to try to emulate them...or even 
copy his guitar  riffs (on my chromatic) ...as if I ever could.  But I love 
the tone  of his guitar.  And it just isn't important at all to me if a single  
other person approves of or likes his music.   :)

>   So that particular argument is gone for  me.  NO ONE holds Jason  
> Ricci in higher esteem than I  do.  So I find anyone using him in an  
> argument about  Stevie just a teeny bit silly.

"Not even apples and oranges. More  like apples and Komodo Dragons."  
 
...Oh I dig the Komodo Dragon comparison!  Should use that on  JR's website 
<G>

"Steevie is a 'spazz' and unless you yourself are a spazz, you  will  
NEVER match his style. He is choppy and jerky. But that's  what he  
does best and the whole package comes off as quite nice  (IMO) :) "
 
..I know you've used that description before...and I do hear some of  that 
occasionally in his playing...but I don't hear it all THAT  "choppy and 
jerky"....it's more that he's creating the "beat" IMO   and to my ears he's drumming 
and strumming with his hands, mouth and  button (in his mind) which would 
result in that sound we  hear.  Don't know if that makes sense to anyone else.
 
 "I  had a CD with Tony Bennett doing a raft of duets with  a bunch of  
other 'name' entertainers. I had to give it away  because I don't like  
Bennett's nasal lisp."
 
....Isn't that strange...while I respect Tony Bennett's longevity,  and can 
appreciate him to a degree...I've never been a huge fan.
 
 
 "On the CD, he does a duet with Steevie called  
'Every  Day I have The Blues'. Steevie stalls, stammers, and trips  
over  his tongue for about 4 bars attempting to start the tune."
 
Now THAT I would like to hear....if only for the interest  factor.
 
 "I  would have never let that cut out of the studio. But  then, that's MY  
opinion".
 
.....that makes sense, and I wonder why anyone did allow it into  production? 
 
 
"Proves that NO one is a God."
 
..goes without saying.  I'm sure every single musician, every  single singer 
has done exactly the same thing in AND out of the  studio. Flubs are 
universal.  Except those mistakes aren't  usually saved for posterity...or allowed to 
be issued on CD's.


"On the subject of players: I opine players by how many times  I have  
heard them and how many times they actually sounded like  they were  
trying to do what they were supposed to be doing,  Namely..playing  
harp. A few interesting observations on just a  few of the people I  
have seen
Name         decent job vs number of times  seen          
batting average

James  Cotton             2      /      
3              667
Jr. Wells       1     /       
3              333
Rice Miller       2    /   
2                1000
Little Walter         1    /     
3                  333
Wilhelmina Mae Thornton  1     /     
1                1000
Lazy Lester                    &    2   /        
2     1000
Sonny Terry               3   /        
3      1000
Big  Walter                   not seen
Toots               2   /   
3                    667
conclusion? .... Use your own  imagination"
 
.....that's an impressive list.  I've seen none of those  people...except on 
videos.  You've sure been around.  :)


>  When I hear someone of the level of a Robert  Bonfiglio marvelling  
> at the talent of Stevie Wonder during  his own Grand  Canyon  
> Seminar.....then I discount any  players not of the caliber of  
> Bonfiglio having anything to  say about Stevie's chops.

"Some people would disagree and say that  it doesn't take someone of  
the stature like the 'Bon Vivant' to  define who can play and who  
can't. After all, people have ears.  But 'I' WOULD agree with you  
inasmuch as someone like Robt. will  NOT be jaded nor prejudiced and  
will listen to the individual  performer with a teachers ear totally  
disregarding any other  impetus other than the piece and how it's  
being rendered."
 
.....Actually that WAS my point.  I didn't mean that Robert's  stature would 
"define" who can play or not...simply that it IS his  incredibly honed 
teacher's 'ear' for the note and sound ....and that  HE was so impressed by 
Stevie.....was certainly nice to find out,  especially since I previously believed that 
Robert's taste was mostly  classical in nature.

> I was delighted that his tastes were so  much in sync with mine  
> (even to how much he was moved by  Jason's playing at SPAH in  
> Denver)...not that I've ever  needed anyone else's opinion to back  
> up my own, but it just  proves my contention that Stevie Wonder is  
> at a harmonic  level some people just don't seem to have the ability  
> to  understand.
>
> "Each and every time I have said anything  about Steveland Morris
> Judkins, I have taken heat, so I don't talk  about him any more."
>
> "I once made a statement and was  barraged and reminded that someone
> 'else' had spent "More time  than anyone" studying Steevie and his
> works."
>
>  Someone I know we both respect highly?

"Yes, true, but it still  hurt my feelings."
 
.....to let people on a list of this kind hurt your feelings proves  your 
humanity...but gives them too much power.  You're far better  than those who 
would seek to demean you.

>
> He passed most of the Free World by musically!   I keep telling you  
> how much I like your playing...and style  of playing.  And they  
> don't know your background the  way I do now. Maybe that's why I  
> like Stevie's chromatic so  much?...or like YOUR playing so  
> much....one or the  other.  I'll have to ponder on that some.  :)
 
(...still pondering)...

"You're giving me WAY too much credit,  and I don't understand why you  
would think my playing was  anything more than a feeble attempt at  
tossing out a few  notes."
 
.....I have ears, don't I?  And according to you, I play  chromatic not too 
badly.
 
"I'm an old man"
 
.....rotflmNYao 
 
"and smoking has taken it's  toll. Lately, I get very tired. On  the other 
hand, anyone who heard  me do 'Alfie' at Buckeye 2005   K N O W S what I can do."

smo-joe"
 
.....<G>  you just made my entire point.....
 
Elizabeth