[Harp-L] Amended Comparison of Ricci & DeLay

[Roger Boyce <roger.boyce@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On reflection I should have said that, with all due respect to
Jason Ricci's formidable skills, Paul DeLay is indisputably the best Blues,
R&B,Soul genre harp player in the world.

Not only does DeLay rip it up with absolute commanding virtuosity, on both
chromatic and diatonic, he is also a consummate songwriter, lyricist, singer
and arranger.As far as tone DeLay can produce classic amplified Chicago with
the best of them but also has a seemingly limitless palette of nuanced harp
voicings that (bespoke) suit the particular phrase he's delivering to a T.

Buy the CD Take it From the Turn Around (which is a compilation of tunes
from a number his albums) and listen to Oat Bran for fast mind-bogglingly
inventive diatonic fire and Why Can't You Love Me for some of the most
soulful Chromatic a vocals ever recorded - with strings no less.

I do realize that "best in the world" is a potentially contentious topic and
a heavy weight to lay on any artist...but if anyone can carry such weight it
would be DeLay. If you are a harp player who hasn't bought and listened to
his CD's you've missed out on a significant musical education and the
aesthetic thrill that his Virtuosity - always employed in pure service
service to the song - always summons.
Wader