[Harp-L] Respectfully Contextualizing Michalek's opinins on Trad. Harp Musicians Rehashing

[Roger Boyce <roger.boyce@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I¹m a long-time lurker on Harp L. I¹ve had some things to say in the past
but have refrained due to my perception of an opinion pecking order on the
list.
 
Chris Michalek
often has the last word, or the first provocative word ­ due to, it seems
his credibility as organizer of a major international harmonica summit and
his reputed skills on the harp. Kudos to him for organizing the summit, for
learning OB¹s and his employment of
guitar effects to shape his sound.
 
Some background on me in order to put my opinions in context: I¹m 58 years
of age and grew up around hillbilly (before it became country and western)
rockabilly, and early rock ?n¹ roll music and musicians. Mother was a
country singer (before I was born) and just down the street my uncle played
and recorded 45¹s for other musicians in a practice and recording studio
built onto his house. I started singing in bands and playing harmonica at
around 14, and have been playing , in and out of bands, ever since. Fell in
love with race (black) music before it was called soul.
 
I¹ve seen harp players Jimmy Reed, Big Walter Horton, Sonny Boy, Slim Harpo,
Junior Wells, James Cotton, most of Muddy¹s harmonica sidemen, Paul
Butterfield uncountable times, Musselwhite numerous times, Norton Buffalo,
etc., etc. etc.. I¹ve heard most everyone else ­ George Harmonica Smith,
Steve Guyger, Kim Wilson, Rick Estrin, William Clarke, Magic Dick, and
hundreds of known and obscure harmonica players via recordings ­ in depth.
 
I was fortunate to have lived in the San Francisco Bay Area and Los Angeles
during the west coast¹s music¹s hey-days and spent 15 years in New York City
where I was privileged to hear 100¹s of piano, guitar, bass, and horn jazz
giants ­ including Toots on more than one occasion. I¹m crazy about music of
( almost ) all sorts. I even like well-crafted pop ­ no matter how vacuous.
 
I love some qualities, and dislike certain anomalies in the playing and
singing of all the harp musicians I¹ve listed and many of those unlisted.
However, after years of listening and playing I must say (again) that Paul
DeLay never fails to amaze and emotionally move me. If DeLay ³rehashes²
anything it would be his in-depth listening of Pianist Fats Waller,organists
Jimmy Smith, Brother Jack McDuff, Bill Doggitt, Jimmy McGriff, and other
organ combo leaders that have clearly influenced his playing. His singing is
another story ­ his phrasing and timing bring to mind Lou Rawls before he
became a parody of himself, recalls the sorrow of Little Willie John,
and compare in pure soulfulness to Jimmy Witherspoon and Bobby Blue Bland.
He¹s also, as I have already pointed out an outstanding songwriter, lyricist
and arranger.
 
Now to Chris (the arbiter of taste) Michalek¹s Buddah¹s Groove. I take the
time to describe the tunes I¹ve heard from them so as to consider the source
of opinion that refers to harp traditionalists like Estrin and Guyger (who
do what they do very well and with integrity) as rehashers.
 
As far as I can tell Michalek and his fellow (highly competent) musicians
are rehashers of the long demoted musical genre Rock/Jazz fusion. Rock/ Jazz
Fusion reached its peak with the brilliant and idiosyncratic albums Lady
Coryell and Coryell ­ by Larry Coryell and some serious jazz sidemen. These
albums were the end result of an Coryell's chance meeting and jam session
with Jimi Hendrix (that session was never ­ sigh ­ recorded). Coryell and
crew did what many after (including Michalek and crew) tried to do ­ fuse
the melody based fire of rock to the virtuosity and structure of jazz.
 
As Rock/Jazz fusion devolved we got bands that noodled interminably within
poly-rhythmic structures or relied on technical brilliance - providing some
rhythmic friction but little real fire. That genre has further degenerated
into today¹s jam bands and children-of-the-G.Dead god help us. Michalek¹s
band solipsistically churns out acid-world-free-jazz-fusion-deepjungle-jams
such as Liquid Doodles & Spontune, requiring or providing ( at best ) a
musical score/groove for the imbibing of gnarly-bud or single malt.
 
Have no doubt, I do find it pleasant music but where is the meat ­
particularly the heart organ meat?
 
Michalek can really play his instrument but to what end? What new or
rehashed musical territory is he exploring, opening up, reinventing, or
stretching the boundaries of, pray tell? Ask yourselves, If what he plays on
his harp were played on a keyboard would he command the same respected
position among musicians in general he apparently holds among SPAH goers and
Harp-Lers?
 
My rant here may seem to be an ad hominem attack on Michalek. It is not. It
is an analytical view as to the validity of his well-regarded opinions. I
love Michalek¹s bad boy posture?.I just wish it was underpinned with an
equivalent level of originality and real substantive contribution to
American music. 
 
Much to the relief of everyone (including myself ) I will now go back to
lurking.
Cheers
Wader