Wolf brings up some valid points re: JJ Milteau´s "What a wonderful world". I don´t think it´s nitpicking to point out that he´s slightly sour at two times (at least as far as I can hear) -- had he played any other instrument than harmonica this would have been a matter of course. With the (diatonic) we tend to accept imperfections to a sometimes alarmingly high degree, and possibly so in the name of some misguided "solidarity".
> 6. Those same bent notes were of a subtly different
timbre; different enough that I started thinking about
them instead of the song.
Achieving an absolutely neutral timbre on 3bb and bbb is something I consider an impossibility. Hope I can be proven wrong before I check out.
However, I am so bowled over by this small mícrocosm of modest beauty he creates that I must confess I´m buying it lock stock. Specially fond of the Stan Getz/Ben Webster-like vibrato-puffing that he uses a couple of times.
Give it a listen, those who haven´t yet. (Can also be found on Ben Felten´s very good site
www.harmonica.typepad.com.)
>3. An overall striving for beauty. Beauty is
underrated in modern art.
That will go as my apothegm for the day, thanks Wolf.
Interesting that he plays it in E -- that´s one of the keys I´d have associated with a "harder" sound, not for this type of smoothness. So much for my ears. (It´s in F on the record, if I remember correctly, a more "natural" choice. But I´m hungover to the point of petrification so I haven´t a clue what that means. We drink, we Swedes.)
Cheers, Martin
Wolf Kristiansen <wolfkristiansen@xxxxxxxx> wrote:
I'm late to this thread, but I've been busy; please
indulge me. I read harp-l religiously, but don't
often post. This topic, and the clip it refers to,
inspired me to write.
Martin Oldsberg pointed us to a lovely YouTube clip of J.J. Milteau playing "It's a Wonderful World" on his diatonic harmonica before a live and attentive audience. Nice to see the harmonica getting the respect it deserves. He was accompanied by a sympathetic guitarist, whose understated style perfectly fit the long, melodic lines Mr. Milteau served up.
It was a treat to see and hear the harmonica simply
played without fear simplicity would be mistaken for
lack of skill or technique. There was plenty of
expert technique on display; also plenty of
musicality.
It's Christmas,let me be Scrooge.
The good things I heard-- 1. A beautiful tone. Clean but rich.
2. A beautiful vibrato. Present only when called for,
and subtle when present.
3. An overall striving for beauty. Beauty is
underrated in modern art.
The bad things I heard-- These may simply be a matter of musical taste (mine):
4. Mr. Milteau slid into some notes that did not
require this. That is, he started some notes bent,
then slid into the note he was aiming for. To my
ears, for this song, he should have hit most of those
notes cleanly. 5. The cleanly bent notes in draw 2 and draw 3 used,
not as passing notes, but essential notes, were subtly
off pitch. They were flat.
6. Those same bent notes were of a subtly different
timbre; different enough that I started thinking about
them instead of the song.
Try listening with the video turned off, or with your
eyes off the screen, if you don't hear what I hear
right away.
Many will see my remarks as nitpicking, but my finely tuned sense of pitch compels me to offer these comments. I think the problems are, more than anything else, demonstrative of the limitations inherent in the tuning of the diatonic harmonica. The same problems that made Winslow Yerxa's "Ode to Joy" challenge such a difficult one for the expert players on this list.
That said, I laud Mr. Milteau for attempting the song with our beloved, 4 inch, humble musical instrument.
Wolf Kristiansen
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