Re: [Harp-L] Horns Sounds Like Harp Sounds Like Horns

"Splash" <celtiac@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> · Sat, 2 Jun 2007 08:03:42 -0400

This isn't harp related but maybe it is...

I am a ham radio operator and love to operate the mode using morse code.  I
learned "the code" from my father who was a radio op in WWII when I was
about 4 years old.  I didn't get my radio license for another 20 years and
he had passed away by then, and therefore I never 'copied' him and he never
saw me operating a morse key.

However, one day an amazing thing happened.

I was working a guy in Michigan using a "bug" key which is a semi-automatic
morse key which does the dits using a spring.  Anyway, "bug" users can add
"swing" to the rythm of their code sending, and after doing it for years
will develop a distinctive style.  He said to me, in code, "Love your Lake
Erie Swing."

Longer story short... Lake Erie Swing is a certain rythm of code sending
that the operators that worked for the Ohio-Penn Railway had.  My father was
a telegrapher after the war and worked for the O-P rail.  And I have that
Lake Erie Swing in my "fist" without ever hearing my father work a bug.  It
must be either genetic, or maybe the vocal accent that those of us from that
geographic area of the country have.  I know, I can tell on the radio when
I'm talking voice ops with someone that comes from that part of the country,
and I can tell west texas accent,and I can tell cuban spanish accent from
mexican etc.

So, who knows... but I still have that Lake Erie Swing, and it probably
shows up in my harp playing too, I'll bet.

PEACE
Scott
Believe in Magic!
----- Original Message -----
From: "Joe and Cass Leone" <leone@xxxxxxxx>
To: "James" <wasabileo@xxxxxxxxxx>
Cc: <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Saturday, June 02, 2007 12:32 AM
Subject: Re: [Harp-L] Horns Sounds Like Harp Sounds Like Horns

>
> On Jun 1, 2007, at 5:37 AM, James wrote:
>
> > Regarding this discussion two names come to mind: Cootie Williams
> > and Jed Davenport
> > Cootie Williams, as many of you know, played with the Ellington
> > Orchestra. He has these mutes and stuff like the "plumber's helper"
> > and stuff and he could play the most incredible "rural sounds" in a
> > most sophisticated way. I always believed he listened to harp players.
>
> It's possible. I have heard that Clyde McCoy listened to harp
> players. A lot of his slurs are not what you would normally expect on
> trumpet.
>
> > Jed Davenport was both a jug band harp player and a pit musician
> > (trumpet) He played in high keys (E) and he played some cool lines
>
> High keys seem to be something that came along after 1952 (Maynard
> Ferguson, Shorty Rogers, Chet Baker).
>
> > I always wondered what came first? The trumpet lines or the harp
> > lines. Were the trumpet players listening to the harp players or
> > the reverse or both at the same time.
>
> I feel that everyone was listening to everyone. That would be the
> smart thing to do, and since I'm not that smart and 'I' came up with
> it, someone else HAD to beat me to it. The geographical reference the
> other day got me interested too. It was postulated that people from
> various areas might be influenced by musics and musicians from that
> area. Like was a particular harp player from Louisiana that much
> different from the majority of the players (who happened to be from
> Mississippi).
>
> I (reverently) have to cast that aside. Because if I were to stand in
> Bossier City Louisiana, I don't really think I could tell I wasn't in
> Tyler Texas. Or, if I were standing on the west bank of the
> Mississippi in Talulah Louisiana, I don't think I could distinguish
> it from the east side in Vicksburg Mississippi.
>
> I always thought it would be fun to take 10 trumpet players from
> Texas. Now everyone knows that Texas doesn't have a majority of
> native Texans any more. The population explosion ( witnessed by the
> steep hike in electoral votes), is primarily due to transplants. Now
> lets say that 3 of these Texans are Mexican and playing in the
> Mariachi style. Let's say we also have 3 Mexican/AMERICANS who are
> also playing in that same style. Then we have 3 Cubans playing in
> that same style. The last Texan is actually an Eskimo and is also
> playing in that style. The question IS: who influenced who? And,
> could you tell the difference?
>
> What I'm saying is, that each and every person is going to have
> different stimuli regardless of :
> 1... where they live
> 2... where they ONCE lived
> 3... where their parents and grandparents are from
> 4... what musicians they happen to know
> 5... what musicians the have ever heard
> and a couple dozen other reasons (religion or lack thereof, sexual
> orientation, political bent, socio-economic standing...and yada
> infinitum).
>
> I think we are all a culmination of so many factors that trying to
> come to a consensus is going to be very tough. I have fooled around
> with (key word is FOOL) a number of instruments and I can honestly
> say that each one HAS influenced each other one. They all have their
> limitations, good points, bad points, and are (basically) only
> limited by the input of the person (trying) playing them.
> I have also been to 11 grade schools, 3 high schools, a Jr. College,
> a trade school, and over the years have received instruction in a lot
> of other things. That HAS to have an effect. I have probably moved 17
> times in my life. That HAS to have an affect. I also bore easily and
> move from interest to interest. That HAS to have an effect.
>
> Now I'm not saying that a person who lives in the same town all their
> life has any less input. Input is input. I'm also not saying that an
> older person has any more input than a younger person. People live at
> different rates of acceleration/de-celleration. Input is input. I
> think we hear stuff, it gets filed, and may come up later. When and
> how (and IF) is the mystery. If a person can tap into this, THAT is
> their 'sound' or style or whatever it's called. It is THEM.
>
> sorry for the rant.........smokey-joe
> >
> >
> >
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