[Harp-L] What is the minimum blues band?

["Haka Harri" <harri.haka@xxxxxxxx>]

Hi Fernando and all,

IMO a blues band has to have 1)harp, 2)guitar, 3)drums, 4)bass. Vocals have to be there be it one of the instrumentalists or a singer. Added value is often piano and sometimes horns.

Rod Piazza took a new step in letting his bass player Bill Stuve go. John Mayall performed in the early seventies without a drummer. Both with acceptable results.

The minimum blues band was probably the guys playing harp or guitar by themselves on Maxwell Street long ago. The optimum blues band (again IMO)would be fronted by vocals/harp, 2 guitars, piano, bass and drums. I'm already starting to dream of an allstar lineup...Junior Wells, Buddy Guy, Jimmy Rogers, Otis Spann, Willie Dixon, Willie Smith. Unfortunately only Guy and Smith are the only living legends.

Harri


> 
> From: "Fernando Bresslau" <fernando@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Subject: Re: [Harp-L] Re: future harmonicas and all that
> To: harp-l <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
> Message-ID:
> 	<bd4dc6f30705260400w7693d3w5dc28bec05f306ca@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
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> 
> On 5/26/07, Haka Harri <harri.haka@xxxxxxxx> wrote:
> > Jonathan Ross <jross38@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> > <snip>
> > > Indeed, it's easy from talking to harp players to get the 
> impression
> > > that the harmonica is bigger than reality even in genres like the
> > > blues.  There, the harmonica is an occasional instrument, 
> and not as
> > > central to the musical form as guitars, drums or bass 
> over the last
> > > fifty or more years.  As for jazz, well, the harmonica is 
> completely
> > > and utterly unimportant and unused in the genre, essentially.
> > > Basically, there's Toots and that's it--Jazz fans and the
> > > jazz public
> > > seem basically to have reached a glut in the supply side of things
> > > with one harmonica player, and no more need apply.
> >
> > As you said, in almost all musical genres harmonica plays a 
> minor role. But in blues the harmonica is NOT an occasional 
> instrument. Guitar and vocals are almost always present but 
> in post war blues, harp is also very dominant. No need to 
> mention names but since SBW 1 up to this day there have been 
> countless harp players who have contributed to the richness 
> of the genre. Muddy Waters insisted that a good blues band 
> has to have an excellent harp player.
> 
> Hello Harri. I happen to agree with Jonathan (as usual). Take a
> guitar, bass and drums, and you have a blues band. Try to make a blues
> trio where the harmonica is present, and it gets more difficult.
> I am sure that if a blues quartet with harp has to get rid of a
> member, it will be the harp player, if he is not the lead singer.
> 
> That's why I am slowly learning to play the ukulele ;-)
> 
> Cheers,
> Fernando
> 
> 
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