Re: [Harp-L] Re: future harmonicas and all that

[Richard Hunter <turtlehill@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

"Fernando Bresslau" wrote in response to Harri and Jonathan:

<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  ;-)

When I presented recently at Joe Filisko's Monday night class at the Old 
Town School in Chicago (where I will present again, on jazz harmonica 
styles, on June 18), I had the opportunity to hear a lot of players in 
the classic amplified harp-guitar-drums format that you hear on many of 
Little Walter's records.  I came to the conclusion that, like the 
classic guitar-bass-drums power trio, this is a brilliant and completely 
 satisfying combination of instruments.  And without the harp, it's 
just guitar and drums playing blues.

The question of whether the harmonica is central to what's going on in a 
band is really about the overall sound of the band. A great harmonica 
player makes the harmonica central to the band's sound, and often 
innovates to do it.  Little Walter made the harmonica the focal point of 
the greatest instrumental recordings that came out of the Chicago blues 
scene.  Magic Dick put the harmonica right into the rhythm section on 
early J. Geils Band recordings.  Lee Oskar created a unique and totally 
compelling horn section sound with harp and saxophone.  John Popper, 
reviled as he is on this list, made the harmonica the ecstatic voice of 
Blues Traveller--without it, that band would be a mediocre guitar power 
trio. Can you imagine any of these bands without the harp?

Re-imagining the sound of the band makes for great opportunities.  Look 
at the White Stripes--they've reimagined the rock band as guitar and 
drums.  Who would've thought that was a winning combination?  But by 
building the arrangements around that combination in a very specific 
way, they make a great-sounding band.

It starts with great songs. The one thing all the bands listed above 
have in common (besides a drummer, guitarist, and a singer) is that 
they're playing great songs with a great sound.  So the second step is a 
great sound. If you're in a band where the harmonica isn't central to 
the band's sound, ask yourself what you can do to make the harmonica a 
central part of the band's sound--what role the harp plays in the band, 
and what role it could play. Then make it happen.

Easier said than done.  But it's more fun than thinking about all the 
things you can't do with a harp.

regards, Richard Hunter
hunterharp.com
latest mp3s always at http://broadjam.com/rhunter