Re: Re: [Harp-L] Superstars in pop/rock music

["Tim Moyer" <wmharps@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Joe Leone wrote:
> I don't see how playing with someone WHO has played 
> with someone computes? A sit in player who sits in 
> with a sit in player makes neither of them stars. 

Just to clarify, Chris said that he had played with "people who work 
with some of the superstars in pop/rock music", and I was attempting 
to give some substantiation to the claim.  I happen to be a HUGE 
Tony Levin fan from his groundbreaking work with Robert Fripp, 
Adrian Belew and Bill Bruford in King Crimson in the early 80s, and 
I resent the label of "sit in player" being attached to him.  I know 
Joe Leone, and I generally respect him and his opinions, but I take 
issue with this.  Just because you aren't familiar with someone's 
work doesn't mean you can treat it dismissively.  I never said 
playing with Tony Levin made anyone a superstar, or was anything 
more than a great story to tell a bunch of harmonica players 
clustered around a virtual water cooler.  

> As for the list, there are literally thousands of people 
> who have worked with these people, and the general 
> situation is that they worked FOR them, not WITH them.

People don't hire Tony Levin to work for them, people seek out Tony 
Levin to get his interpretation of the music they are performing.  
Sure, some of this is no doubt session work, but in many cases 
Tony's stylings add to an overall sound that would be diminished 
without his contribution.  The opening "stick" phrase on King 
Crimson's "Elephant Talk" still rings in my ears: "Talk Talk Talk 
it's only talk..."

As for people who singled out the "only superstars" on the list, I 
think there is no doubt that there is a "superstar" on that list for 
just about everyone, be it Liza Minelli or Pink Floyd or John Lennon 
or Etta James.  Most any of us would kill for a discography like 
that.  So go ahead and decide which ones are worthy in your world.  

-tim