All true, but my main point is that the harp players who break
through, for the most part, are the guys who aren't doing the same
old s--- in bands that are putting out the same old s---. If you
want to break through, you do something different.
I haven't noticed anyone really breaking through as of late.
Moreover, I find the entire idea of "same old s--" offensive and
indicative of a really sad way of viewing music. I appreciate
those who try new things as much as anyone else, but I also
appreciate and respect those who want to work and play within a
tradition.
Stevie Ray Vaughn's band had no harp, but Vaughn's guitar playing
brought a lot of things into the blues that hadn't been there
before him. The Canadian guitarist David Gogo's work is similar
in that respect--the instrumentation is familiar (bass/drums/organ/
guitar), but the guitar is doing very new things.
Which is great, but just because SRV did new things doesn't mean
that I can't like BB King just as well, or some of his more
traditional contemporaries. Moreover, I don't have any greater
respect for SRV than those who were more traditional--I respect and
appreciate anyone who wants to try and make a living in music and
wants to play what they love.
Most bands that really make it have something different about
them--something that makes them stand out. In that sense, I'm
really only interested in what's "normal" because it's something
to be taken into consideration and then surpassed.
And that's my issue with this--"surpassed". It's a word loaded
with a sense of improvement and a ton of value judgements. Those
who try something new don't "surpass" traditionalists. They may
expand, but that's not the same as being inherently better than
those who stay well within a tradition.
And as Blues Traveller has amply demonstrated, the harp--played in
an original style--can be the "something" that surpasses the norm.
I wouldn't say it surpasses anything. It added an element to their
music which made them distinctive.
Lots of bands not using harp now? GREAT! Lots of opportunity
there for a killer harp player or two with big, original ideas and
a great sound. Hard for a harp player to break through, you
think? Try being a guitar player or a keyboard player--think
about THEIR competition.
Frankly, I don't care about that. That was from the post to which
I replied, my care between the two threads on the future and
creativity was to point out the error of dismissing, denigrating
and other wise denying the artistic value and worth of
traditionalists while worshiping the god of "creativity" and
"originality" as if these are inherently superior traits to
anything else.
()() JR "Bulldogge" Ross
() () & Snuffy, too:)
`----'
_______________________________________________
Harp-L is sponsored by SPAH, http://www.spah.org
Harp-L@xxxxxxxxxx
http://harp-l.org/mailman/listinfo/harp-l