[Harp-L] Jason Ricci instructionals

[fjm <bad_hat@xxxxxxxx>]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJKiLjBZzEo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wbHH62w7_qQ&feature=related

I'm not sure who started the genre, youtube harmonica instructional 
videos.  Adam Gussow would certainly get the credit for popularising 
them and setting a standard for both production and content.  Jason's 2 
videos above are in his overdraw/overblow series.  They're very 
informative plus they're entertaining. His dead on parody of Adam's 
style in number one is especially fun.  For me more than the performance 
videos and recordings these 2 videos give a glimpse into the work and 
talent Jason has brought to the instrument.  It's very unusual that 
anyone, you, me anyone has access to the thought process of artists at 
the  top of their field.  Adam Gussow, Jason Ricci, Ronnie Shellist, 
this stuff is just out there and clickable and it provides tremendous 
insight into their work.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eR1zbVkfc78&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bbgio8SxDQU&feature=related

These are Jason's series on root notes.  They're worth it simply for the 
playing.  I had a glimpse of Jason's technical prowess at Spah St. Louis 
a couple of years back.  The playing on these videos captures that.  I'm 
kind of surprised that the numbers of views of these several episodes 
are as low as they are.  I'm also surprised that more mention of them 
hasn't been made on harp-l.  A lot of what's out there on youtube is 
interesting ephemera. The harmonica instructional genre rises above 
that.  It's compelling and vital and a virtual summary of the harmonica 
 state of the art.  The other thing I like about these videos is I get 
a sense of how much work was involved in getting to where the particular 
player who is presenting is.

If I were just starting to learn to play harmonica I'd buy Adam's 
zillion episode instructional plus the level targeted instructionals. 
http://www.modernbluesharmonica.com/page/page/4463566.htm
Great site even though he doesn't link to harp-l on his links page.  He 
did spend an interval of time posting here in the late 90's.

 The explosion of harmonica related information in the last 20 years 
has just been amazing.  Going from having to hunt down an address to 
subscribe to an obscure little newsletter from Michigan, American 
Harmonica Newsletter, to   HIP, the Harmonica Information Publication 
and from there to harp-l in the beginning to now where it's just all out 
there and everywhere.  Searching out a copy of Acoustics Australia in 
the university science library to make a copy of Robert Johnston's 
groundbreaking article on the physics of harmonica playing to today 
where I can just go to www.patmissin.com and link to the article.  fjm