[Harp-L] Re: Hendix' harp player

["jazmaan@xxxxxxxxxxx" <dmf273@xxxxxxxxx>]

Randy - you have stumbled across the mind-numbingly mediocre harp stylings of the Notorious "Don"
(last name unknown).   His name came up just last week as my nominee for a new "Gus".    I thought
he should be nominated as the man who had the balls (or lack of brains) to actually "Gus" Jimi
Hendrix  - not timidly, but with an awesome temerity that will earn him cursed condemnation among
countless future generations of Hendrix fans.

As you noted, Don isn't completely inept.   He does manage to select the proper key of harp and
even manages a little position play from time to time.  And every once in a rare while he even
contributes a decent lick to the musical proceedings.  But what earns Don eternal damnation is his
inability to shut up, even for a moment.   He is apparently so enamored of his own playing that he
plays right on top of some of Jimi's best solos, completely oblivious to the genius he is soiling.
  He never seems to run out of his three ideas or the breath to fuel them.   God only knows why
Jimi invited him into the studio and let him remain there for so many hours.   Jimi had an uncanny
ability to tune Don out, for him it's like Don isn't even there.   We listeners aren't so lucky,
unless you're fortunate enough to obtain some of the remixed sessions where Don's tracks are
blessedly turned way down or completely erased.   

And to repeat - "Don" should not be confused with Paul Caruso, a fine harp player who graces "My
Friend" and a couple of unreleased Hendrix tracks.


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Message: 7
Date: Sat, 12 Jan 2008 10:03:57 EST
From: BiscuitBoy714@xxxxxxx
Subject: Re: [Harp-L] Hendrix's harp player
To: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
Message-ID: <bbe.1fd7b946.34ba30dd@xxxxxxx>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"

I have a CD that a very good buddy of  mine gave me. Actually he gave me 
about 10 of them. (the Warren Haynes is  awesome) but I digress. One of the CD's 
is called Hendrix Ultra Rare Tracks. He  has a harp player on about half of the 
tunes. It sounds like they are just  jamming in the studio with the recorder 
running. Of course everything Hendrix  does is awesome but, and I'll try and 
be kind here and I don't know the  circumstances with the harp player but, man 
it just is wrong. I mean the guy has  pretty good tone and he is using the 
right harp for the keys but, it hurts me to  listen to it. The dude is doing a 
few cool things with the harp, tongue blocking  and playing in 3rd position but 
I keep waiting for him to rip up something and  he doesn't. A lot of the time 
he is just in the way. Do you think Hendrix told  the guy to hold notes and 
for God's sake don't play any cool licks? I hope I  don't hurt any body's 
feelings here, but I'm ultra curious. Who is that harp  player?
 
              Randy
          Biscuitboy  Blues