[Harp-L] What's wrong with quoting anyway?

["samblancato" <samblancato@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hey folks, 

 

Any discussion about playing original vs. derivative blues harp and who
was/is quoting who and weather or not that's good or bad should be these
basic assumptions/caveats in mind:

 

I believe (and have it on good authority as well) it's pretty damn near
impossible (and not really very desirable as an end in it's self) to play
completely original blues, cut from whole cloth blues harmonica.  What you
play is always going to be informed by some one or many historical and
stylistic contexts.  

 

And it should be.  American roots music like blues, jazz, Bluegrass, etc.,
is filled with quoting, and other self reflective, self referential
elements.  And direct quoting (of other players of your instrument and cross
instrumentally) happens all the time and in every genre.  These music forms
are Folk Music, don't forget, music of the people.  And as music of the
people all of it is steeped in style and historical context or it wouldn't
*be* music of the people that's how it transcends the moment.  

 

When you talk about Little Walter's playing, - or anybody's really - as
being derivative because he's quoting some horn player, that this is somehow
an undesirable thing you've missed the point.  L.W.'s genius is what it is
*because* of the all that on in spite of it.  It's the same in many other
art forms.  John Ford didn't have to reinvent the western to be its most
memorable auteur.  And much of the appeal comes from what was borrowed
'whole cloth' from others.

 

While it's certainly important to know and understand the music theory
behind any American roots music form, it's not anywhere near as important as
the style, historical context, and other referencing.  The theory is often
very simple anyway.  And even in jazz, where the music can get pretty
complex it's to the above considerations that any of it owes its character.
Songs like Giant Steps and Ornithology, owe more to what they're reflecting
than anything else.  Coltrane, Parker, Little Walter are/were all standing
on the shoulders of giants and so was anybody else who ever codified
anything 'new'  into any genera . 

 

A simpler way of thinking about it is like this:  When you see a fine piece
of furniture, part of the appeal is in seeing its construction, like
dove-tail joinery and such.  

 

So quote all you want.  That way we'll know you know who we know and you'll
know we know you know it.  And if you mature as a player, enough of yourself
will come through that the rote parts will support your posture and your
context as well as the larger world that the blues circumscribes.   

 

Sam Blancato, Pittsburgh