Subject: Re: [Harp-L] My version of Summertime played on Beta harp

[EGS1217@xxxxxxx]

Excellent point, Barts....as a matter of fact...doing some research into  the 
song (also one of my all-time favourites)(gee, my list is growing  <G>)....I 
learned (knew it peripherally but hadn't really focused on it  before)....that 
it was written by Gershwin to be sung operatically in Porgy  & Bess.
 
....so I watched a performance of it sung that way on YouTube - and perhaps  
it was merely the particular singer's presentation, but I  did not enjoy it.  
Probably the first time I  haven't liked hearing the song.
 
One of the most moving versions I've ever heard was that of Ella Fitzgerald  
in Germany on tour in the late 1960's...
 
_http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NkOuLZ2zcY0_ 
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NkOuLZ2zcY0) 
 
and with Louis Armstrong
 
_http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1yKgAEkCKxY_ 
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1yKgAEkCKxY) 
 
My observation (and purely subjective opinion) is: that it's easier to  
'sing' it slower - but much more comfortable for an instrumentalist to play  faster 
or 'jazzed up' ...even just a little. It's a difficult tune to play  really 
slow on any** instrument  without some 'fills' (or frills).
 
**unless you're Louis Armstrong on trumpet, of course  ;)
 
Elizabeth
 
P.S.  Jason Ricci also plays (or used to play)  a gorgeous  diatonic version 
of this song which I thoroughly enjoyed, but decided to table  it after 
hearing SmoJoe's chromatic version, and felt perfectly  comfortable heaping praise 
on SmoJoe's YouTube of the song. Our Jason  is a class act who willingly gives 
kudos and credit to other players, and is  almost never negative. 
 
SmoJoe - 'Summertime'
 
_http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uu8Jt7DKMOk_ 
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uu8Jt7DKMOk) 
 
"Message: 9
Date: Sun, 19 Oct 2008 16:34:56 -0400
From: "Alfred  Barten" <vr1139@xxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: [Harp-L] My version of  Summertime played on Beta harp
To: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
Message-ID:
<47ffd8b30810191334s3868316bh8abbcfbd0e70e1f1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Content-Type:  text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1

Perhaps it's a testament to the greatness  of the song that it can be played
credibly so many different ways. I think of  it as a lullaby, as somebody
already mentioned, but if you take it out of its  original context and treat
it as a piece of music in its own right, it's  still great. Summertime is one
of my favorites.

-- Barts

On  Sun, Oct 19, 2008 at 10:02 AM, robert mcgraw <harpbob@xxxxxxxxxxx>  wrote:

>
> I really have enjoyed all the recent diatonic  versions of "Summertime."
>  Terrific playing for sure, but...for my  ears, this is a tune that simply
> sounds better on chromatic.
> WVa  Bob
>  _________________________________________________________________
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