[Harp-L] re: Harmonica duet

[martin oldsberg <martinoldsberg@xxxxxxxxx>]

Larry wrote:
 
 
"Roly is another staple of the Toronto music scene.

Carlos is one of my favorite players - he has developed a unique tone and has a behind the beat laid back swing feel to his lines. He also plays and develops musical lines over time, creating a well thought out solo. Carlos also knows how to build excitement and has a good understanding of controlling the flow of the music - notice how he conducts the band - which plays at a very enjoyable volume allowing the music to breathe and the harmonica to be heard easily.

Notice the use of the 1 hole OB - not easy to achieve. His other OB's sound pretty seamless to me."
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Nicely put, and I agree completely. His solos are always well structured, and I believe I´ve never heard him play any of the "Chicago" clichées.
  On the downside, I suppose he could be accused of having a slightly "mannered" style, a bit of a studied quirkiness with a family of riffs that he´s eager to put in -- but he scores such high points in originality and general musicianship, so I´m not that bothered. (Although it would be fun if he let it really break loose sometime ...)
  His OB´s has improved considerably. On the earlier records I felt they stood out in a slightly annoying way, but not so anymore. I guess this speaks for the merit of practising. Or perhaps increased ability in setting up harps. Or perhaps both.
 
Martin