Re: [Harp-L] Re: Hmmm.....

[Jonathan Metts <prairiedogpr@xxxxxxxxx>]

Dylan actually started playing a new style in the 80s that is pretty 
interesting and a bit more technical, but it corresponded with a major 
decrease in his harp playing overall, so many people are not familiar 
with it. I'm talking about the harp on songs like "Every Grain of Sand" 
and "Man in the Long Black Coat". He rarely plays anymore, especially in 
the studio, but he has a nice and distinctive solo at the end of "Spirit 
on the Water" from his 2006 album.

Sadly, many imitators of Dylan (both serious and comic) exaggerate or 
poorly replicate his harp style by playing as sloppily as possible, or 
without any training or practice at all. They forget that Dylan was a 
professional harmonica player who practiced for months before adding it 
to his stage act, and that he was a popular session player both before 
and during his career breakthrough. His most well known style may be 
sloppy, but it is intentionally, meticulously sloppy in a way that is 
surprisingly hard to recreate in detail. Most people on this list could 
probably do a great Dylan-style harp solo; most folk singers who buy a 
$10 harp and take it straight to the coffee house cannot. The 
difference, of course, is that we know how to play the instrument, as 
did Bob.

Jonathan Metts
Prairie Dog PR
Ph: 205.435.0991
pr@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx / prairiedogpr@xxxxxxxxx

Ben Bouman wrote:
> Could his name be: Armand Dylan??? hmmmm......
>
> Ben Bouman
> www.beta-harps.com
> www.harmonicainstituut.nl
> www.marble-amps.com
> www.harmonicaheaven.nl
>
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Jonathan Metts" 
> <prairiedogpr@xxxxxxxxx>
> To: <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
> Sent: Wednesday, August 26, 2009 9:15 PM
> Subject: [Harp-L] Re: Hmmm.....
>
>
> > His harp playing hasn't improved much with age:
> >
> > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kj7Dc001L44
> >
> > Jonathan Metts
> > Prairie Dog PR
> > Ph: 205.435.0991
> > pr@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx / prairiedogpr@xxxxxxxxx
> >
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