Re: [Harp-L] a summation

[Robert Bonfiglio <bon@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Here I am lurking and I find out you are talking about me!!!

The problem with playing in all genres is time; if one spends three  
hours a day practicing a Harmonica Concerto to have it ready where are  
you going to find the time to spend three hours a day blowing over  
changes.  Blues harp is easier to play at a competent level than  
chromatic, so I get by, just don't ask for fast country licks.  At the  
highest level, all the harmonicas require vast amounts of practice.

This reminds me of a time when I went to see Toots in his Eastside  
apartment and he told me to bring all my classical pieces.   "I have  
to play with the Belgium Symphony."  So I get up to his place and he  
puts on this record of him playing with a symphony and he says "This  
ain't happening!"  I said "Well, Toots, you have Frank Sinatra sound  
and in order to play with the symphony you need a Pavarotti sound."   
He said, "You're the classical cat, you could show me" and I said "And  
you could teach me jazz and we would both need another life time."  I  
told him to just  play the classical music the way he plays and improv  
a little kind of like Frank would sing an aria like Frank not  
Pavarotti. Of course the symphony loved him - he's a big star in  
Belgium.

BTW, I have done projects covering the music of pop performers like  
the Neville Brothers and the only reason I don't do this more often is  
there is no market for it.   I have covered Sam Hui and Teresa Teng in  
the Hong Kong market and I did several easy listening CD's for QVC  
when they were selling music.  I will play anything if there is money  
in it as long as it keeps me playing the harmonica.

Harmonically yours,

Robert Bonfiglio
http://www.robertbonfiglio.com