Re: [Harp-L] a summation

[Emile Damico <oatss_oatflakes@xxxxxxxxx>]

I'm with Robert on this one. I'll play what pays the rent at this point.
People can switch genres if they do the work. The public makes the judgment 
in the end. Here are some examples.

Country
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t03heiBASbY

Blues
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BcFZsiikhNI&feature=related

Classical
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BU8l91psJUw

New age/Latin eclectic/World Music
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HR87mPS8JNs&feature=related

Jazz Standards
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jtV7Xxqi4fQ

I could go on with twice the examples but you get the idea.

That's why I get the big bucks doing studio work in philly.
Now if I could just find one that would hire me. LOL

--- On Wed, 12/9/09, Robert Bonfiglio <bon@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

From: Robert Bonfiglio <bon@xxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: [Harp-L] a summation
To: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
Date: Wednesday, December 9, 2009, 1:48 PM

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



_______________________________________________
Harp-L is sponsored by SPAH, http://www.spah.org
Harp-L@xxxxxxxxxx
http://harp-l.org/mailman/listinfo/harp-l