Re: [Harp-L] Re: Mama Thornton

joe leone <3n037@xxxxxxxxxxx> · Mon, 14 Dec 2009 23:42:20 -0500

On Dec 14, 2009, at 11:02 PM, Harri Haka wrote:
I could find 5 people at any spah that can beat these 5.
smo-joe

My point was that Mama Thornton was a great blues singer who also  
played harp and drums.

I know, and I'm glad you posted the video. Honestly.
And that John Lee Hooker playing harp was a rarity that never  
reoccured.

Well, if a person is uncomfortable (or ungood) playing, why play? To  
get a chance to be one of the 5 up there playing? If a person can't  
add something to a gathering, they could sit it out. I basically  
didn't have a problem with him being there. BUT, on the other hand,  
if he WAS there, AND was proving that he couldn't handle it, he  
shouldn't be offended if someone calls him ungood.
Why compare spah of these times with the musicians of mid 1960s?

Well, let me think. Oh...I have it...why not? There are oftentimes  
comparisons made on this and other lists.
Blues harp (if that is what smo-joe means here) has a lot more to  
do with feeling than with technique.

Well sure it does. I think it has a lot more to do with feeling than  
technique. I really wasn't delineating the two. I just made an  
observation as it struck me.
And also why want to have 5 players "beat" another 5? Who would be  
the judge?

I think the point I was making was actually in support of the players  
of today. We keep hearing about this player and that player and how  
great they were. Well, my personal observations have been that the  
players of today have no reason to hold anyone in EXTREME exalted  
honors positions when these achievements are readily within the grasp  
of everyone.
Instead of people sitting at home listening to these greats from long  
ago and telling themselves how great these people were and eating  
their hearts out, they should put in some time, do the work, and  
within a short time, they too can reach these goals. There was  
NOTHING super about these players (on THIS video). That, in itself  
should give people hope. Several right on this list have already  
overachieved these levels.
Perhaps beat was a poor choice of words. That would denote a contest  
of some sort. What I should have used was the word better. Better is  
a more benign term. My fault. As for judging..yeah, let's throw that  
one out. I mean throw out Trossingen, the Asia Pacific, the Van  
Cliburn, the Heifitz. Let's do away with contests. I think they are  
mean spirited. Hearts are broken. Lives suffer.
Joey jo-jo

Harri
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