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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