Re: [Harp-L] Re: Butter TV spot

[michael rubin <michaelrubinharmonica@xxxxxxxxx>]

I love Butter, but this time I am standing up for Wilson and Estrin.
Someone said they are just Little Walter clones and not innovative.

John Juke Logan said there are two types of harp players, those who
have entered the Little Walter sweepstakes and the rest of us.

I agree there are many Walter clones.  But the two you named are the
first names that come to your mind.  Why?  Because they are technique-
and-feeling wise two of the very best.  Just that their names are the
example of anything is a huge accomplishment.

But I think it is more than just being great imitators that got them
noticed.  I think Wilson and Estrin and inovators within a stylistic
framework.  Wilson creates his own licks while being true to the older
styles of timing and notes from which to choose from.   Estrin's tone
is truly his own and recognizable within seconds, imo.  I could go on,
but I won't.
Butter lover,
Michael Rubin
Michaelrubinharmonica.com



On 12/19/09, Michael Easton <diachrome@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>
> The reason Cotton or some other great black musician wasn't on the show was
> that it wasn't about
> showcasing the musician. It was about stumping the panel by making them
> think is it the black guy or one of the white guys that's
> the blues musician.
>
> Butter was a white guy playing blues in 1965. The age and social background
> of the panel members was raised on blacks playing blues.
> All the musicians coming out of Chicago blues scene were black. Butter was
> an oddity.
>
> Now if they had a white guy and 2 black guys on and one of them was a polka
> player....
> you can see where that is going.  It's about stumping the chump.:)
>
> btw, I fell in love with Butter's style but I also listened Cotton, Wells,
> Terry and anyone else I thought had chops.
> 37 years later I can play a broad spectrum of blues and rock because I
> learned a little from all of them.
> Butter taught me more then anything to think outside the box when I played
> and to constantly try to improve my solos rather then
> play them canned.
>
> I recently found out some history about Butter from a friend of mine who was
> part of the Chicago music scene in the 50's and 60's
> .  He is the one who turned Albert Grossman onto Butter.
> I turned Tom Ellis onto my friend.  I'll save the story for Tom's book on
> Butter.
> My buddy knew Butter, Cotton, and LW  on a first name basis and knew Butter
> in his teens.
> It'll be a great read for any Butter fan.
>
> Mike
>
> On Dec 18, 2009, at 11:35 PM, harp-l-request@xxxxxxxxxx wrote:
>
> >
> > Message: 7
> > Date: Sat, 19 Dec 2009 13:21:24 +1100
> > From: Ev630 <eviltweed@xxxxxxxxx>
> > Subject: [Harp-L] Butter TV spot
> > To: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
> > Message-ID:
> >
> <b985a2fe0912181821mc99fcc4i37993492e20b3b7a@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
> >
> > Two observations on this:
> >
> > First, I could never get into Butterfield. His phrasing has too much of a
> > rock sensibility for my taste. Like that arpeggio descending lick he would
> > always do and that you hear at the intro of the TV spot. Not saying he's a
> > bad player, but he just doesn't float my boat as a blues musician. Lord
> > knows I have tried and I know he was the first cat that hipped a lot of
> > white Americans to the blues, and that's one reason I think why he's
> adored.
> > But I got into the blues listening to Wells, Cotton, the Walters, etc...
> so
> > it just doesn't do it for me.
> >
> > Second, what a shame they couldn't have had Cotton or some other great
> black
> > blues musician on that TV show.
> >
>
>
>
>
>
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