Re: [Harp-L] Butter TV spot

Robert Paparozzi <chromboy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> · Sat, 19 Dec 2009 13:51:19 -0500

I really totally agree and loved both JP's & Richard Hunter's posts, right
on the money boys! He wasn't the problem he was the solution, as Hunter so
eloquently states.

Let me also say I don't wanna turn this into a 'dissing' thread, I love Kim
Wilson, Estrin & Piazza...they are NOT cloners, they have really taken the
instrument further in many ways!

    It's merely a matter of taste...for me on Blues Harp...it's Little
Walter, Musselwhite and Butterfield who I felt really drove it forward and
treaded the newest ground....then it was Charlie McCoy and Norton Buffalo,
Howard Levy for the non Blues Stuff. Jason Ricci has been making great
strides and I like where his is taking things. Another reason I personally
like Butter and Musselwhite and Cotton and Wells...is that GEAR didn't
dominate their sound, meaning it didn't have to be a Bullet or a Bassman or
a specific combo of gear to produce 'Their' sound. The sound primarily was
from them FIRST, you could have them play threw a to 'Mr. Microphone' and
you'd know who was playing.

    What is ironic is that most of the blues harp players in the world today
and on this list would not exist if it weren't for two musicians who were
influential in getting Muddy, Wolf and BB off the 'Chitlin Circuit' bar gigs
and out before National & International audiences which they rightly
deserved.

    I deeply respect Brian Jones & Paul Butterfield for doing just that in
their own ways. They are both gone too young but their muse was deeper than
you can imagine and I bet they are happy smiling down on their
accomplishments. It was Butterfield and Bloomfield that kept at Rock
Promoter Bill Graham to hire BB King, Muddy Waters and many other Blues
Artist and they finally won out. So that combined with Brian Jones having
exposed Millions around the world to Chicago Blues on the early Stones
records is why we have today an international 'Blues Scene'.

    However, that is not an answer to the poster who wanted examples of Paul
Butterfield to prove he was an master innovator as I purported in my post.
Of course I'm not comparing him to The Beatles or Beach Boys here....they
were Master Songwriters...we are talking Diatonic Blues Harp innovators

    I will give examples in a moment of just a few of the pieces that I feel
convey his Harp Genius but if you just look at the Harmonica notes & Riffs
than you missed what this man brought to the table of Music in the 60's &
70's.

    Paul Butterfield was a Musician first he also was a masterful bandleader
and Singer. I would also note he was the first Blues-Jazz Rock Band to
utilize a full Horn Section before the Electric Flag or Blood Sweat & Tears
or Chicago or the many others that followed. He intertwined the Harp w/
Horns in a very unique way.

We have already debated the importance of Butterfield so I would suggest
going thru the archives for examples: but here are just a few:

-His 3rd position work on the LIVE East West sessions
-His Live Performance of "Everything's Gonna Be Alright"
-His Live Performance of " Driftin' Blues"
-His Studio solo of 'Thank You Mr. Poobah' off his first LP
-His Studio Third Position solo on Pigboy Crabshaw "One More Heartache"
-His Playing on The first Paul Butterfield's Better Days was should be
required listening for any Harp Player wanted to learn how to 'comp' with
other Musicians. His solos on New Walkin' Blues, Buried Alive are some of
the tastiest & creative cross harp solos I've ever heard and his 1st
position work on Highway 28 is most inventive.

Well there are just a few examples and now I would like to hear the examples
of the 'rushed arpegiatted insensibilities' your hearing throughout his
music....because I can't seem to find them. However I totally respect your
opinion and glad you have found harp happiness in the players you find
'official'. I think that if you don't hear the inventiveness in
Butterfields' playing it just means you hear music differently than I do
(many others who have chimed in)....so we are back to tastes and that is
fine.

 OK, I'll shut up and get back to my back to my Snowstorm & Vino,-) Happy
Holidays all

Butter-fly Yours,
Rob Paparozzi

On 12/19/09 4:01 AM, "John F. Potts" <hvyj@xxxxxxx> wrote:

> Rob P writes:
> 
> IMHO Butterfield was an innovator of the highest order
> 
> 
> Amen!  Butterfield knocks me out. No one was playing harp like that
> when PB emerged.  His technique was powerful and HE DIDN"T PLAY A
> HARMONICA LIKE IT WAS A HARMONICA.  He was the first to approach the
> instrument like that. And there is great emotion in his playing.
> 
> Someone put a post up not long ago talking about how the world needs
> another harp player imitating Little Walter licks about as much as
> the world needs another Elvis impersonator. Personally, I find few
> things in life less interesting than listening to some contemporary
> harp player playing Juke note for note.  I mean, didn't somebody
> famous already do that 50+ years ago?
> 
> As great as players like Wilson and Estrin are, they ain't doing much
> that hasn't been done before.  Now, they may do it extremely well,
> but it's not an original artistic contribution.  The world is full of
> imitators and has too few originals.  Butterfield was an authentic
> blues artist with an original and  individual style of own that was
> far more sophisticated than anything that had come before. And it's
> not rock music. His phrasing is not rock and roll.  His note
> selection and  placement is more sophisticated than that.
> 
> Of the older Chicago guys, IMHO, Cotton was more innovative than the
> others, and some of his stuff comes much closer to rock music than
> Butterfield's does.  I, for one, am profoundly bored with harp
> players who are obsessed with trying to recreate the past. Blues is
> something that lives in the heart of the player, not on old
> recordings.  Making it come out of the instrument as an authentic and
> original statement that has some validity is the real challenge.
> 
> Others may disagree.  But as far as I'm concerned, they can go
> practice l little Walter licks note for note--or Butterfield licks--
> or Cotton licks--or go reenact civil war battles--or dress up like
> Elvis.
> 
> End of rant.  FWIW
> 
> JP
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All the best,
Rob Paparozzi

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