[Harp-L] Living a Butter Life

[Michael Easton <diachrome@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

I was playing harp for a couple months into '73 and listened to  
Cotton, Oskar and Mayall who were my first influences. Then my brother  
came home with the Butterfield Live lp and it blew me away with  the  
energy, soul and fluid harp lines I haven't heard in the past.   For  
many years Butter was my mentor though I've never seen him live.  The  
attack and release of each note was a solo in itself.  Although I  
owned lps of all the greats Butter had the most fluid "Boss" tone in  
my book.

Skip to the mid '90's there was a resurgence of 50's-60's blues in  
this area and guitarists wanting to play more traditional.  I was so  
caught up in the progressive single note technique that I got passed  
up for gigs by guitarists that wanted a more traditional blues sound.   
I had almost no knowledge of  chording, octave playing and tongue  
techniques.  I fit in better with blues rock guitarists then those in  
the Muddy/Wolf Magic Sam vein.

I had to stop listening to Butter for a few years to focus on other  
players.  I couldn't get what LW was doing until I heard Kim Wilson  
even though I owned LW lp's for
over 25 years.  I didn't care for the effects used on LW recordings at  
the time. It made it hard to figure out his solos.   Then I paid  
attention to what Oscher and Cotton were playing on Muddy's recordings  
in the late 60's and stuff Guyger and Primich were currently  
playing.    Gradually I found a happy medium where I can feel  
comfortable on stage with both blues rockers and  old school blues  
players keeping the two styles separate.

I can see why some players don't care for Butterfield.  His style is  
unique to him without the usual bag o'tricks blues harp players are  
known for.
I think studying Butterfield taught a lot of us how to crossover into  
other musical styles.   He wasn't a harp player. He was a musician.

Case in point. I was at the local blues jam 2 weeks ago.  The set  
leader calls out a Tracy Chapman tune in Em for the first song.  I  
shook my head and hoped for the best since I knew non of her tunes.    
I credit the time I put in learning Butterfields use of vibrato on  
attack and release of notes to pull it off.  The 20 something  
guitarist shook my hand later and said, "Wow, I didn't think anyone  
could play like that on harmonica". The bass player who called the  
tune said, "I like playing with you Mike. When the song is dragging  
you always  bring up the energy when you solo making the rest of us  
play better".   I went up later and played some old school blues with  
actual blues musicians.



Michael Easton
www.harmonicarepair.com