RE: [Harp-L] Ricci and the work

["Anthony Smith" <anthony@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Nicely put and that hour DOES kick butt. 

One hour is plenty for me and I am about done after that as well.  I love JP
and Blues Traveler. If I didn't like the music and songs as much as I do I
wouldn't go to the show for just the harp more than once to say I saw it.
JP is a great harp player but more so a great musician. But, too much of the
same run too often and it gets boring no matter who does it.  

I like the music from BT and not so much from JR and his crew.  Also, JP DID
expose many, 100,000's of thousands of younger people to the harmonica and
blues of some sort and I don't think the same can be said about Jason...at
least not yet.  

Maybe his music is reaching an audience that appreciates, better yet buys
his music but it seems he is still trying to find his audience. It seems
like he is pitching (for lack of a better word) his music to the blues scene
and much isn't blues, but those are the ones that appreciate the instrument
and what he can do with it.  Other than harp enthusiasts who appreciate his
playing for just that and the crowd of blues fans that can handle making the
stretch in appreciating the style of music, who is buying it? Maybe a ton of
sales, who knows but I don't see kids around here listening to it.  I don't
hear my friends in the circles of Phish, WSP, PBS, etc. talking about him or
flocking to the show as they do for the ones just mentioned...Who is he
reaching musically so to say?    


-----Original Message-----
From: harp-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxx [mailto:harp-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf
Of michael rubin
Sent: Friday, July 10, 2009 3:32 PM
To: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [Harp-L] Ricci and the work

I think Jason is a great player. I enjoy his playing.  I like the style,
he's got soul and feeling and he is very technically advanced.
I can only take about an hour show before I get bored with the fast, high
energy thing.  But that hour kicks butt!  I do not think he is as innovative
as many seem to, but I believe he has found a way to popularize many ideas
that have been floating around for a long time and combine them in a new
way.  I think he is a very nice, humble person and a good teacher who
understands the importance of community.
 I also appreciate his openness about his lifestyle and hope it encourages
others to do the same about whoever they are.

So with all this, I have often wondered, why do we talk about Jason all the
time?  If there is anything Youtube, harp-l, SPAH, etc has shown us is that
there are loads of incredible harp players in the world playing technically
advanced, interesting, soulful music.  Why do we keep on talking about
Jason?

Because Jason has done the work.  He has put together (and held
together) a  band of great, nice musicians.  He has written the songs.
 He has learned to sing.  He has bought the equipment and learned to use it.
He has studied the masters both on record and in person.  He has played the
sideman gigs with some great artists.  He has put out the CDs.  He bought
the van.  He booked the gigs and played them, all 300 plus per year after
year.  He has bought the videocamera.  He has plastered utube with playing
and teaching.  He has run two large scale teaching seminars.  He has put
together the SPAH pre-convention show year after year.  You name it, he has
done it.

Now, there are older players, Wilson, Estrin, Harman, Musselwhite who have
done and continue to do the work.

Name me one other player 40 years old or younger who has done the work.

It ain't me, babe.
Michael Rubin
Michaelrubinharmonica.com
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