Re: [Harp-L] Re: Looking for new ideas

[IcemanLE@xxxxxxx]

I useta think of blues music as primitive, back when I was studying jazz  
and caught up in elitism. Then, I watched videos of ODBG performances (at the 
 first Centrum Port Townsend Blues Week). I was impacted by the raw emotion 
which  turned off my intellectual brain temporarily. When I came back down 
to earth, I  realized that blues was complex - but from the gut complex 
instead of "heady"  complex.
 
Also, I began to see the simple chord progression as a challenge in which  
to become creative rather than a limitation. Personally, I started to push 
the  boundaries and go "out" a bit in my interpretation, but artistic license 
is a  good thing. Luckily, I connected with a lot of audience as well as 
alienating  some of the blues purists - and, this music sure welcomes the 
harmonica as an  integral part.
 
Primitive? perhaps in the evolution into the 21st Century in which brain  
power and communication is king, this music may be perceived as primitive.  
Limiting? not at all when exercising one's imagination.
 
For instance, at IAJE a few years back, after days of BIG BANDS BLASTING  
contemporary arrangements, fusion groups playing millions of notes, everyone  
into the cerebral aspects of jazz, one of the BEST sets and one which 
definitely  had a different impact and all encompassing feel on the audience, was 
Stanley  Turrentine playing blues w/organ trio. As has been said before, 
one note from a  competent blues artist sure spoke truer than a flurry of 
notes from a  woodshedding technician intent on speed chops.
 
Larry
 
 
In a message dated 7/15/2009 8:36:36 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time,  
ravivona@xxxxxxxxxxx writes:

I  certainly don't think of blues music as primitive, but to each his (or 
her)  own.
Bob

**************Performance you need and the value you want! Check out great 
laptop deals from Dell! 
(http://pr.atwola.com/promoclk/100126575x1223081934x1201714279/aol?redir=http:%2F%2Faltfarm.mediaplex.com%2Fad%2Fck%2F12309%2D819
39%2D1629%2D4)