Re: [Harp-L] Re: Powerbender

[Richard Hunter <turtlehill@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I haven't released a lot of recordings of jazz standards.  Among other things, I have to pay royalties on recordings of other people's music, which can be expensive, and I further prefer to promote my own compositions.  My first CD, "The Act of Being free in One Act", nevertheless contained solo versions of Duke Ellington's "In A Sentimental Mood", played on chromatic harp, and "Blue Monk", played on diatonic, both of which are standards.  

Various SPAH attendees have heard me play standards at a number of jazz jams, including this year's.  I was surprised to find that some of the people at those jams didn't know I played chromatic harp, though perhaps I shouldn't have been, since most of my performances center on the diatonic.  

My piece "How Long Have I Loved You," from "The Second Act of Free Being", which can be heard at http://hunterharp.com, is clearly a jazz piece too, and is accompanied on the CD by Jerome Harris, who has been playing guitar behind Sonny Rollins for close to 20 years.  My piece "Blue Hunter," which was inspired by trumpeter Cootie Williams's work on Duke Ellington's "Concerto for Cootie", is a 32-bar AABA composition with jazz changes, though I play it primiarly as a blues.

All that said, I don't think of myself primarily as a bebop or jazz harp player.  I do think it's important for every musician to be able to play something interesting over complex chord changes, and I work on it frequently.

regards, Richard Hunter 

-----Original Message-----
>From: Rick Dempster <rick.dempster@xxxxxxxxxxx>
>Sent: Dec 30, 2010 9:05 PM
>To: turtlehill@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>Cc: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
>Subject: Re: [Harp-L] Re: Powerbender
>
>Hey Richard;
>                   Having bought your book 'Jazz Harp' immediately after it was published in '80, I wonder where your 'jazz' recordings are. I love your post-Debussy type stuff, but I've neve heard you blow on a standard. Do you actually do the stuff you talk about in your book? By the way, I got a lot out of the excercises in the back of the book; wore the bugger out in fact....
>Happy New Year,
>RD in Oz
>
>>>> Richard Hunter <turtlehill@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> 31/12/10 12:03 PM >>>
>Eric Nielsen wrote:
>>On Wed, Dec 29, 2010 at 1:11 PM, Tony Eyers <tony@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>>
>>
>> Am I the only one who thinks that Ben Bouman is a %#*! awesome player?
>>
>> I share your opinion of his "%#*! awesome" playing. His skill as a
>>customizer may unfairly steal some thunder from his skill as a player.
>
>And his skill as a customizer is plenty %#*! awesome.  I've been playing a Seydel 1847 with country tuning customized by Ben for several weeks now.  Tuning stability, volume, responsiveness are all
>%#*! awesome.
>
>Regards and %#*! Happy New Year, %#*! Richard Hunter
>
>
>
>author, "Jazz Harp" 
>latest mp3s and harmonica blog at http://myspace.com/richardhunterharp
>more mp3s at http://taxi.com/rhunter
>Vids at http://www.youtube.com/user/lightninrick
>Twitter: lightninrick
>


author, "Jazz Harp" 
latest mp3s and harmonica blog at http://myspace.com/richardhunterharp
more mp3s at http://taxi.com/rhunter
Vids at http://www.youtube.com/user/lightninrick
Twitter: lightninrick