[Harp-L] Re: Doing the Impossible

[Richard Hunter <turtlehill@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

< Interesting story I heard on NPR about an amazing acoustic guitarist -
<unfortunately, I can't remember his name. The story goes that as a
<youngster, he was taken by a guitar recording (maybe on a 45 record) and it
<inspired him to learn it off the record, even though it sounded very
<complicated. Well, he eventually worked it out and it was a basis for his
<techniques. It was later that he learned that, on the original record, it
<was actually TWO guitar players playing. Since he didn't know this at first,
<he didn't realize that it was impossible to play what two guitar players
<played on one guitar, therefore, he figured out a way to do it - in essence,
<doing the impossible, because no one told him it was....

The guitarist is Boston-based Guy van Duser--he told me this story once upon a time.  The record he copied was by Les Paul, and it wasn't two guitarists playing, it was Les with an echo.  Van Duser thought Les was double-picking, and that's the way he learned it.  

Regards, 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