[Harp-L] Re: Casual Harmonica players...

["Allen Stratyner" <astratyner@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

          I loved John Mayall's playing from years ago on "Parchman Farm",
and when "Room To Move" came out it was very popular, and memorable largely
because of  Mayall's then somewhat unique, percussive approach on that tune.
I realize taste is highly subjective, but in my opinion John Mayall is
certainly not a harmonica dilettante.

       The most important thing to me when I listen to any instrumentalist
is what that person adds to the overall song. I've heard both technically
brilliant, and casual players whose approach to playing is mainly about
showing off all they know or don't know, and the song becomes secondary to
their self-absorbed ego nourishment. In my mind it's all about the "heart of
the song", and that is true no matter how technically brilliant or
simplistic the playing happens to be. I still remember as a kid when my Dad,
who was Dizzy Gillespie's CPA for many years, asked Dizzy what he felt makes
for a good drum solo. Dizzy explained that he much preferred thematic drum
solos that pick up on the melody and rhythmic feeling of the piece, rather
than those that were musically divorced from the song, and more of an
acrobatic display.
                                                                            
                                                                            
                                                                 My best,
                                                                            
                                                                            
                                                                            
 Allen