Fwd: [Harp-L] Re: Is Howard Levy the most technically advanced harmonica player?

[Grant Walters <grant@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Begin forwarded message:

> From: Grant Walters <grant@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Date: May 6, 2010 9:58:09 AM PDT
> To: michael rubin <michaelrubinharmonica@xxxxxxxxx>
> Subject: Re: [Harp-L] Re: Is Howard Levy the most technically advanced harmonica player?
> 
> Glad this came up....
> Interesting how some of us learned the 1st position high notes
> from a little book by Richard Hunter about Jazz Harmonica...
> It brought up the great Stevie Wonder...
> "boogie on reggae woman" 
> After studying this passage
> I went back to my James Cotton..which was one of my favorites
> and was able to better control all those notes hanging out at the top
> blows and otherwise.....And Reed...that's right...
> 
> What goes around...
> As far as Levy goes..
> 
> Once, after playing for 5 years on stage... I felt like I was the a harmonica failure.
> I was sitting at home with a new baby..playing house husband..between work shifts...
> and had quit the band to better keep my head above water.
> I plugged in a CD of music given to us at the baby shower.
> "Mail myself to you" kind of folky nursery rhyme thing...
> 
> Soon I realized, even the guy on the kids album was better than I was...very upsetting.
> The tone was perfect...no effects...matched John McCutchen's  great singing and arrangements perfectly.
> The guy was a monster and he was on a kids album....
> I wanted to cry....
> 
> A week later, I looked at the back of the CD...it was Howard Levy...
> I have had the experience many times since...hearing him with Bela Fleck...
> Hearing him live at small clubs in a Duo....(amazing).
> Take a look at the range of his work...wow.
> 
> Even if he is not your cup of tea...you have to hand it to these guys who can excel 
> in so many formats....(can he sing too).
> 
> Even if he only played keys..I'll bet we would have heard of him....
> How about..."best ever" at what he does...that's fair enough...there is enough love left 
> for the rest of the greatest players we all love...
> Should we take lessons? ...Sure why not... next best thing to hanging out with the best.
> I do like the idea of studying other guys...(mark Hummel says he  listened to various horn guys).
> Take it all in...Breathe it in...and then blow...
> 
> Oh yeah...Don't forget Norton...he could do it all too.
> 
> Grant
> 
>> Saved in part from previous thread
>> "High note 1st position blow bending control.  When pointing out the real
>> deal for this style, very few names come up.  Reed, Horton, Cotton.  There
>> are some great other players, Kashmar, Wilson, Wonder, but I think Cotton is
>> in the top three."
>>> 
>>> Michael Rubin
>> 
>