[Harp-L] Re: Wonderful Internet

[Mikael Bäckman <harp@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Interesting topic!

Buddy Greene is without doubt a wonderful harmonica player, when  
playing country / bluegrass stuff, he is simply great, one of my  
favourites. But I can see Mr Bonfiglio's  point here, if you judge  
this by classical standards, it is not well played.

Many of us on this list have not listened to classical music enough to  
hear the difference, but there is so much involved in playing a melody  
really well, so much detail that needs attention. Something that takes  
many years to perfect, which Bonfiglio has done.

If you have listened alot to blues-harp, then you can probably hear  
and appreciate the nuances involved in, say, Little Walters playing.  
It's not just the notes, it's how he approaches the notes. Lots of  
tongue-slaps that are barely heard, but it wouldn't be the same  
without them. If someone were to play Juke with all the right notes,  
but no tongue-blocking techniques, it might sound great to someone who  
can't hear them anyway, but to the rest of us, it would sound like  
someone missing the point. Playing blues scale notes but lacking the  
tone and sound which is so important in blues.

I have personally enjoyed listening to Buddy Greene playing Carnegie  
Hall, just looking at how happy he is makes my day! (And he plays this  
much better than I could have...)

However, I think Bonfiglio has earned the right to critizie the  
performance for what it is; someone playing Bach in Carnegie Hall.

Just my 50 ore!

/ Mikael Backman

Mikael Bäckman
harp@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Floragatan 8
941 51  Pitea
Sweden
harp@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
http://www.myspace.com/johnhenrytrio
http://www.weinzatwork.com
http://ramblinminds.com/