I just threw out all my harps as the harmonica world obviously ended
in 1973. I, nor any of my friends, stood a chance. Good news is, I
can pawn off all my gear and take the family out to dinner. I also
went ahead and threw out any CDs or mp3s I had with harp on them that
weren't from before June 15, 1973. No way anything worth a crap
happened in harmonica in the last 38 years.
On Aug 3, 7:27 pm, Mojo Red <harpli...@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Yeah. Rocket 88 is a baddass song, and Cotton delivers the goods as only
he
could.
Still, it's such a pleasure to work with equipment that doesn't fight you
(as
Cotton was dealing with onstage). I respectfully submit that this
performance
would have been that much BETTER if he had used a custom setup. This was
a
real-deal performance fer sure. But Cotton has always preferred his own
feedback-prone approach to playing directly into the PA (which
he admittedly kills).
Still... suggesting that "this is the best a harp player can strive to
get" is
utter nonsense. I think a lot of harp players touch their audience deeply
using
a variety of approaches to gear. Look at Madcat Ruth. Look at Dennis
Gruenling.
Look at Jason Ricci. Look at PT Gazell. Look at Howard Levy. Look at
Frédéric
Yonnet. Look at Adam Gussow, Wade Schuman, Brendan Power, Joeland Rick
Epping. All of these guys regularly make a deep connection to their
audience
through their harp and performing abilities. Each uses a different
approach to
gear. Each is amazing.
Leave some room in your harp-centric worldview for variety. You certainly
don't
NEED 20th century technology to make that connection. You DO need chops,
jutzpah, talent and an ability to speak through your instrument.
Harpin' in Colorado,
--Ken M.
________________________________
From: david robbins <drobbins5...@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: har...@xxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Sun, July 31, 2011 12:39:54 PM
Subject: [Harp-L] real deal harp
Hey, check out this
video:http://www.wolfgangsvault.com/james-cotton-blues-band/video. No
overblows, no
overdraws, no fancy technical licks, no crazy position changes, plain and
simple simple 2nd position, no custom harmonicas, no custom amps, no
custom
mics, no effects processors, obviously no feedback control. Just great
music
played by a real-deal harp player, musician and entetainer. This is the
best a
harp player can strive to get, in an attempt to touch an audience. Blues
or
otherwise.