[Harp-L] Harp-L Compilations - a different approach

[Ken Deifik <kenneth.d@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

At 07:30 AM 11/30/2011, Seth Galitzer wrote:
> Bein's as we are in the Age of the Internets, seems like it would make 
> sense to create a YouTube or Reverbnation channel (or something similar) 
> to host this.  I dunno if putting it on CDBaby would make sense or 
> not.  Of course, the tricky part is finding a benevolent host to manage 
> this and willing to turn it over when they depart.  The other tricky part 
> is handling the royalty payments for people who choose to do covers.

The last one that I knew about was done by Van Fischer - I think that was 
his name.  He put huge amounts of time and his own money into it and then 
didn't sell enough back to the list to make back his investment.  He wasn't 
trying to make a penny, just get back his investment.  He was pretty 
disappointed.  He was a very fine cat who worked his ass off on Harp-l V 
and got no reward.  He even mastered the comp, which was not cheap.

I was involved with a few, and even designed at least one of the 
covers.  The one Van did had two disks.  I include the listings below.

Even back then I thought it might be reasonable to just do these comps 
online - but there was no YouTube back in those old bearded days.

I believe there is no longer ANY reason to make a CD, or even a delineated 
group release.  Those days are over and done, but ESPECIALLY for a group of 
friends, as we are, who just want to share our ideas with each 
other.  There was never any sense that we were going to make a dime from 
these comps, it was just a fun thing to do.

Heck, the main reason it was exciting back then was so that we could hear 
each other's work, which is no longer a problem.

So the idea of a Harp-l YouTube channel is smack-on.  We've been uploading 
our tracks there and telling each other about them for a long time now.  A 
channel would be a fun - though fairly meaningless - way to pull our 
material together.

One of the problems with the CD comps, and this will seem heartless I'm 
afraid, is that music by professionals and accomplished amateurs was mixed 
in with some student work.  They weren't much fun to listen to, at least to 
me, until I ripped the tracks that had musical meaning to me and re-burned 
them together.

I suspect that this may have been why Van had such disappointing sales 
figures.  By the time the fifth comp was created it was clear that a 
democratic comp wasn't going to be alot of fun for anyone to listen to 
without culling.

Now here's an idea fer ya.  We might be able to create a website that'd 
link to YouTube uploads by Harp-lers.  It's not the hardest thing in the 
world these days to create a "Vote Up" system like they have on 
Digg.  There'd be two grades of uploads.  If you feel like your work could 
sit alongside Joe Leone's or Richard Sleigh's you're welcome to put your 
work on one list, and if you're a student who wants to get some critique 
put your work on the other list.

When Ken Deifik announces he's posted to the first list, anyone who cares 
to listen to it can then rate it on a scale of 1-10.  A back end system 
would then tally ratings and his track'd get a month on a Recent list, with 
current rating.  After a month maybe that track'd be moved to a comp list 
of EVERYTHING.  The highest rated recordings would be found up on top of 
that list.

FaceBook might even have apps to do everything I've just outlined.

Since nobody'd make a nickel from the endeavor, there would be no royalties 
to pay, either for sales or performance rights.  I'm not sure, but it's 
possibe that there wouldn't even be a requirement for obtaining 
licenses.  Nobody's making any money.  Just like real harmonica players.

YouTube serves the music for free, and if there are FaceBook apps to handle 
the voting, then that's free, too.  Dang.

I'm just throwing this out there.  If any of the owners of harmonica sites 
want to take this idea and apply it to their site, go for it.

That is, Harp-l's future is in some doubt.  But if it survives the loss of 
FJM we could do it out of here.

In any case, it's more relevant than making a CD, or even an online comp.

Here's the listing for Harp-l V (I believe).  There are fewer amateurs here 
than I realized.  There was actually alot of good work on it.

As a reward for getting so far in this long, windy note you can download my 
own contribution to the comp at http://fyels.com/gDx .  It's called Night 
Ray, and it's me on harp and guitar.

CD 1
1. Ryan Hartt - Rock All Night
2. Doug Burns - Messin' With the Kid
3. David Lipkind - Achin' Heart, Skin, and Bone
4. Van Fischer - Temple of Doom
5. Ken Deifik - Night Ray
6. Jesse Elliott - Recado Bossa Nova
7. Randy Singer - Gringo Harmonica Orchestra
8. John Thaden - Ashokan Farewell/Walked All The Way
9. Mike Will - Stormy Sea II
10. John Kally - Tone Zone #1
11. Bill Lifford - Lose My Patience
12. Tom Albanese - 300 Pounds of Joy
13. Ben Felten - Evil
14. Raymond Van Lienden - Roller Coaster
15. Allen Holmes - Footprints (SPAH Jazz Jam Solo)
16. Chris Michalek - Footprints (SPAH Jazz Jam Solo)
17. Richard Weintrager - Giboen's Wake
18. Jerome Blanes - Testing My Amp
CD 2
1. Steve Grimm - Can't Keep It Up
2. Daine Paul Russell - 15 Years
3. Bill Hunneke - It's Everywhere
4. Fred Stover - Stormy Weather
5. Sam Gravina - Theme from Reverie
6. Al Boehnlein - Military Medley
7. Tom Colvin - Too Many Cooks
8. Harmonica John - Find Me
9. Steve Webb - Streets
10. John "Chon" Sawyer - Trust My Baby
11. Ken Ficara - Mississippi Blues
12. Ed Vedock - Long As I Can See the Light
13. Rick Marsh - Hideaway
14. Scott Gold - Little Bit (feat. Mr. Yamada acoustic harp/vocal)
15. SPAH Jazz Jam - Footsteps (feat. Randy Singer, William Galison, Allen
Holmes, Chris Michalek)