[Harp-L] Re age at which you are no longer a young Turk

[Will Spear <will.spear@xxxxxxxxx>]

I think age is irrelevant. Howard levy on one end and guys like Jason Ricci on the other. 


The inherent value of innovation is how it and tradition increase each others value. Without tradition we have nothing to gauge the success of innovation and vice versa. 


There is no society without deviance and that deviance brings the examination of all things in either camp. 

Successful innovation comes from knowing the rules and when to bend them or break them. Without the firm tradition we'd have nothing to explore. 

Imagine a world where people played just the notes on the harp and didn't bend notes.

 I am proud to say in my own journey that the tradition drives my play. Yet the chromatic use of a diatonic is worth examining and the innovators young and old have my attention out of admiration of their skill and take on something as humble as blues harmonica. 

To make a comparison in the blues spectrum is something along the lines of buddy guy. A man who to this day is one of the most important guitarists who has ever lived. He learned to play first on the humble diddley bow routed in tradition of the poor southern blues musician and from his humble beginnings, he while firmly routed in his style influenced some of the greatest guitar players who are widely held as innovative such as Clapton and Hendrix. 

I guess what I am getting at is that sometimes it is important to be routed in tradition but that it is through that foundation that some amazing music is made that both antiquates and exemplifies how amazing that foundation is. 



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