[Harp-L] Bela Fleck with Howard last night review

[michael rubin <michaelrubinharmonica@xxxxxxxxx>]

At the last minute I became aware they were playing my city last
night. Luckily there were still tickets available although it was a
big crowd.

Here is my backstory:

Rick Estrin showed me how to overblow back in 1988. He told me about
Howard Levy. I sadly missed a Flecktones concert at my college around
that year because I didn't know who they were.

Soon enough Sinister Minister was on MTV, and I put it together.
Somewhere in my tape collection (what I wouldn't do for someone to
gift me with CDs of all my old tapes) is the first two Bela albums and
along the way I got an Indian music CD called Odd Times featuring
Howard, I do not know the leader's name.

I became aware of the CD Harmonica Jazz as being his first big
introduction to the harp community and the first big breakthrough in
bringing overblows to the lay-harmonicist.
I didn't find that CD until a few years ago.

I had been to the Elkins, West Virginia Augusta Blues week three times
in my mid twenties (I am just about 42) and worked with Larry
Eisenberg who explained about how Howard had led weeks there with
advanced students.

I saw Howard multiple times at SPAH, backing himself on piano or
perhaps being accompanied by a small combo. I saw Howard give a few
seminars and sit in at the blues and jazz jams.

I had read the HIP interview of Howard and heard that recent radio
interview with Carlos Del Junco.

Here is my impressions before last night: Warning: My opinions are
sometimes harsh. I am a much less judgmental listener when the player
is not often considered the most important harmonica player of his
generation. If Howard is reading this, I have high respect for your
accomplishments and am a mere flea on a pimple compared to you.

The first two Bela albums are classic, good music, amazing harp work.
The Odd Times album is musical diarrhea, as is Harmonica Jazz.
However, in the context that Harmonica Jazz was the first real example
of high level overblowing diatonic jazz, it is amazing.

The live performances at SPAH always upset me. Although technically
brilliant, I felt he was showing off the whole time. He would play a
ballad, play two slow pretty notes and then speed demon for the next
two verses, then two pretty notes, then speed. I also felt as a
teacher, it was much more about him showing what he does and less of
how he does it.

The Radio interview upset me. He defines himself as the person who
discovered overblows. He might have discovered overblows without being
taught, but this is not the same thing. Blues Birdhead, Toots
Theilemans, Will Scarlett and Mike Turk were all documented by
recordings before Levy even started playing harmonica. Now, if Howard
were to define himself as the person who really showed the harp
community what overblows were about, I would go with that.

So, I walked in last night with a chip on my shoulder, but still very
excited about seeing a legendary band. Heck, even Wooten alone would
have been enough to get excited about.

But Howard surprised me. Although there was a lot of showing off, that
is an element of that type of music. What I also heard was lots of
pretty music, some bluesy with a bullet mic, bass harmonica, Long
swooping high notes, etc, plus some great piano work. I also felt that
Howard was a great supporting player and his work was much better
supported than when I heard him with other combos. I left feeling I
had seen a great band with Howard as a great team player.

The other players were amazing as well and they had a Nashville fiddle
player who I need to research, I did not get his name but he did a
percussion solo hitting the bow against the strings that blew my mind.
Michael Rubin
Michaelrubinharmonica.com