Re: [Harp-L] Re: Toots preference for Eb & Bb

[Joseph Leone <3n037@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

At one time A was considered the 'radio key'. I take that to mean that it was the most pleasant key coming across a radio?
On this keys other than C thing. After Leo Diamond died (too young), my next super hero on chromo was one Richard Hayman. 
So I would study what he was doing and no matter how I tried, I couldn't get all the chips, chirps, squiggles that he used. 

Lo and behold, when I found out he payed an.... A chromatic ... it all fell into place. (disclaimer..not that I could ever sound like him).
Now here's a guy who was an orchestra leader for at least THREE  symphony orchestras. And major ones at that. Not some 'Zamboanga symphony',
nor 'Mars Pa. symphony', nor 'Staten Island symphony'. See, what I think is missing in this whole enchilada is the ingredient called Control.

A guy shows up at spah. He has a piano player backup. She has music. HE gave it to her. HE arranged it. That's control.
A guy gives a master class. He plays what the h e double hockey sticks he wants to play. Whose gonna stop him? That's control.
A guy shows up with a background disc. HE brought the disc. Control. 
A guy is giving a concert. He went over the program ahead of time. Control
A guy is working at the studio on a track. Control..even if it needs tweaked.

So? so when you're in control, that's good. 

So, here's the difference. We don't have that luxury. A guy shows up at a supper club. He has to be ready to play. That's what he's paid to do. There are 3 sets. approx. 10 tunes per set. That's 30 tunes.
There are guest artists. Some have brought family and or friends. THIS is their time to look good. At least 9 tunes will have a key change. So what's one to do? INSIST that the artist play in a key that the band prefers? No..no good. Tell them they can't play? No..no good. Make them look the fool? No..no good. 

Having music available only goes so far. Sometimes the piano player has something to work with. But everyone else is supposed to be ready to play. I have music books. You would have to carry 893 lbs 9 oz of books to cover what these people come up with. AND most music books don't contain the really GOOOOOOD stuff. Half of it is old dead beat to death crap. 

So, what I'm saying here is that sometimes you have to adjust. Because standing up there trying to read charts in the dark just looks stupid.  Being a side man in the real world is not as cleanly cut and dried as being in control.  sall I'm sayne

smokey joe




On Mar 14, 2012, at 4:38 PM, Michael Easton wrote:

> Toots told Mariam McPartland on her radio show, "Piano Jazz"  that his favorite key on chromatic was A.  He said it's very soulful.
> 
> 
> On Mar 14, 2012, at 3:29 PM, harp-l-request@xxxxxxxxxx wrote:
> 
>> Message: 4
>> Date: Wed, 14 Mar 2012 12:38:15 -0400
>> From: Joseph Leone <3n037@xxxxxxxxxxx>
>> Subject: Re: [Harp-L] Toots preference for Eb & Bb
>> To: harp-l <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
>> Message-ID: <10BB0134-0DEE-4DA4-AD9C-D1F64A70E99D@xxxxxxxxxxx>
>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
>> 
>> I went through my Warner Bros real books last night, after this subject came up. Jazz, & Standards. Eb position veritably DRIPS off of a chromo. So there's no reason not to use a C for Eb..And almost as good for Bb.. But early in his career, Toots was doing a simplified version of what I still do. Sure, he only used 1 other harp, and I use 4, but it's the same thing.
>> 
>> On Mar 14, 2012, at 5:40 AM, Steve Baker wrote:
>> 
>>> I assume Toots likes those keys because he's a jazz musician who was massively influenced by (and worked with) sax players. Many jazz tunes are written in those keys as they lay out well on the sax.
>>> 
>>> Steve Baker
>>> www.stevebaker.de
>>> www.european-music-workshops.com
>>> www.harmonica-masters.de
> 
> Take Care
> Mike
> www.harmonicarepair.net
> 
> 
>