[Harp-L] Is Junior Wells over-rated?

[Dan Hazen <bluesmandan76@xxxxxxxxx>]

Hey everybody. I'm not wanting to start a firestorm of disagreement, just
wanting others' heated opinions on the subject (ha-ha). For several years,
I've tried to listen to and appreciate Junior Wells, but apart from his
playing on the old recording of Messin' with the Kid, I just do not
appreciate his playing. His singing is okay, but his playing (please
forgive me) seems like a lot of sloppy chord work to me, though some of his
syncopation and 'pops' are good. If you appreciate his style, and have
particular songs or youtubes that you think are great, I would like to know
about them, because so far, whenever I hear him play, I think, "meh." I
want to like him, but just don't. I've read elsewhere (can't recall where)
that he tried to claim he wrote 'Juke' and Little Walter stole it... a
claim I find ridiculous, as it certainly doesn't sound anything like the
other examples of Junior's playing I have heard. In fact, I wonder
(tongue-in-cheek, folks) if he played the harp on that recording of Messin'
with the Kid, since it doesn't sound like the other examples of his playing
I have heard. It's fast, furious, precise, rolling... I like it a lot. The
little bit of chord work towards the end of the solo is right on. But I
have yet to see a live version of the track in which Junior plays like he
did on the recording... parts of his live versions sound similar, but
chords are way off... as in this version:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJhCmvMV3sU  which contains one of the
longer examples of him soloing, but it definitely is not like the
recording... chords are way off to my ears. Great singer, but mediocre harp
player???
Humbly yours,
Troublemaker Dan.