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

[Michael Rubin <michaelrubinharmonica@xxxxxxxxx>]

It's My Life Baby is great too.

I do think Junior was great, but he was inconsistent.  Some of his music I
enjoy and can hear true mastery, some it seems like he was phoning it in.
Michael Rubin
Michaelrubinharmonica.com


On Wed, Apr 3, 2013 at 11:30 AM, <cljdm@xxxxxxx> wrote:

> Try Hoodoo Man Blues. Classic! For me Junior's playing was tasteful with
> precise timing.
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> Chris Mastakas
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> ---- Original Message ----
> From: Dan Hazen <bluesmandan76@xxxxxxxxx>
> To: harp-l <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
> Sent: Wed, Apr 3, 2013 12:23 pm
> Subject: [Harp-L] Is Junior Wells over-rated?
>
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> 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.
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