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

[Benoît FELTEN <benoit.felten@xxxxxxxxx>]

I haven't gotten myself involved in a debate on a blues harp player in
close to a decade, so I thought I'd give this one a shot ;-)

First, when you say overrated, what exactly do you mean? If you ask the man
in the street, what will he answer ?

- "Huh?"

Junior Wells isn't rated. Sadly, in my opinion, but that's a fact of life.
You have to be not just a fan of blues but a bit of a scholar to know who
Junior Wells is. My suspiscion is that the question you're really asking
is: "isn't Junior Wells a bit of hack when it comes to harmonica technique?"

Then I'd say yes, you're probably right. In the same way that Muddy Waters
is a bit of hack when it comes to guitar technique. And Pinetop Perkins a
bit of a hack when it comes to piano technique. And...

You get my point. I think you're using the wrong yardstick to analyse a
music that was quintessentially not about technique. Sadly (in my opinion)
it has become much too much about technique, and guitar heroes don't help
in this respect.

Going  back to Junior Wells, his music, for the most part, enchants me. I
will listen to him over Little Walter any day. Not because I don't like
Walter, but because Wells (to my ears) was so much more than a competent
harmonica player. He had a distinctive style, both musically and
personally. He had a presence that carries over through his recordings. His
banter can be annoying at times, on some of the live records, but that's
who he was too...

Funnily enough, the really early stuff that I've heard mentioned on this
thread isn't what I like the most about him. Don't get me wrong, I love
Hoodoo Man Blues and I think that's the album when Junior became himself.
And maybe shed the technique for feeling and presence. All things
considered though, my favourite Junior Wells album and the one I keep going
back to is his swansong, "Come on in this house". It's warm, it's relaxed,
it's got a bunch of really hot young slide guitar players backing him with
respect and intensity. Don't get it for the harmonica playing: it may be
fine and characteristic, but it won't blow your mind. Listen to it on a
quiet saturday evening on the porch (if it's warm enough where you are) or
in your living room while you sip a bourbon, and you'll get it.

Benoit


2013/4/3 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.
>



-- 
Benoît FELTEN
www.benoitfelten.com
Analog Impressions <http://benoitfelten.tumblr.com/>