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

[EGS1217@xxxxxxx]

Very nice post and synopsis, Smokey.
 
Elizabeth
 
"Message: 6
Date: Thu, 4 Apr 2013 14:07:06 -0400
From: Joseph Leone  <3n037@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: [Harp-L] Is Junior Wells  over-rated?




Bingo.... 

Sometimes, it takes someone  entirely outside of blues to give a 
perspective that is not biased. Inasmuch as  I am Italian/Polish, basically big city, 
and lived 8 of my first 18 years over  seas, I may (or may not) look at t
hings differently than most. 

Blues can  loosely be divided into 4 general areas of origin. #1. Delta 
blues. Take a  compass, open it to 250 miles, place the point in New Orleans 
and draw a half  circle around the bottom of the U.S. Color this green. #2. 
Heartland blues. Do  the same with the point in Memphis. Color this yellow. 
#3. Chicago blues. Open  the compass to 500 miles this time and make the 3/4 
circle in the top of the  U.S. (be sure to stay out of Canada..giggle). Color 
this orange. #4. West  Coastie blues. Open the compass to 750 miles this 
time, place the point in San  Fran. and make your half circle. Color this red. 

I had seen Jr. a few  times and he always batted 1000. No, he wasn't the 
flashiest. He didn't send out  a lot of quarks, quasars, nieu mesons and other 
ultra high speed particles of  Chernobyl neuclear material. But he WAS 
authentic. He was definitely Heartland  blues. His timing was impeccable and he 
did something few others could (or  would) do. He left spaces. Instead of 
bombarding you with overloads of notes and  causing your brain to fry, he gave 
your ears a break. Sometimes his playing was  sparse, but Jr. wasn't just a 
harp player. He was an entire package. Yes, his  voice was fine. He did 
sound a bit like James Brown. And his main aura was that  he could DELIVER a 
tune. And do it in convincing fashion. On stage he looked  like he belonged. 
Looked comfortable. 

Too many harp players nowadays  overdo it. They're either too busy or 
trying too hard to impress. What they  don't get is that playing from the heart 
will trump technique. Jr. was a bit  sloppy on his hits and runs, but THIS is 
exactly what they style IS. It's a more  primitive form. Based on the 
original Delta style. You DON't want to play too  cleanly. You play in a style 
that is actually ACHIEVABLE to other aspiring harp  players. Some of the worst 
stuff I ever heard Jr. do was when he was touring  Europe. The band was 
English. And although they were stunning musicians, they  lacked that certain 
something. They were too clean..too precise..too NON 'hash'.  The reaching 
INTO the chords was missing. The 'soggy bottom' sound wasn't there.  

So was Jr. over rated? Hmm, I would think that to be over (or under)  
rated, one would have to be rated in the first place. I never liked ratings. The  
entertainment industry is fraught with people whom are constantly telling 
you  what you should like, what you should buy, whom you should go see, what 
tickets  you need to get, what this and what that. The west coast dictates 
the music  scene. One out of nine citizens live there and the place is 
overloaded with  amazing musicians. They managed to push bee-bop into re-bop, into 
hard-bop. And  their blues? 

Me? I always considered Jr a second tier player. Someone  you would call if 
the first couple players on your list were unavailable. But if  you wanted 
someone who could hold everyone's attention, Jr. was your guy.  Frankly I 
would rather listen to him than most. Um, I better rephrase. I would  rather 
SEE him perform. 

smo-joe