Re: [Harp-L] Don Les on Youtube

[Joseph Leone <3n037@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

On May 1, 2013, at 3:36 AM, Rick Dempster wrote:

> One thing I noticed about this video, is that Don's solos are pretty much
> identical to his recordings of the same tunes.

Correct

> This leads me to think that Don carefully built these solos, rather than
> just playing from the top of his head.

Correct. When Don was growing up, he lived upstairs of the bar/restaurant that his parents operated. And while he was supposed to be getting some sleep, he would lie under the covers, sometimes with a flashlight, and go over tunes. Once he found out that fast runs up and down the scales would work in certain ways, he pretty much stuck with what he could do to jam in as many (appropriate) notes as possible. I don't think he ever hit many inappropriate notes..according to the song structure, they all seemed to fit. :)

> No discredit intended; I've often considered that a lot of improvisation
> has been gradually constructed through many gigs and jam sessions.

For some this is true. 

> Some
> players are a little more conservative than others in 'blowing' - or not.
> Don's solos are beautifully constructed, whatever the case. I love those
> wonderfully timed grace notes.

Yes, I think that his timing was his long suit. His lips were virtually made of gutta percha, and you could see it in his bass playing. Especially on Fantasie Impromptu. 

> I notice that when diatonic players decide to get into 'jazz', it's usually
> by way of the later Miles Davis type of thing, and the reason for that is,I
> think, because it sound closer to a bluesy, modal thing, rather than
> swing-era and New Orleans styles, where you have to know all your chord
> arpeggios (which, of course, Miles and all his contemporaries did)

I agree. I never did that. I decided early on that I would follow the 'rag time' route. Quite different from the more modern approaches. Unfortunately the dixieland approach is passe..and HAS been for quite some time now. But I spent several years growing up in Italy and there was only 3 types of musics available. #1 Italian (too much mandolin), #2 Armed forces radio out of Heidelberg (big band), and #3 Eastern European (via Grundig short wave). The armed forces radio was mostly old stuff as the occupation army soldiers were all older career soldiers as the draftees had gone home. Cab Calloway, Fats Waller, Benny Goodman, etc.   

> No disrespect here for Miles and the 'moderns', but speaking of the legions
> of later followers of that style of playing, it can be a little like
> 'modern' (or 'post-modern', whatever the hell that's supposed to mean) art,
> where for a long time now, nobody has bothered to learn to draw or paint
> representationally.

I agree. A lot of players are following the 'do what is expected NOW' approach. I can't fault them as they are trying in earnest to appeal to the public. In some of the more traditional musics, the player will be closer to the basic modes, and not reaching out on the edges as much..if at all.  

> (sorry...spell check reckons that's not a word) even
> though the old 'modernists' cut their first teeth on being able to draw
> properly. Most of us (well, me) just end up being too bamboozled by
> technique and obliqueness to be able to judge if it's any good, or just
> 'amazing'.

Uh-huh, and you're not alone. I think it all comes down to that certain something. Some people have developed a certain something that is unique enough that we can appreciate it even if we don't fully understand it.  

> But I easily 'get' Don:
> 'Is Don; is Good'
> (an Australian joke- sorry northern hemisphericals)
> 
> Regards,
> Rick- I- hope- I- don't- regret- posting- this-Dempster
> PS Glad you Dug Don, Tony.

Well if you wind up regretting it, so will I. But in my arrogance, I don't think I CAN regret it. I liked Don. He could be very dry/hilarious. Spent many an evening in various diners in various towns. We ate glazed donuts and drank coffee. I thought 'I' used a lot of sugar. I wish I had HIS sugar contract.

smo-joe
> 
> On 1 May 2013 13:35, Tony Eyers <tony@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> 
>> Like Rick Dempster, I have a great admiration for Don Les.
>> 
>> http://www.youtube.com/watch?**v=JFNVTnfdi2c<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFNVTnfdi2c>
>> 
>> This video is the first time I've seen him live. I would love to have met
>> him. Not to be, of course.
>> 
>> What astounds me is what he achieved with 1st position. No tricks. Very
>> accomplished bending up the top, not many low notes. Impeccable taste,
>> timing and execution. I could easily take some years trying to figure out
>> his style, it would be time well spent.
>> 
>> Also, he plays a Huang Silvertone. I'm familiar with this instrument, and,
>> for a sub $20 diatonic, it is possibly the best thing going. But, imagine
>> if he'd been able to get his hands on one of the high end diatonics now
>> available. Better still, after it had passed through the hands of Joe
>> Filisko or one of the other great customisers. These terrific new
>> instruments, SO much easier to drive than their predecessors, would
>> doubtless have increased his palette even more.
>> 
>> Again, not to be. We can only imagine. Still, this video is a treasure.
>> Hopefully others will come to light.
>> 
>> Tony Eyers
>> Australia
>> www.HarmonicaAcademy.com
>> ...everyone plays
>> 
> 
> 
> 
> -- 
> Rick Dempster
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