Re: [Harp-L] Grégoire Maret

[Michael Rubin <michaelrubinharmonica@xxxxxxxxx>]

Winslow,
I do not believe Larry is talking about 10 years ago.  Although Maret
played 10 years ago, which I remember clearly because it was my first SPAH
and he impressed me.  Larry had already left SPAH by this point.  I believe
this to be true because I had previously studied under Larry at Elkins West
Virginia Blues Week multiple times.  Whatever you may say about Larry, he
is unforgettable and recognizable.  I would have known if he was at my
first SPAH.
Michael Rubin
Michaelrubinharmonica.com


On Tue, Oct 1, 2013 at 5:00 PM, Winslow Yerxa <winslowyerxa@xxxxxxxxx>wrote:

> The Dallas SPAH you're referring to was 10 years ago, while IAJE went
> belly-up five years ago, so you're talking about old experience.
>
> Musicians evolve and develop - at least the good ones do, and Grégoire is
> no exception. I agree that his approach is cerebral seeming. But when I saw
> him in San Francisco a few months ago, his playing was lyrical, passionate,
> and even at times ferocious. Clearly he's evolving.
>
> By way of comparison, Toots was an exciting, fast, and even showy player
> for much of his early career (1940s-50s) . His fame as a ballad player
> didn't develop until the beginning of the 1970s. In other words, the
> expressive side of his playing took decades to develop and mature.
>
> Perhaps we'll see a similar progression from Grégoire. I'm already seeing
> the evidence.
>
> As for the onslaught-of-notes thing, his latest CD features very little
> fast playing. It's all about the orchestration and the total ensemble sound
> (and the connections between the series of pieces) - much of it is quite
> lush.
>
> Winslow
>
> Winslow Yerxa
> Author, Harmonica For Dummies, ISBN 978-0-470-33729-5
>             Harmonica Basics For Dummies, ASIN B005KIYPFS
>             Blues Harmonica For Dummies, ISBN 978-1-1182-5269-7
> Resident Harmonica Expert, bluesharmonica.com
> Instructor, Jazzschool for Music Study and Performance
>
>
> ________________________________
>  From: The Iceman <icemanle@xxxxxxx>
> To: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
> Sent: Tuesday, October 1, 2013 2:27 PM
> Subject: Re: [Harp-L] Grégoire Maret
>
>
> I'm sure he can play beautifully, but what I heard live at SPAH in Dallas
> and also at an IAJE Convention was a lot of notes flying around.
>
>