Subject: Re: [Harp-L] need some recommendations: diatonic instrumentalists

[EGS1217@xxxxxxx]

Ah, but Rick...if you'll notice he said he was 'familiar with', not that he 
 actually PLAYED Blues. Big difference.
 
I gather that Eric (as a fairly new player), does NOT want to go down the  
Blues route.  Many people don't, even if we love listening to other people  
play Blues.
 
Since you cited Smokey, you should realize he's not at all a 'Blues' player 
 either. His leanings are much more towards 50's/60's style Country music,  
Doo-Wop, Rock 'N Roll and Jazz (and everything in between). His tastes  
range from Jimmy Reed to Steely Dan to Simply Red (Mick Huxnall), the  Everly 
Brothers and Jazz from the 20's to Gypsy Jazz violin. Now THAT's diverse.  ;)
 
For Eric: I'd suggest NOT playing all that everyone else does on  
Harmonica. You might want to listen to Sax players--or piano/guitar.
 
Get a few CD's of what the studio-type Sax musicians play for 'Moonlight'  
or 'Candlelight' listening. I have some of those and the range in songs is  
amazing and audiences love them. There are some superb musicians out there 
you  can play along with (or over piano/guitar).
 
 
I'm personally partial to Bob Seger and the Eagles (play their music on  
chromatic, as does Danny G) and R&B of the 70's. It CAN sound  great--my 
neighbours think so when they heard me a couple of weeks ago for the  first 
time..and told me they had no idea anyone could play 'that music' on a  
chromatic. So I've won over some fans who only knew blues harmonica before.  Danny 
uses Band-in-a-Box, I prefer other backing tracks. It's all good. Find  what 
music YOU like best because it will make it all that more pleasurable to  
play, and then the instrumentals to back you up. Hal Leonard's book/cd's are a  
good source AND there are NO copyright issues--the big plus: you can even  
use them to record with. I have a huge collection now and all who've heard 
them  think they're great.
 
Elizabeth
 
PS: I buy the CD's to download through ITunes onto my Ipod. Learned to use  
an Ipod from Ron Kalina--a great Jazz chromaticist/pianist. I prefer buying 
 the whole CD to keep the artists surviving, and because I can then  take 
it where an Ipod isn't workable and still have the music if  my IPod ever 
crashes.
 
PPS: I DO still love Summertime--it never feels old. Also Georgia.  
Anything by Ray Charles is great.
 
"Message: 8
Date: Sun, 15 Sep 2013 23:17:46 +1000
From: Rick Dempster  <rickdempster33@xxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: [Harp-L] need some  recommendations: diatonic
instrumentalists
To: Eric Miller  <miller.eric.t@xxxxxxxxx>,  "harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx"
<harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>, _bloozeharp@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 
(mailto:bloozeharp@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx) 

Eric,
I find myself wondering why, as a guy who is ".. mostly  familiar
with the
well known blues harp players from the Walters to JR and  all points in
between" (I'm not sure about "all points in between") you are  so keen to
go directly to playing "modern". But it's a trend I've noted for a  long
time among blues players.
If I were to advise a diatonic Richter  system player, with a background of
playing
blues, wanting to play any  kind of 'jazz' how to proceed, I'd say learn
your scales and  chord
arpeggios, learn the 'standards' - a lot of modern stuff is based on  the
changes of
'standards' - and listen to all jazz, from, 20s on.
I  think a lot of the attraction for harp players to the 'modern' is that  
it
sounds modal, and
apparently open ended. I hear a lot of people trying  to play mod. jazz on
the harp, and
most of them clearly know nothing about  the harmonic underpinnings. All
'free'.
I'd start by checking out Blues  Birdhead, Rhythm Willie, Gwen Foster and
Don Les for starters.
Then  there's Howard Levy, of course, to come up to date. Philip Jers, is
someone  who
has impressed me, both on diatonic and chromatic. There's a cat  in
Nashville Tenn., whose name escapes me, but is well worth a  listen
....ah..is it Bergerson? Joe Leone's diatonic playing is worth  checking out
too.
(His chrom playing ain't bad either, but that's  off-topic -just in case you
read this, Joe)
But maybe you are ahead of me  anyway?
Cheers,
RD



On 15 September 2013 04:43, Eric Miller  <miller.eric.t@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> Hey all..
>
> I'm  trying to build a repertoire of instrumental songs for live 
performance
>  on diatonic. Songs like Summertime and St. James Infirmary are "sort of"
>  in the vein I'm looking for, but hoping to get turned on to something  
more
> modern than Jazz standards. Jimi Lee and/or Brendan Power have some  stuff
> that's very close to what I'm looking for...
>
> I'm  relatively new to the harmonica world, and I'm mostly familiar with 
the
>  well known blues harp players from the Walters to JR and all points in
>  between, so I don't really know where to look for this kind of music for
>  inspiration/learning.
>
> Who are some well known diatonic  performers who are well known to 
produce a
> good quantity and quality of  modern instrumental music on the diatonic,
> that would be suitable for  building a live performance repertoire?
>
>  Thanks."
>