Re: [Harp-L] Little Walter is overrated

[Joel Fritz <williemctell@xxxxxxxxx>]

Obviously a matter of taste.  LW was a flat out great player.  His 
phrasing and attack are as good as anything ever done.  There are 
trumpet players who are technically superior to Louis Armstrong too.  
Charlie Christian wasn't a technical freak on guitar.  John Coltrane's 
playing wasn't about pushing the limits of technique.  LW could swing 
and had a subtle way of making the same riff sound new 4 bars after 
playing it the first time.

Not that it matters, but I'm not that big on Sonny Terry.  Terry was 
good but he got in on the ground floor of the folk boom (before WWII) 
like Josh White and got quasi-mainstream recognition long before LW.  
Buddy Moss could play harp as well and made most of his records playing 
guitar.  I'm more partial to Noah Lewis, Jazz Gillum, and several of 
Terry's other contemporaries.

---- Fred <fssharp@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> > Ok, I've been on harp-L since the mid 90's.  Love the list.  It suddenly
> > occurred to me that Little Walter is overrated, I have the complete LW CD
> > set.  Like some of the tunes.  Some good harp playing.  I guess it was
> > innovative at the time.  Compared to what the folks on this list are doing,
> > not so much.  Case in point:  Chicken Shack.  A quick YouTube search found
> > an awesome version by Paul Harrington.
> >
> > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTa9y6rWdsA
> >
> > I was pointed back to the Little Walter version.  No comparison.  Paul kicks
> > butt. Yeah, LW was a pioneer.  So was Daniel Boone.  So what!  Am I missing
> > something?  Personally, I like almost all contemporary players better.  Just
> > because he was the first, does that make him the best?  Sorry, I don't get
> > it.  Give me BW, Butter, Slim Harpo, Sonny Terry anytime.  I just think this
> > guy is over rated.
> >
> > Fred S