[Harp-L] Famous Harmonica Players (John Popper)

[Rusty Wilson]

I recall some huge meltdowns over John Popper on harp-l back in the late 1990's, and I always found them entertaining.  My take on Popper is that he is a very skilled harmonica player who has developed his own sound and his own voice on the instrument.  He also elevated the profile and stature of the harmonica during the time he was making hit recordings.  It was illuminating for me to learn the harp parts and solo from the Blues Traveler tune "Hook" when the band I was in circa 2000 or 2001 covered that tune.

On the other hand, I understand how he rubs some people the wrong way...he rates himself as one of the top 5 harmonica players on the planet, for instance, and has been critical of other harmonica players collectively and seems to misunderstand the purpose of SPAH conventions.  Also, when he's not playing through his elaborate electronic processing rig, he may not achieve a full sound or rich tone.  Take a listen to some of his snippets of playing when he was a guest on the "Chewin' It" podcast...not pleasing to my ears.

But overall I'm cool with Popper and still occasionally listen to and enjoy his 1990's-era Blues Traveler recordings.