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

[The Iceman]

Personally, I don't see Popper and Wilson as similar at all. Wilson DOES play phrases or linear ideas (which can be considered mini-melodies because of their musicality).
I've hung out with Wilson and in discussing harmonica, he never talks "patterns" or "speed sequencing", but rather talks musicality, flow and power....
To my ears, what Popper developed mostly ignores the music/chord changes, etc, but is something he floats over everything with such velocity that they never connect on a truly musical level, but do impress due to the shredding speed chops....


-----Original Message-----
From: Boris Plotnikov <ploboris at xxxxx>
To: The Iceman <icemanle at xxxxx>
Cc: harp-l <harp-l at xxxxx>; jayfitting <jayfitting at xxxxx>
Sent: Thu, Jan 31, 2019 1:09 pm
Subject: Re: [Harp-L] Famous Harmonica Players (John Popper)

The trick is Popper and Wilson are kind of similar player in their appeoach. They don't play "phrases" or "melodies" most of the time, they are doing some kind of "flow" which works as a part of groove. Compare to Little Walter's or Garry Smith's who mostly plays phrases and melodies
чт, 31 янв. 2019 г. в 17:07, The Iceman via Harp-L <harp-l at xxxxx>:

I'll tell you one thing that is different in Popper's playing as opposed to, say, Kim Wilson's....
No one leaves a Popper show whistling/humming his speed sequential patterns and carrying them home with them...
It's one thing to be impressed by speed for its own sake and another to take what is played to heart, IMO.