[Harp-L] Will Scarlett's place in the history of overblows

[Rick Dempster]

Nothing to do with pitch Tom. A 'single reed played in reverse' (ie and
over-whatever) sticks out like dogs balls from the rest of the harp.
If all the reeds sounded like that you'd bin it.
I've heard Levy live, I've listened to heaps of players using the
technique. discovered the technique for myself and used it for decades.
I embossed harps and had them done for me. There are indeed some wonderful
players using the technique, to whom I don't come near (see? I can swallow
my sour grapes)
If there is any  'sour grapes' it is over the failure of the Sub30 to be
taken up. I bought a few of your over-valve plates some years back.
I suppose what I should do is put out some clips demonstrating what I am
talking about.
It is not possible to build a harp without huge capital expenditure, unlike
string instruments.
Brass and woodwinds have a firmly established place, and have remained
pretty much the same for a very long time.
Diatonic harmonica needs to be popular, needs to establish itself in a
perfected form.
The day I hear OB/ODs used on a massively popular 'hit' record is the day
I'll eat my words.
Regards,
Rick Dempster

On Sun, 13 Feb 2022 at 02:33, Tom Halchak <info at xxxxx>
wrote:

> I am a little surprised at some of the comments that have been made in this
> thread.  Of course, everyone is entitled to their opinion – even me – and I
> mean no disrespect toward anyone but me thinks there is a bit of Sour
> Grapes going on here.  Readers may recall that Aesop’s Fable is about the
> fox who, after finding himself unable to reach some grapes he wanted to eat
> disparaged them as being sour.  Here is specifically what I am referring
> to.
>
> “I think they sound awful, and ultimately will do nothing for diatonic
> harmonica.
> Just my opinion.
> RD”
>
> I find that comment to be absurd. There are countless harmonica players
> that seamlessly and effectively incorporate Overblows and Overdraws into
> their music.  To say that these highly skilled musicians sound awful is
> pure nonsense.  OK RD, that is just your opinion.  I get it.  But….
> Really!?!?!  Spend even a few minutes on YouTube and it will put that
> argument to rest.
>
> On the subject of tone.  When a guitar player stretches his strings and
> bends a note, do we say he has bad tone because it is producing a note that
> is technically a quarter step flat or a quarter step sharp?  Or how about a
> saxophone player to produces the same effect with a slight change in his
> embouchure.  If Overblows and Overdraws “sound awful” because they are
> slightly off pitch, what about just about every draw bend and blow bend?
> How many harmonica players hit those tones spot on every time?   I guess
> that also means that we should get rid of glissandos because they are way
> out of tune and sound awful.  Are we saying that only people who play every
> note pitch perfect have good tone?  Are we also saying that chromatic
> harmonicas, because they are pretty much designed to inhibit bending,
> automatically have better tone that a diatonic harmonica?  I always thought
> that tone came mostly from the player and not the instrument itself.  The
> ability to manipulate pitch on an instrument or in one’s voice is called
> artistic expression.
>
> Lastly, I have had the opportunity to sit and chat with Will Scarlett, the
> initial subject of this thread, specifically about his exclusive use of a G
> harp in his Hot Tuna days.  Without putting words in his mouth, even though
> the music he created is/was historic, he has told me that it was probably a
> mistake to go off the deep end and only use a G harp.  We all go off the
> deep end at times.  If Will believed that using a G harp exclusively was
> the best way to go, he would still being doing it today and he is not.
>
> --
> *Tom Halchak*
> *Blue Moon Harmonicas LLC*
> *P.O. Box 14401 Clearwater, FL 33766*
>
> *www.BlueMoonHarmonicas.com <http://www.BlueMoonHarmonicas.com>**(727)
> 366-2608*
>