Saw a few comments on James Cotton on another thread - some liked him, some thought he was second rate.
While not the most complex of players, there is no denying his power.
My whole approach and teaching method revolves around minimizing effort - breathing, not blowing for best sound.
Unfortunately, James Cotton kinda blows my whole philosophy of breathing for best harmonica approach out the window.
His sound is pure power - no finessing here.
What I loved about him was his kick ass bands in the 70's and beyond. Bit different than your normal shuffle stuff. His live albums are kick.
Recently, there was a project put out by House of Blues, using great session players and different vocalists/guitar blues greats on each cut. It is a 5 cd set, each cd plays the music of a different artist blues style - Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, Rolling Stones, Janis Joplin and one more I can't remember.
Cotton is the session harp player and plays acoustically. Man, even though it is a bit ragged (his age and all), it still really packs a punch. Pretty cool stuff.
I saw James Cotton two years ago in Seattle and was amazed. He had to be helped to his chair on stage where he stayed the entire set. However, once he started playing, he barely took a breathe in the next hour and a half. As Iceman and Billy Shines said, so much power - made chills run down my back. I like a lot of what he has done over the years. In particular, I like a number of cuts off his album "Deep In the Blues" from the 90s, I think one of the last albums he sang on. Husky voice and great harp with songs like "Dealin' With the Devil." Sensational. Oh yeah, I mentioned that I'd seen him on Harp_L, and someone commented on how he would do a flip off the stage which I couldn't believe until I read closer and realized he was talking about back in '69!
Last Edited by on May 31, 2012 4:04 PM
Most players couldn't carry Cotton's harp case. He has a distinctive sound. The tone, the power and the subtlety. His sound is almost immediately recognizable. Nobody else sounds like him.
He was a fine singer and bandleader. His bands have always been super tight without sounding over-rehearsed. He has always assembled top notch bands.
If you call yourself a harmonica player and don't like James Cotton, that's cool. If you call yourself a Blues harmonica player and don't like James Cotton, quit now.
See now that is a school of thought I have never subscribed to. You do not have to 'like' someone to appreciate or admire their talent level. For instance I think Prince is one of the most talented guys on the planet. But most of his music is just not my bag. That doesn't stop me from knowing and appreciating his talent level. Same with a lot of harp players.
I saw James Cotton at an outdoor festival a few years ago...He and his band were late...It was getting cold but we hung in there and waited because it was JAMES COTTON. So glad we did. I was standing as close as I could get with 2 of the best harp players in our area. We were knocked out again! Everyone says he's not a technical player...don't think he spends a lot of time practicing his scales. However, he hardly ever plays just one note at a time and it sounds great. Sounds simple and it is unless you want it to sound musical! Playing the harp is a VERY physical pursuit and he's still at it at 77 years of age....And still playing very physically! He gets my admiration! ---------- Music speaks where words fail.
doin flips off the stage was pretty standard then ive read witnesses say tina turner used to do back flips off stage in high heels. theres one beach blanket movie this band of skinheads doing surf rock and doing backflips. it was the standard then. way before stage divin and boybands. yeah backflips musicians had to go the extra mile then
One of my early inpirations and all time favorite albums to jam along with (which when listened to always made me want to pick up a harp and play), was - The James Cotton Band's "100 % Cotton".
To Michael's comment above, I find a lot of his riffs still embedded in my playing from those early years. Though, I still haven't mastered the high blow bends of "How Long Can a Fool Go Wrong".
"Boogie Thing", "Rocket 88", and the chatter breakdowns, like in... "And What Did I say to make you mad this time- !!! Bay- BEE?? "I don't know, I don't know." Great stuff.
I wore this album out long ago, but recently added it to my playlists again. Its great to hear those old jams.
Certainly not "second rate" from my perspective. But maybe, like tv news shows, movies, celebrities, and restaurants, ratings are important for the folks who actually do the rating. "I don't know, "I don't know."
i never heard any harp with as much human voice tone and beyond than J.C. one listen to "black night" gee how i hate to be alone ! song, and you will hear that personal tone that is much harder to assimilate than juke or any note laden harp song.the man is old now but in the 60`s his sound would shut you up ! and send you to the woodshed...
I basically agree with Michael Rubin and Joe L. Cotton has been one of my heroes and chief influences since I first heard "Creeper Creeps Again" at age 16 and saw him live a few months later. For many years his harp sound--the huge raw gleeful yelping sound--was the one I consciously modeled my own sound on, and at a certain point I realized that I was in danger of collapsing INTO that sound rather than finding my own sound.
I put him in the same exalted category as Big Walter. I don't think either of them had quite the melodic or harmonic breadth--the jazz inventiveness--as Little Walter, and it might be argued that in the last 20 years, Cotton hasn't actually played a new lick, but merely recycled the glorious and amazingly influential stock of licks that he came up with decades ago. Certainly I've heard nothing new from him in the handful of times I've seen him live in the past decade, most recently this past February in London, when I got the chance to play "Got My Mojo Working" behind him on stage. This isn't surprising. As players age, even great players, they often narrow, consolidate, distill.
But hey: what contemporary harp player DOESN'T know and treasure what he did with that particular song? He wrote the book that we still read--or a couple of key chapters in it. "That's when Muddy finally stopped telling me to sound like Little Walter," he told me in February. "When Mojo with me on it made a hit. Then he knew I had something. He left me alone. He let me play what I wanted to."
For anybody who doubts Cotton's mastery, I'll simply urge you to purchase and download "Creeper Creeps Again" off the 100% COTTON album. It's the best 99 cents you'll ever spend. You'll hear the huge distinctive sound, incredible swing, endless inventiveness (always guided by what the specific song requires), and stunningly error-free technique. It's seven minutes of blues harmonica perfection. The sound and song are, in fact, one hundred percent Cotton. They can't possibly be confused with any other player. There's no trace of Little Walter, Big Walter, Carey Bell, either Sonny Boy, at any point on the track. That's what genius sounds like: It sounds like one long harmonica effusion that proclaims "It starts here and is summed up here. Catch me if you can."
http://www.amazon.com/Creeper-Creeps-Again/dp/B001VZ6FXY
Last Edited by on Jun 01, 2012 4:48 AM
Cotton is King! I would feel guilty participating in a forum called "Dirty South Blues Harp Forum" if I felt otherwise.
Yes, he is powerful, raw, etc..but that does not mean he plays too hard or overworks the harp.
IMHO opinion his technique is outstanding to be able to sound like he does.
I love his raw power, but he feels it like no other.
Anytime I feel like I'm getting bound up in technique, harp choices, gear, etc..etc..and I need a reminder of what blues harp is all about..I watch this. Always worth posting again!
Cotton is King! I would feel guilty participating in a forum called "Dirty South Blues Harp Forum" if I felt otherwise.
Yes, he is powerful, raw, etc..but that does not mean he plays too hard or overworks the harp.
IMHO opinion his technique is outstanding to be able to sound like he does.
I love his raw power, but he feels it like no other.
Anytime I feel like I'm getting bound up in technique, harp choices, gear, etc..etc..and I need a reminder of what blues harp is all about..I watch this. Always worth posting again!
Last night I had Bluesville on and 9 Below Zero came on by Muddy. I hadn't heard his version before and instantly began guess as to who the harp player was. I thought maybe George Smith...until the solo. About two notes in it was so obviously Cotton!!!
I think it's a dangerous road to be critical of someone that plays the same instrument as we all do (and has been very sucsessful) to point out his faults! But I guess that is what forums are for! Rhartt put it as plain as it needs to be. James Cotton is a quintesential BLUES harp player! It's all feeling. I don't totally agree with everything Michael said about how he played, but none of us are perfect! What I mean by that is James Cotton had a terrible time with chord changes while improvising! On the songs that they worked out (like the creeper and the different versions of that song) and when he played short sweet solo's. He was perfect most of the time. If you listen closely pretty much everytime he stretched something out he would play through some chord changes that just sound like he should have moved but didn't! Now honestly when your playing the type of Blues he did. Most people don't give a shit about that. I spent 100's of hours learning how to play listening to Cotton's recordings. That was one thing that I learn just by hearing what he didn't do! Do I think that's a bad thing? NO! We all hear things differently! OK that was the only bad thing I can think of. It would take all day to mention the good things about his playing! His attack is exciting and powerful! He is a big chested man and plays deep from the bottom of his chest cavity. That's why he has that tone! He is a great tongue blocker! Unlike Little Walter, Sonny Boy and Paul Butterfield he could play highend bends very well! Too much to list and don't have time!
Chromaticblues I have never once noticed his problem with changes. Can you point it out, preferably on a link so I do not have to search thru my recordings?
Also, Sonny Boy (at least Rice Miller, who I assume you mean) is fine with the high notes. Check out Trust My Baby. He doesn't spend a lot of time up there, but he shows he knows how.
Last Edited by on Jun 01, 2012 6:51 AM
@ Michael There were many recordings that he was playing a warble and the key would change and it seemed like he was left behind. You don't have to go through your recordings. I don't really care that much! I'm not trying to prove anything! I just remember noticing that one day. Then noticed it on more than a couple recordings. Just for an example (I don't remember exactly), but if your playing a 4-5 warble and your in the 8,9 and 10 bar area of a song. To me it sounds like your playing along with the band if you move as the key changes. I do know it was always on the 4-5 warble where he did that. All I'm saying is that it sounded like he should have moved off the warble at the key change. Anyway he seems to be doing fine without my advice!
I'm familiar with trust my baby. To me it seems like everyone that has copied the song did it better than Sonny Boy IMHO.
Last Edited by on Jun 01, 2012 7:35 AM
To me, the notes in the root key's blues scale sound good no matter what chord you are on. 4 draw and 5 draw are both in this scale, they sound great thru the whole tune. But the feeling of them slightly changes as the chords change. By staying on the same notes, it is another way of playing the changes. It is a way of saying listen to how the same notes change in feeling as the chords change.
Although I think Kim Wilson does a very good version of Trust My Baby, I think Rice Miller's is better and importantly, original. I think it is one of the seminal songs for first position blues and I recommend everybody learn it. Personally I think Rice is the MOST technically advanced blues harp player ever. There are a lot of people who can imitate the two Walters and a lot of people who TRY and imitate Rice, but only a handful who come close. Still, I would be curious, who else does Trust My Baby? I seem to recall Junior Wells, but I am not sure. All imo.
Last Edited by on Jun 01, 2012 8:08 AM
I remember first seeing him in the early 70's at Joe's Place in Cambridge, MA, playing AND singing thru the amp he was using back then, and one of the first things I could see was how he could easily connect with an audience, and I've seen guys who, on a pure technical level, could run circles around him (like Litte Walter), but often could NEVER connect with an audience unless it was one that was comprised of 98% of them being musicians and that is a kiss of death for any player of any amount ability when that happens.
I can still see him doing The Creeper while turning a somersault and not missing a note at all, which blew me away. Classic showmanship, something too many musicians think it's below them, but what they don't understand is that it helps connect with the audience.
His slow vibrato is a very difficult one to learn, and it took me many months to get that down and the only player I've ever met who had that sound down could was NYC harpman Danny Russo.
Straight off the bat, he's a blues player, not a rock player, not a jazz player, not a classical player or anything else and what's right in one genre is often going to be totally out of place in another and far too many fall into the one size fits all category and often sound out of place in many of the things they attempt to do and the first part those guys screw up is groove and feel.
The band he had with Matt Murphy in the 70's, was the first all black blues band NOT to play far behind the beat, which is the traditional blues sound, and that band played VERY slightly behind the beat, and was pruposely done that way to get a larger and growing white audience following, which he had more than many other black harp players at the time and when he opened for many rock bands of the day, he was often notorious for stealing the show.
His vocal version of Bobby Blue Bland's Turn On Your Lovelight IMO blew away Blanbd's original just for the sheer gospel tinged energy alone. James was a pretty damned good vocalist before he messed his vocal chords up permanently.
HIs band prior to that which got recorded on the Verve/Forecast label was also another smoker with Luther Tucker and Bobby Gianquinto as well, tho playing more in the traditional far behind the beat sound.
I've got all 3 of those Verve recordings he made in the 60's including his original Creeper and Blues In My Sleep and they are something to listen to for both his harp and vocals as well.
One thing Cotton does have is a very distince overall sound and only two other players have a vibrato as slow or slower than he does and that's Howlin' Wolf and Junior Wells.
Hell, whenever you see many bands cover Mojo, you seldom see any harp players do the Little Walter solo from the original studio recording, but nearly always damned near close to note for note of the one Cotton did from Live at the 1960 Newport Jazz Festival with the chopping, very rhythmic approach to things.
Too me, he was always proof that the real deal in harp tone was always from you and your acoustic harp tone and NEVER from the gear and the tone he gets thruy the PA many players wish they could get with their amps. ---------- Sincerely, Barbeque Bob Maglinte Boston, MA http://www.barbequebob.com CD available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bbmaglinte
I want to add that, for me, James Cotton is one of the greatest blues Musicians (not just harp player). His work makes me feel the blues - not just hear it! His singing in the early days was great, and even just before he lost that ability (listen to Dealin With the Devil). Now, his harp playing and stage presence still gives that thrill. I am certainly not as qualified as many of you to comment specically on his technique other than to say I find his harp incredidibly powerful and evocative. And his stage presence is equally powerful for me - even now when he is confined to sitting in a chair during a gig (at least when I saw him). While not the same, he gives me the same thrill as watching Howlin Wolf. While you can argue about Wolf's harp playing - for me, subtle not simple - I doubt anyone would argue about him as a blues master. Rich
Last Edited by on Jun 01, 2012 9:51 AM
Pick up Muddy Waters' latter day Hard Again. That disc captures some of the most powerful blasts that Cotton ever laid down in the studio. ---------- Ricky B http://www.bushdogblues.blogspot.com RIVER BOTTOM BLUES--crime novel for blues fans at Amazon, Barking Rain Press & the blog THE DEVIL'S BLUES--coming Fall of 2012
My first Cotton experience was a double album of Chicago Electric blues in the late 60's. Didn't know who anyone was, but "Rockit 88" was the one cut I couldn't get enough of - James Cotton. ---------- The Iceman
I try to listen to some of his stuff on youtube every now and then. Like the link posted above here.
I believe he is great. I last about 20 seconds trying to listen though, because it's all very flat to my ears. Can't stand it. Seems like a cool and happy dude thought, and that's worth a lot. We need happy people!
Probably my favorite Cotton is the Otis Spann album "The Blues Never Die". It's actually the Muddy Waters band of the time (mid sixties) and Cotton and Spann split the lead vocals about 50/50.
"The band he had with Matt Murphy in the 70's, was the first all black blues band NOT to play far behind the beat, which is the traditional blues sound, and that band played VERY slightly behind the beat, and was pruposely done that way to get a larger and growing white audience following, which he had more than many other black harp players at the time and when he opened for many rock bands of the day, he was often notorious for stealing the show."
That's exactly why I'm not fond of the 100% Cotton album. Too Rock 'n' Roll for me.
"Straight off the bat, he's a blues player, not a rock player, not a jazz player, not a classical player or anything else" - BBQBob
I'm not sure how to define the difference between blues and R&B, but I actually think of him largely as an R&B player. 100% Cotton is my absolute favorite album, but I don't find it very bluesy at all. It's so upbeat and fun.
And to echo Adam Gussow: If you've never heard Creeper Creeps Again, go listen to it right now!
@BBQBob Hello :) You mentioned Cotton wrecking his vocal cords permanently, was this through blowing too hard/playing too often?
I don't play harp all that often now as it was destroying my voice, eating my depth, especially since I switched to TBing. I don't really have this trouble so much anymore but I'm afraid of jumping back into the harp too soon, play maybe maybe once a week live, rarely if ever practice.
That's weird Deck, playing harp should be easier on the vocal cords. Singing is usually much harder on the vocal cords. It's worth looking at your harp technique.
---------- www.myspace.com/markburness
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Last Edited by on Jun 02, 2012 4:46 AM
Here's a thing about R&B. The term, rhythm and blues, was basically a blanket category for black music in general that dates back to the late 30's that not only originally included blues, but goespel, hep harmony (like The Mills Brothers and The Delta Rhythm Boys) as well and later included soul music as well. Lots of blues players were on the R&B charts from the late 30's thru the 70's, so the term R&B is actually a very broad category.
Cotton wrecked his voice after throat surgery, much of it coming from many years of smoking, plus all of that being aggravated by years of playing heavily smoke filled venues for decades (and that's a reason why I LOVE all the anti-smoking bans here in the clubs in MA so you don't have to breathe that crap all the time and that crap also lands in your harps as well) and he attempted to get back to singing FAR too soon against his doctors orders and so he permanently damaged his vocal chords and it shows just how important taking care of your voice is and his smoking clearly aggravated things along the way and all good vocalists fear getting nodes on their vocal chords and tho the outcomes of operations removing nodes on the chords are better now, back even a decade ago, the lasting effects were potentially career ending for a lot of vocalists or anyone who makes a living mainly with their voices.
Truth be told, the average player often plays WAY harder than Cotton actually does. If you go to a vocal coach to learn what real diaphragmatic breathing is, you can actually get more volume and far better projection as well as better vocal tone that will easy turn into better harp tone using less force and also learn how to physically relax to tie everything together. If you play too hard, there is NO WAY IN HELL you're gonna be able to control the speed of the vibrato to get it as slow as his is at all or even be able to control the speed of his tongue roll/tongue flutters he also uses as well.
FreeWilly, if you hear notes you think may be flat to your ears, when that video was taken, the stock MB's he was using back then (and remember, there were NO SUCH THING as a custom diatonic back then) were all tuned to 7LJI back then. It sounds like you're far more used to hearing harps tuned to either ET or maybe some comprimised tunings and when I started out, very few diatonics were tuned that way, and now things are the other way around.
Blues has NEVER been soley sad music at all. Jump blues often isn't sad music, like a Big Joe Turner, as an example, so the whole thing about blues being sad music is such a totally screwed up and wrong headede label.
Dirty Deck, you may want to consider getting some breathing exercises from a good vocal coach because that will do more to help you along the way pluys learn relaxation techniques as well, and before you gig, avoid dairy products/products containing dairy products at least 2 hours before playing and to help ease things, best drink in the world for a vocalist is avoiding alcohol, and that includes beer, which is heavily loaded with salt and that dries your throat out a lot and does more harm than good.
Cotton always had a naturally raspy voice, but smoking may have been a part of it, but that's jsut pure conjecture on that. ---------- Sincerely, Barbeque Bob Maglinte Boston, MA http://www.barbequebob.com CD available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bbmaglinte
Last Edited by on Jun 02, 2012 8:26 AM
"The term, rhythm and blues, was basically a blanket category for black music in general that dates back to the late 30's that not only originally included blues, but goespel, hep harmony (like The Mills Brothers and The Delta Rhythm Boys) as well and later included soul music as well."
That's true on everything but the date. The term "rhythm and blues" was coined by Jerry Wexler in the late '40s when he worked for Billboard magazine. From 1945 to 1949, Billboard had a chart called "Race Records" that cover juke box plays and eventually sales in the black community. Wexler's "Rhythm and Blues" replaced the term in June 1949. So, yeah, "Rhythm and Blues" basically meant music popular in the Black community.
I did not know what the blues was when I saw Johnnie Winter in 1976 when I was 16 years old,and James cotton opened,and I remember having to keep quiet because most if my "cool" friends didn't get it.
I liked Cottons band the best,they swung jumped and grooved like mad,I guess the band drove hard really, and they dressed so cool and were so relaxed doing it.I agree that James tailored the approach of his band to appeal not only to whites,but to younger people in general.
It took a few more years but he was responsible for me getting into the blues in a big way.
I don't have near the knowledge of harp technique that many folks on here have,but I always enjoy his playing,and usually I can pick him out when I hear him.
Yep--it doesn't matter whether he blows thru a PA or an amp he still has that thick "Virginia Ham" harp tone. I'd like to get some of that before they come for me. As an aside--I once saw a Chromatic harp duel between him and Kim Wilson at a T-birds gig. Priceless.
100% Cotton is definitely an example of James Cotton's musicianship far outside of just harmonica for many songs on the tracklist do not feature as much harmonica if any clearly audible harmonica parts at all. It was his knowledge of how a "blues" worked and how to make what I think of as sweet and spicy music on tracks such as Fatuation and Fever on his 100% Cotton album. ---------- Hunger is the best spice.
This is good conversation, but I do have a fairly personal opinion of James Cotton.
He was one of my earliest influences as a harp player, and as such, opened to the door for me to all that he and other Chicago-based players had done before. I was just a scrawny kid in Pittsburgh in the early 70s trying to learn to play the harp, and thought I was pretty good...played some blues-influenced rock in some bands, and had heard and played some folk blues. I had even bought my first harp mic at that point (a NOS Astatic JT-30 that I still play).
However, I saw James Cotton Band a tiny nightclub in 1973 (I believe). He and his band were amazingly powerful, and he blew me away with his harp playing. Think, "Live and On the Move", as that was the same band. I also suddenly realized I had a hell of lot to learn about our chosen instrument, and really started to learn about, buy and listen to other great electric blues bands and harp players.
I think James Cotton is (the past tense doesn't seem appropriate even if he is bit diminished from illness) a great player with power, tone and perfect phrasing for the style of music he plays.
And, by the way, I've seen Jason play in tiny clubs a few times in the last several years and had that same damn feeling. The more I learn, the less I know. ;-)
Two things I can say about this. It is an art to be able to play loud and not blow out harmonicas. I know on this forum (sorry BqBob) it is the envogue thing to play with light breath. I learned and would tell every one to do the exact opposite! This is why! When you play live with a band you better be able to produce VOLUME! Many bands play loud. Too loud yes, but non the less loud. Now if you want to be able to deal with it and do well and not have to make excuses why you sucked last night! When you practice, play loud and hard untill you run out of breath. Stop and do it again! Keep doing it day after day. If (and I want you to) blow out some harps. You have to remember how hard you pushed it. When ever you blow one out just remember what you did and don't be affraid of the harp afterwards! You have to blow out harps to learn how far you can push it. If you learn to play like a little girl you will become good at playing like a little girl. For all female's out there that's fine, but if you want to play with power (whether your a little girl or not) you have to learn how to play with power! I use to refer to this as power harp! It is the exact opposite way that everyone else preaches! This is how you build your harp muscles. Now you shouldn't play every song this way and James Cotton didn't either. There was a song I use to do from JC that he recorded in the early 90's. I think the song was "Moanin' at Midnight" in E with an A harp. It was a more relaxed layed back playing. I like how he would incorporate chords in his playing also. "When it Rains it Pours" is another good example of good use of chords. He blows harder on that one, but I like that song becuase it's more about style, feel and one part he just plays the 1,2 and 3 draw chord to build tensoin. Just cool enjoyable playing! You have to be able to convey a soulfulness (IMHO) and that song is a great example of GREAT harmonica without a lot of notes! There are a lot of lessons in James Cotton recordings! Creeper creeps again! Honest I do! ect. ect. ect.
Last Edited by on Aug 13, 2012 6:05 AM
It may very well have been I who expressed something about James C being "second rate". That is namely my opinion of him (nothing personal, of course, and I´m pretty damn sure he´s not a member of this forum, and if, he wouldn´t give a rats ass what some guy thinks of him: he´s obviously done all right for himself through the years). Compared to, say, the Walters, from roughly the same generation I think he does not hold up. Now that´s an opinion. A few years ago when the topic was up (on Harp-l) Michael Rubin wrote me, quite civilly, thank you, about some aspects to consider when it came to JC´s playing (see his first post above). It took them to heart and listened to JC again (Spotify has a lot of him; I also own some of his records and I´ve been listening to Muddy Waters since about 1974), but my opinion still stands. He certainly has his strenghts, but those are not particularly to my liking. (I´m also not wild about Sonny Terry (gasp!) Jimmy Reed´s 2 pos playing (1st is mostly great) and there have been times when I´ve found Kim Wilson a bit dull (double gasp!!). Cotton to me is considerably lacking in the invention/fantasy, "melodic", department (ever heard a solo from him that doesn´t start on 4D?), that´s my top concern. Also his intonation is quite shaky at times -- maybe an effect of him hitting hard --; and his reliance on some repetitive patterns (e.g. video above) my be crowd pleasers, but to me they´re a bit cheap. Whatever.
The interesting thing is that some members of this forum obviously conceives of this as some kind of "lèse majesté": as a blues harp player I have an effing OBLIGATION to like James Cotton. Total crap, of course and that reflects both the immaturity of this kind of forum -- it´s more of a "Blues Harp Fan Club" than a place for debate (think of something corresponding: we have a forum about ... Romantic fiction and if you don´t like Jean Paul you´re a bastard and should be out!) -- as well as the tiresome stigma on the harmonica: since it´s such a misunderstood/despised etc instrument, we must be positive to all things harmonica. Well, I am not, and I think I´m not the only one. The notion on my part is that some dissent is a good thing, it moves things forwards and makes you think again and you can possibly avoid some clichés in your playing as well as in your intellectual outlook. (And no, I´m not talking about the mindless trolling those Youtube morons spend their days with.)
This was not particularly well put, sorry ´bout that, but I´m on the move and let it stand.
With good breath control, something most players never develop at all, you can actually project quite well in terms of volume without blowing out harps left and right, which is what I've been trying to get across all along. Most players who play too hard don't project well at all and their volume is actually much lower than someone who has developed good breath control and with breath control, you get more volume with much less force and straining, and it's also a big reason why I recommend EVERY harp player go to a reputable vocal coach just for the breathing and relaxation exercises alone because most guys who use too much force usually close up their air passages pretty significantly and so most of the breath is being wasted, plus they only use the top 1/3 of their actual lung capacity and opera singers can often get huge volume WITHOUT huge force and straining because learning good breath control and relaxation is a HUGE key to it all coming together and the very same thing applies to harp. Cotton's tone is deep because the air passages are much more open than the way most people tend to play and so it gives the effect of seemingly playing harder without really doing so, yet project forcefully. ---------- Sincerely, Barbeque Bob Maglinte Boston, MA http://www.barbequebob.com CD available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bbmaglinte
With many players it is an optical illusion - it appears that the player is blowing their brains BUT in reality - it is the (amplification that is carrying the power and weight) of the players excellent LIGHT breathe control.
One way to tell if a player has their breathing under control is when they finish blowing a difficult harp solo that appears to be using alot of power and alot of breathe is when they are done they are not out of breathe and can talk normally with out huffin and puffin and can rip into another song immediately and easily.
Playing hard ( blowing or drawing ) hard with force when playing the harmonica is notorious for being a tone killer...
Last Edited by on Aug 13, 2012 10:27 AM
i once had a night early on in my live music career where i wrecked 4 of my 7 harps. i had no spares and as i would kill a harp i would lean over the the leader and say "ok, play something in _____" until i was reduced to playing in like B and D. that was a hugely overloud band and i had no clue about dynamics or making an amp do the real sound reinforcement. many years later i have learned a bit. first is to play with more control and less wind. it's like Bob says, the key is control. second, the amp and mic or p.a. channel you are graced with is there specifically to boost signal, whatever that signal may be. hopefully it's a good bit of harp playing.
i would gladly jam with Cotton just to have my ass handed to me and learn something new. if you listen to a lot of his work in the background with Muddy you hear stuff nobody does these days. true rhythm harp parts that i for one have never been able to duplicate. he just sort of flutters around in the background and is so effective it just blows me away.
Cotton got into the business very young and took a different path than a lot of hap guys. aside from his excellent work with Muddy he has always been a great leader and arranger of material.
there is no one quite like him and i hope he has many many years left regardless of what he may or may not put out. he's to me one of the few real elder statesmen of blues we have currently. ---------- http://www.reverbnation.com/jawboneandjolene
You've got to give James Cotton credit for having such a distinctive style. I wish he could still sing... I thought he had a great bluesman's voice.
I saw him play once at Tramps in NYC (I think Satan and Adam may have opened up for him, can't remember if it was that show or another Tramps show I saw them), and at the time I thought James was awful. He appeared to be really drunk, could barely speak, and I was very disappointed at the time. He was definitely not sounding like his "Live... Mr. Superharp" album that night, that's for sure.
I've since come to appreciate him much more and love most of his stuff.
@ Frank OK I'm not trying to single you out. You are just the one that posted what you've been force fed! There is a big difference between light breath force and breath control. I and many other people that can play the harmonica at a high level can play hard without losing control. I'm not saying you should do it from the the first note to the last. Playing dynamically is the key! When you can play hard to top a statement off. It sounds like you mean business! Sometimes it works good when you play a short solo to nail the whole thing. My point is James Cotton and other people can play loud and soft. You can't play LOUD with light breath control! When you play with light breath force, relax and open up you can get real nice sweet tone, it is also very possible to play relatively hard and get tone!
