Recently there was a thread on examples of Modern Blues Harmonica. It concentrated on contemporary players playing blues tinged with other styles, but there was little focus on the instrument as such. To my mind, the way to renew old styles like Blues on the harmonica is to start with the harp itself. If the harmonica is capable of more expression, then you can get MORE blues, and NEW blues, out of it!
Advanced overbending is one way to achieve that, and extra-reed harmonicas are another. 30 reed harps give you 18 easy bends in Richter tuning, instead of only 8 on a stock harp. They open up the harp to all kinds of new approaches, allowing the player to escape (or at least augment) those tired old blues-harp clichés we all know and love so well.
As an early example of what's possible with this fresh expression in a Blues context, check out Christelle's new video of a 1st Position Slow Blues:
She's playing an X-Reed C harp in standard Richter tuning, with our OverValve Plate, Full-reed Embossing and the BlueX red alloy comb. Go to www.x-reed.com for more info
Christelle has great chops and emotion, but I think she would be the first to say she's not a Blues specialist. However she is showing how 1st Position can work great for Blues all through the range on the 30 Reed harp, not just the top and bottom octaves.
It's different and it's fresh, Modern Blues Harmonica personified. She's blazing a trail that others - including dyed-in-the-wool Blues purists - can follow.
It'll probably take some time though, as the conservatism of the Blues harp scene is pretty entrenched. Often the mark of a good modern Blues player is how well they reproduce what's already been done. I find it hard to get excited by that approach, but it has many adherents.
It's ironic, because the guys who are being copied to death were true innovators! They tried the new gear of their time, and created new sounds. I'm pretty sure that a restlessly creative player like Little Walter would grab this harp with both hands and make some amazing music with it - maybe closer to the Louis Jordan swing style that he loved.
problem is, it would never sound so good as this in my hand.. Christelle is arguably the top player of melody on harmonica active these days.. you could not find anybody better to show of the attributes of that harp!
Very nice! Thanks for sharing that, Brendan. I agree wholeheartedly with your sentiments--about entrenched conservatism, and also about Christelle's playing here. She's got a beautiful pure tone and superb control. Lots of melodic ideas.
I'm going to make use of the X Reed website shopping basket when it comes back online on the 10th...
Thanks Brendan. Sold! (but can I order Manji coverplates and a BlueX chrome comb?)
Christelle uses melody as the starting point in her solos which is is something sorely lacking in many soloists on many instruments. Not that there are any rules as such, but I feel the melody can make a great intro for what a solo is trying to say and also keeps an anchor for the musician to return to if they stray too far away from the point. Bart's rendition of Now's The Time has the same quality.
Superb as always Ms Berthon. It would be nice for you to visit here again sometime.
Last Edited by Stevelegh on May 07, 2013 10:47 AM
I agree that Christelle is not primarily a blues player, and this video does not show her in her best light. I also agree that she is an inspired and profoundly gifted musician. All hail Christelle. One more agreement: it's too bad so many players hold the highest value in copying the great innovators ad nauseum, instead of aiming to find their own creative voices. Ironic, indeed.
Damn, go back and listen to her play La Vie en Rose. Boy can she ever play with feeling. Totally invested.
Last Edited by Chickenthief on May 07, 2013 8:13 PM
Apparently I should clarify my above post.I definitely was not talking about Christelle when I spoke of players not finding their own creative voices. My God, she clearly has hers. And, the above video isn't the best she does, by far. We've all seen that in some of her previous videos on this forum, which have been, in my humble opinion, much more revealing of her gifts. And I don't personally see those gifts as being primarily in the realm of blues. I think she's got much more going for her than that. No offense to anyone.
