BT has a new album out. I listened to it twice this morning. It is a collaboration album and sounds very contemporary. It does not sound like typical Blues Traveler. It is ok.
I feel in the last two years I've really learned to play his style at his speed...but he plays way too much in E!
The harp on the album is pretty in line with how he plays when guesting on albums...not his solo work but when people want that specific Popper flurry of notes. The songs are very interesting with great progressioms, but no groundbreaking on harp. ---------- Mike My Website My Harmonica Effects Blog
My feeling is that Popper sounds better than he ever has,like he's found an interesting ways use his speedy facility.certain ly his attack is on the money and his phrases build to some interesting improvs.his playing has turned a corner for me. Bully ---------- Ted Burke __________________ ted-burke.com tburke4@san.rr.com
The album is on Spotify and Youtube if you want to check it out. https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=blues+traveler&search_sort=video_date_uploaded ---------- Mike My Website My Harmonica Effects Blog
I would counter that his playing with Bob Sheenan was much more musically coherent and melodic (studio work) than what he's recorded with BT recently. That being said, his harp playing with Duskray Troubadours and Brother's Keep is absolutely fantastic.
IMHO, on this album, if feels like he approached each song with nearly the same mindset, which might have happened as a result of recording it over such a long period with different people. ---------- Mike My Website My Harmonica Effects Blog
You're actually agreeing with me; I have never been a big fan of Popper's playing for reasons I've stated in other threads, but I feel his more recent work over the last few years has seen a big improvement in is method. He is cleaner, precise when he enters a phrase, sweet and conclusive when he leaves it. His speed now seems to be something with which he can build tension. He has, I think, developed a good sense of dynamics. I like what he's been doing lately. Bully for him. ---------- Ted Burke __________________ ted-burke.com tburke4@san.rr.com
I agree that this is wonderful harmonica playing on that track. Just to be clear, I have never said that Popper couldn't play, nor that he was incapable of playing with taste. My complaints had always been a grating imprecision when it comes to playing lower register draw bends (in those instances when a solid blues wail is needed) and when he steps on the gas a tad too much and sounds , to me , audibly sloppy and on automatic pilot. It may be a matter of taste , I suppose. Regardless, I do respect him for his achievement, which is speed, and that he has created something that is rare, fashioned a sound instantly identifiable as his. These are not easy things to do. What Popper has done lately, above it all, has been simply splendid; "Last Night" with Johnny Winter was a head turner for me and caused a qualified reappraisal of his performances. Over all, I think he's upped his game and is now someone I will pay attention to. ---------- Ted Burke __________________ ted-burke.com tburke4@san.rr.com
Last Edited by ted burke on Apr 09, 2015 7:15 AM
hmmm... I feel merely ambivalent about this. I know Mike's a pretty hard core BT fan, and he an I are of the same generation, so I understand his feelings. BT was never a fave for me, even before I played harp. I'm never gonna say Popper isn't good, because he is. And he's been wildly successful, which is awesome. But his playing has never appealed to me, and still doesn't. I guess I'm more with Ted on this, in that I think he COULD play things that I would like. But he chooses not to, and that kinda irks me. But he's been successful with it, so I can't really fault him.
Here's a video clip that I think really summarizes the issues I have with his playing. At the very start of the harp solo, he's playing some riffs that I can identify with. But then he breaks out into the typical JP stuff. It's sloppy, rushed, and doesn't really fit musically. He's better than that. I know he is! But he seems to always fall back on this "musical crutch". The frustrating thing is that he's got the chops, and he doesn't need to do that!!
I think that's how he plays on the new CD. Listen to that STUDIO version of that song...totally different style of play. ---------- Mike My Website My Harmonica Effects Blog
Popper has an incredible, arguably technically difficult, very identifiable style on the harp and I appreciate his playing, but what has always struck me more than his harp playing is his songwriting and singing. He’s got a pretty unique touch vocally for a rock band that plays in a fairly classic style, and his lyrics can be worthwhile. He’s an innovator on harp for sure—despite that, in my opinion, he can lean on his one “fast and jaunty” thing that he does so well a bit too much. Since this is a harmonica forum his playing is usually what is discussed about him, but to me Blues Traveler is far more interesting for Popper’s songs than for the harp. I personally was drawn to harp from the blues and folk music, so his style doesn’t always do it for me, but I know that many people picked up the harp after hearing BT for the first time. But I’ll always check out a Blues Traveler song, particularly when they aren’t in ‘jam band” mode. I find his songwriting interesting.
