A blues-rock guitarist/singer named Rich Russman contacted me for a session over the winter. Here's the result--one of two tracks I did for him:
He gave little guidance for what my part should be, except for telling me when my solo was. (I never met or spoke with Rich; he sent the track stems to a studio here in Oxford and I did the overdubs there; then we sent them back and he did a final mixdown.) The part at 2:16 or so where I just hit one note was suggested by Bryan Ward, my engineer/producer. I wouldn't have thought to do that without his guidance, but it's a great judgment call; it provides some variety in a harp part that is otherwise pretty busy. It helps break up a fairly long track into something that doesn't just drag on.
The harp certainly did NOT get buried in the mix! I like the challenge of working with different sorts of singers. Enjoy.
Adam. I really enjoyed that. He certainly gave you free reign. I know that when you go into the studio to record a track you just play throughout the song and let the artist edit out what he doesn't want and keep what he does want. It does not appear to me that he edited out anything. Did that surprise you at all? ---------- Tom Halchak www.BlueMoonHarmonicas.com
It was fun listening to your choices. It had a Crossroads feel to it. "...it provides some variety in a harp part that is otherwise pretty busy." That line is cool, it has a transitional feel to it like where's it going. The harp is in charge throughout which is a little different for a song like this. My sense is that you were laying it all out there for them to decide what they wanted and they kept it all (hence busy). More space, I assume, would have happened if you played it together. Nice work.
Rich is going to have to up his game if he wants stand out next to Adam's distinctive playing on that cut. Maybe I'm just so attuned to harp that it's what my ear gravitates toward, but to me it seemed like the singing and guitar were backing the harp rather the other way around. I believe I detected some Ricci influence in there, too. Nice!
I would have failed Adam's first 3 second test there and if i'm honest again the harmonica outshines the actual song! Also, sounds like it's trying a spin on that distinctive 90's Red Devils thang! ----------
"Those British boys want to play the blues real bad, and they do"
Ha! No Ricci influence at all. I just do my own thing. It's possible, of course, that you've got the influence thing backwards.
I do think that he featured the harp pretty full-front in the mix. When he sent me the first mixdown, my only comment was, "I think you might want to turn the vocals up just a hair." I said that on each of the two tracks. I was taught that the voice should ride on top. But he's coming from a different aesthetic, more of a rock-blues thing.
The way I work with Bryan is, I do one test run, just noodling through the track. Then I play a full take. Sometimes I do a full second take right away. Often I listen to the full take, then punch in and redo at a series of points where things didn't quite work.
Often we end up with three full-length takes, at least one of which has been punched in like that and the other two of which are safety takes or takes that have some nice stuff that we think the artist may want to use. In this case, we sent Rich all three takes and said "Use what you want." This is what he came up with. The "harp part," such as it is, was NOT, in other words, something that I simply played straight through and nailed like that. It was a composite. I've done this so much with Bryan that it feels like a great way to work. It releases inhibitions, because there's no pressure to get a perfect take.
Littoral: yes, you're exactly right. I'm just now going back and seeing your comment. That's exactly what happened. Russman evidently decided that the Heavy Gussow thing worked for him on this track.
Last Edited by kudzurunner on Jun 08, 2015 9:34 AM
Interesting, the mix reminds me a bit of Scarecrow in a couple places. Very modern sound.
I know a lot of the purists think harp shouldn't be front and center all the time, but personally I think it fits great on some songs. It's sort of playing the lead guitar part in this one and it's panned left so it's easy to hear the separation from the rest of the instruments.
Smokin' hot stuff. Did you use your usual rig? ---------- Ricky B http://www.bushdogblues.blogspot.com RIVER BOTTOM BLUES--crime novel for blues fans available at Amazon/B&N, iTunes, iBook THE DEVIL'S BLUES--ditto HOWLING MOUNTAIN BLUES--Ditto too, now available
Really loved this piece! it's so great to hear you with a full band and totally reinforces that you ARE 50% of Satan and Adam…You know, THAT sound... melodically, rhythmically, harmonically! No one has ever accompanied like you and you swing so hard it makes everything sound better. If any one here heard a Ricci sound what Adam (Kudzu) is too humble to point out forcefully here is you have BEEN hearing a Gussow influence on me. I am VERY proud to call you Adam a influence and a mentor to me Sir. Either way this was an immensely good listen and thank you for sharing with us Mr Gussow.-J ---------- www.mooncat.org
Last Edited by Moon Cat on Jun 09, 2015 11:42 AM
I just try to find the thing that will double or respond to something that is already going on. It's a basic principle, but a powerful one.
Blues is call-and-response music. The leader is the leader; you're part of the chorus. That means that you're either doubling the leader, or responding to him (or her).
It's a back-and-forth thing. Or it's a we're-doing-this-together thing.
Or it's both.
That's the basic principle.
And then there's the solo. Stomp down!
Last Edited by kudzurunner on Jun 08, 2015 7:01 PM
Hey, the second of two cuts that I played on is out on YouTube, too. This sucks! Why should you guys buy music when you can have it for free? I switch from second position to third position here. And when I play third, I do think that you can hear a family resemblance between me and Mr. Ricci. (Could be the oveblows; could be the upper-harp octaves.)
This is Rick Derringer with harp. I'm in 70s heaven.
Last Edited by kudzurunner on Jun 10, 2015 5:28 PM
You buy the music to support the guys who make it. If we don't there won't be any more music to listen to. We all blow cash on all sorts of things we don't really need and doesn't do anybody any good. Buy some music. Do without the Starbucks for a couple of days. ---------- Tom Halchak www.BlueMoonHarmonicas.com
