At the last minute I became aware they were playing my city last night. Luckily there were still tickets available although it was a big crowd.
Here is my backstory:
Rick Estrin showed me how to overblow back in 1988. He told me about Howard Levy. I sadly missed a Flecktones concert at my college around that year because I didn't know who they were.
Soon enough Sinister Minister was on MTV, and I put it together. Somewhere in my tape collection (what I wouldn't do for someone to gift me with CDs of all my old tapes) is the first two Bela albums and along the way I got an Indian music CD called Odd Times featuring Howard, I do not know the leader's name.
I became aware of the CD Harmonica Jazz as being his first big introduction to the harp community and the first big breakthrough in bringing overblows to the lay-harmonicist. I didn't find that CD until a few years ago.
I had been to the Elkins, West Virginia Augusta Blues week three times in my mid twenties (I am just about 42) and worked with Larry Eisenberg who explained about how Howard had led weeks there with advanced students.
I saw Howard multiple times at SPAH, backing himself on piano or perhaps being accompanied by a small combo. I saw Howard give a few seminars and sit in at the blues and jazz jams.
I had read the HIP interview of Howard and heard that recent radio interview with Carlos Del Junco.
Here is my impressions before last night: Warning: My opinions are sometimes harsh. I am a much less judgmental listener when the player is not often considered the most important harmonica player of his generation. If Howard is reading this, I have high respect for your accomplishments and am a mere flea on a pimple compared to you.
The first two Bela albums are classic, good music, amazing harp work. The Odd Times album is musical diarrhea, as is Harmonica Jazz. However, in the context that Harmonica Jazz was the first real example of high level overblowing diatonic jazz, it is amazing.
The live performances at SPAH always upset me. Although technically brilliant, I felt he was showing off the whole time. He would play a ballad, play two slow pretty notes and then speed demon for the next two verses, then two pretty notes, then speed. I also felt as a teacher, it was much more about him showing what he does and less of how he does it.
The Radio interview upset me. He defines himself as the person who discovered overblows. He might have discovered overblows without being taught, but this is not the same thing. Blues Birdhead, Toots Theilemans, Will Scarlett and Mike Turk were all documented by recordings before Levy even started playing harmonica. Now, if Howard were to define himself as the person who really showed the harp community what overblows were about, I would go with that.
So, I walked in last night with a chip on my shoulder, but still very excited about seeing a legendary band. Heck, even Wooten alone would have been enough to get excited about.
But Howard surprised me. Although there was a lot of showing off, that is an element of that type of music. What I also heard was lots of pretty music, some bluesy with a bullet mic, bass harmonica, Long swooping high notes, etc, plus some great piano work. I also felt that Howard was a great supporting player and his work was much better supported than when I heard him with other combos. I left feeling I had seen a great band with Howard as a great team player.
The other players were amazing as well and they had a Nashville fiddle player who I need to research, I did not get his name but he did a percussion solo hitting the bow against the strings that blew my mind.
You should also check out "Trio Globo"-Howards World Music band. I saw him with Trio Globo,playing piano and harmonica simutaneously,and also playing the strings INSIDE the piano-unreal. I have attend 3 of Howards seminars-invaluable learning expierience,sitting in front of Howard while he was teaching. I will be seeing him next Tuesday with Bela Fleck -can't wait!!
Last Edited by on Oct 14, 2011 8:00 AM
Saw the flecktones a few weeks ago and was pleased to see that linup. Howard plays some technically challenging things on harp and has written som nice pieces of music. I was equaly as impressed as always by the wootens. Nice listening my kids loved the show a nice evening at a nice venue!
Howard is amazing. I saw him at Steelstack in Bethlehem, PA this summer. It was my first time seeing the Flecktones with him. The fact that he can share the stage with Bela and Victor and take over a show with his incredible talents just goes to show that he is the freaking man. He owned the show I was at and out shined the other three guys. He is the top dawg and will rein as king for a long time.
Yeah, the term show off seems to fit, but because he earned it. He made quite a impression on me at Elkins -pre Flecktones. I was actually there with Carlos del Junco.
I love me some Bela Fleck & Flecktones with Howard! Im so glad to have met him for a few minutes at SPAH 2yrs ago. He has got full control of the harmonica, there is no doubt. I think they were coming near me this year but I don't know anyone else willing to buy the ticket to go with.
Oh wow, I just seen on their website their coming to the jazz(blues) festival in 15min drive from me in March. Hmmm...
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~Ryan
"I play the harmonica. The only way I can play is if I get my car going really fast, and stick it out the window." - Steven Wright
Pennsylvania - H.A.R.P. (Harmonica Association 'Round Philly)
Littoral, you think he's a show off? Really? I must disagree, I can't see how he's showing off anymore then any other artist who's shared their blood, sweat, & tears with the world.
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~Ryan
"I play the harmonica. The only way I can play is if I get my car going really fast, and stick it out the window." - Steven Wright
Pennsylvania - H.A.R.P. (Harmonica Association 'Round Philly)
The term show off sticks with me because a friend of mine called him that 20 years ago while I was recording Howard live doing an amazing version of Round Midnight -ruined my tape. I said he earned the right to show off. These debates are useful because we expand and narrow and clarify meaning for others and ourselves. Adds up to learning. My take on Howard is that I (Me!) don't find a lot of what he does as music I enjoy. The limitation is certainly in part my ability to hear/assimilate it but I don't think any musical development on my part will change the idea that I (Me!) don't feel much when I listen to Howard. Maybe Someday. I don't know why babies cry or why the wind blows. Now THAT is what I call music. Delbert Live in Austin. I really would rather listen to Delbert Mclinton play harp than Howard Levy. I hath committed heresy now.
Last Edited by on Oct 15, 2011 6:25 AM
"I hath committed heresy now. " Nah, it would be heresy to not allow yourself to have your own opinion of what is good enjoyable music and what is not :) .
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~Ryan
"I play the harmonica. The only way I can play is if I get my car going really fast, and stick it out the window." - Steven Wright
Pennsylvania - H.A.R.P. (Harmonica Association 'Round Philly)
Littoral ... when were you at Elkins for Howard's Masterclass? I was there 2 years in a row, with Carlos, Sandy Weltman, Frank "Skankin" Skanga, and so many other great players.
Also, Howard is a mixed bag in regards to huge talent, healthy ego and musicality with show off tendencies. I've seen him go so far out that he lost most of the listening audience in favor of pyrotechnics, get so musical that he drew the audience in with heart felt melodic line and seen the surprise on his face when a European harmonica player actually matched him and maybe even played above him for a minute....however, god love him as he is responsible for the latest evolution in diatonic harmonica concepts. ---------- The Iceman
I'd rather see Delbert McClinton, too. I would rather listen to Howard Levy play piano than harmonica. I think he is a helluva musician, but I get bored with his harmonica playing quickly. I just doesn't move me.
Howard is playing at the NAMM Museum for Making Music here in San Diego on the 30th--my chromatic student is taking me (he knows somebody there). I will report back afterward.
I find it confusing when I hear people talking about the usage of highly developed technique as showing off. Simply because Howard has technique beyond what most of us can even fathom, and he uses it in his playing, doesn't make it showing off. In my opinion, I always hear him playing from his soul, and expressing his voice through his instrument. Sometimes his expression is very rapid and synapsical. sometimes it's incredibly sweet and heartfelt and slow. I think the problem moreso is people not understanding the music, of expecting something else out of it than it is. The jazz medium is sometimes (oftentimes) very complex and fast. I think Howard is really pushing himself and the band to their limits rather than showing off. If you want to talk about showing off, I think it's a LOT more common among blues harp players. ----------
RE:showing off....It may be that Howard (who sometimes I feel is NOT OF THIS EARTH) may play at a level that he understands, leaving most mortals behind. In this respect, he may be a little out of touch with us earthlings, but aliens tend to be like that anyways. I know that I'm left behind in the dust and my earthbound brain will shut down after about 10 minutes of intergalactic arpeggios. ---------- The Iceman
When listening to peers, which I intentionally choose to typically not comment on on this forum most the time, I see a few perspectives pop up:
1. I don't play that way so I like/hate it. 2. I don't play that style so I like/hate it. 3. It is played well technically and accessible to me. 4. It is played well technically and not accessible to me. 5. It sucks because it is poorly played.
Most of the negative comments fit under number four. People doing this tend to focus on factor other than what is being played and why...For example, "All Blues". All the blues guys liked the bluesy version. All the (primarily) non-blues guys liked versions that tried to not sound like harmonica. IMHO, arguing over which is "right" is stupid. You can prefer either, but thank heavens not everyone does the same thing all the time!
The thing with Howard is, his playing is so beyond that of every other harmonica player that he isn't always accessible. That is uncomfortable for a lot of us as we are used to dividing things into blues and non-blues and making gross generalizations based on that. Seriously, most of us here post that we love/hate something based almost entirely on how "bluesy" it sounds. That is the basis of most arguments here with anything.
Very few of us here know enough about music beyond harmonica to really put what Howard is doing in a real perspective and make a valid musical judgement on it. However, I think it is very valid to conclude, though, that for many music listeners, his abilities appear to be showing off because we don't get it.
His music, in a lot of instances, as it applies to listening to harmonica, is just not that accessible to a wide audience, especially at length, because it is so out there!
An analogy...if we were all 4th graders, most of us would be at a 4th grade reading level. The books we read and enjoy are comfortable for us and we like reading them. Howard is like the teacher giving us a 12th grade text book and saying, "Have at it." Some of us will love the challenge. Some of us have the skills to read it. Some of us beg to be taught how to read and use the text. Most of us find it too awkward and makes excuses (although probably valid) to shut down/not like it/belittle it, etc.
I would like to state, though, that I love Howard's playing and find much of his ensemble playing to be brilliant even at my much lower level. The times where he goes off are brilliant as well, but I don't always get it.
To me, it totally parallels other players doing similar things - like how I don't really dig long blues harmonica solo pieces as they tend to just be repeated riff after repeated riff. At risk of being crucified, I find things like Blowing the Family Jewels to be hit or miss. I would probably love it live and in the moment, but, how is that not a total wank-fest show-off piece? It just isn't as accessible to me as other pieces of music. That doesn't make it bad to like or anything...
I love that Howard is like, "Screw you harmonica players", about things. His audience isn't harmonica players. He is going after jazz fans, etc....fans of intelligent music. I realize that he loves harmonica players and is a super cool guy, but he doesn't care what you think of his playing.
Sorry, I think I can trust my feelings about when someone is showing off or when they are playing musically. I do not care how advanced Howard is. Howard may be the most technically advanced harp player, an idea which I completely disagree with. He may understand jazz at the deepest level ofany diatonic harp player, which I may agree with. But there are many instrumentalists who do not play harp with as much technique and knowledge about how jazz works as Howard. I have listened to many and enjoy their work sometimes and not other times. Sometimes I do not enjoy it because it is too avant garde, sometimes because they play it too safe. And sometimes because they are showoffs. I trust my judgement. You may disagree with me, but I believe my opinions are valid and are not invalidated by the fact that Howard is more advanced than I am. However, let me reiterate, I feel like Howard passed my good music standards at this last show.
Last Edited by on Oct 18, 2011 10:45 AM
@Michael "The other players were amazing as well and they had a Nashville fiddle player who I need to research, I did not get his name but he did a percussion solo hitting the bow against the strings that blew my mind." That must be Casey Dreissen, he's the only guy that can do it so well even though Darol Anger might claim that he invented it. Check this out..
Just came from the Bela show in Stuart,Fl- I thought Howard was great with Trio Globo-but this was even better. Howard and all,including Casey,were in top form. This is the ultimate setting for Howard-one where his musciality really shines. His piano and haromonica playing are nothing less than superb. The input from Bela,Victor,Casey and Futureman round out the show-they got a standing ovation,and came back on stage to play well beyond the alloted time. Howard Levy is,without doubt,the greatest diatonic harmonica player alive.
Last Edited by on Oct 18, 2011 8:01 PM
Went to see Howard tonight, got his autograph on one of Winslow's acrylic Discrete Combs but warned him it was tuned to Power Chromatic, so he didn't play it--forgot to ask about the Flecktones as a regular thing, but it didn't sound like he was putting all his eggs in that basket. He talked a lot about harp and also plays a bunch of stuff including parts of his concerto, and that Amazing Grace thing where he plays drones, melody, and chords all at the same time . . . showoff . . . He also played some piano and harp at the same time, and demonstrated chromatic (slide, also Asian) harmonicas, bass harmonica, Jew's harp--did I mention that not everyone in the audience was a harmonica player? All in all a great time was had by all--my chromatic student was pretty amazed!
Last Edited by on Oct 31, 2011 12:46 AM
on the road the other day i heard an episode of "Soundcheck" on WNYC with Bela and Howard and all performing in the studio. it was a repeat boradcast, so i looked it up on their site:
