harpdude61
1865 posts
Oct 17, 2013
6:42 PM
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Let me say that John Popper has to be one of the most influential harp players of all time. He is great! I really love the original stuff by Blues Travelers but "blues" should not be in their name.
This is a great song to throw some harp on. My band covers it often when requested. I honestly believe that me and most of the advanced intermediates on up in this forum could do something more exciting than what he does here.
To me, he never feels the groove or the emotion of the song. His solo and the exchange with the guitarist are mediocre at best. I need some fat wailing on the low end with this song.
Last Edited by harpdude61 on Oct 17, 2013 6:44 PM
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Martic
43 posts
Oct 17, 2013
7:22 PM
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I agree, nobody can say Popper is a bad player, he is just awesome. But I feel he only sounds great in Blues Traveler or as a solo player. When he plays blues or blues rock songs he just don't fit. When I heard his version of Little Walter's "Last Night" on Johnny Winter's album it was like "WTF? It's like playing football on a tennis field, he just can not adjust his playing to what the band is doing".
And he also has the problem we all have. He can't stay quiet when someone else plays a solo. On his "No Woman No Cry" version he steps over the guitar solo and over Ziggy Marley's vocals all the time.
I must insist, he is great. But he needs an appropiate band to show how great he is. He just can't play with anybody, he's not that versatile. And there's probably an ego problem too.
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didjcripey
648 posts
Oct 18, 2013
1:58 AM
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Did you say Popper was in that clip? I didn't see him, I was so busy watching that guitarist!
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Lucky Lester
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colman
270 posts
Oct 18, 2013
3:19 AM
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The best harp for that Hooker riff that i`ve ever heard is Alan Wilson, Hooker n` heat, boogie chillin`..
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eharp
2130 posts
Oct 18, 2013
5:34 AM
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This starts as a train wreck, maybe because Bruno is not sure what is expected of him and Popper is just doing his Blues Traveler thing.
It does improve but drifts far from the song and is really just noodling, imo.
http://youtu.be/vkqYUisdtH8
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timeistight
1404 posts
Oct 18, 2013
6:06 AM
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"John Popper has to be one of the most influential players of all time."
Is he really? Who has he influenced?
Last Edited by timeistight on Oct 18, 2013 6:07 AM
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harpdude61
1866 posts
Oct 18, 2013
6:31 AM
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point taken time...maybe LD Miller... "recognizable" might fit the sentence better than "influential"
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The Iceman
1221 posts
Oct 18, 2013
6:41 AM
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Could only take about half of the vid and then had to stop it.
awful awful awful
1. Cute Girl Guitarist doing that cute girl guitarist thing first, with what she is actually playing coming in a distant second - and it's not that good.
2. No groove here. Just a lot of glad handing (waving hat or hand at the "smokin' hot girl guitar solo" stuff, regardless if it is smokin' hot or not).
3. Thin watery harmonica sound. solo leads nowhere..not even connecting with guitar in the "battle"
If I wouldn't have known who was actually playing, I would have thought it was a pretty mediocre bar band.
just my opinion...
Just looked at the youtube video posted by eharp...
Better version...the young harmonica player sitting in is very musical while JP is doing his sequential fast breathing stuff.
When you compare the two, whom do you find most satisfying?
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The Iceman
Last Edited by The Iceman on Oct 18, 2013 6:47 AM
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harpdude61
1867 posts
Oct 18, 2013
6:57 AM
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I agree Ice...I play thru a 57 and a HG 50 and get much richer tone. Maybe cupping is not part of his style.
Playing the one chord style does give you the freedom to wander a bit but there should still be build-up, tension, and resolution (sorta) in one chord blues.
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The Iceman
1222 posts
Oct 18, 2013
9:03 AM
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On the original video, Popper missed the point of the key of La Grange...
It suggests minor third and he plays open holes one, two and three during his accompaniment, giving that major third sound which doesn't really blend with the guitar chords.
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The Iceman
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MN
280 posts
Oct 18, 2013
9:47 AM
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When did Popper become the second fattest guy in the band!? :-o
Last Edited by MN on Oct 20, 2013 1:39 PM
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TheoBurke
489 posts
Oct 18, 2013
12:11 PM
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Popper is not one of the most influential harmonica players but he is one of the most distinct. For all his considerable distinction, though, he cannot play blues based material very well. He is, in fact, an awful blues harmonica player. His lower and middle registers sound alternately tentative, wheezy and botched; when he ascends to the higher register and the higher velocity, it does not sound like inspiration, only someone taking refuge in their comfort Zone. To this take he plays the blues without sound like he's actually listening to the other musicians. The give and take with the guitarist is more or less unlistenable. Popper has brilliant moments as a harmonica player, but this was not one of them.
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Ted Burke
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http://ted-burke.com
tburke4@san.rr.co,
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Lyle
38 posts
Oct 18, 2013
12:13 PM
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"But just listen to the audience! They loved it"
I'm sure someone was gonna say that eventually, so I went ahead and said it.... always the defense for a poor performance or bad musicianship.
P.S. I love you, Iceman.
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Thievin' Heathen
262 posts
Oct 19, 2013
4:34 PM
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I am trying to think of a harmonica player who might even come close to John Popper's gross income as a harp player and I can't think of any. I think that kind of cash should weigh heavy in the most influential department.
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timeistight
1406 posts
Oct 19, 2013
4:41 PM
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If you are weighing income (which you shouldn't), Alanis Morisette is a more influential harmonica player than Popper.
Last Edited by timeistight on Oct 19, 2013 10:09 PM
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easyreeder
422 posts
Oct 19, 2013
11:40 PM
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La Grange seems to be BT's standard guest artist tune, there are several different videos on youtube with different artists. Here's one with a Brazilian harp player. I prefer what the guest is playing here, but I don't think either he or Popper figured out how to fit the harp into that tune. During the harp solos it isn't even La Grange anymore, the licks they're playing don't bring the song to mind in any way. I wonder if they use this tune because they think it's an easy one for harp players. Based on the performances it seems a bad choice, except that most audiences will react well to hearing the opening guitar and then just go along for the ride.
http://youtu.be/vkqYUisdtH8
(embedding isn't enabled for this video)
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HarpNinja
3532 posts
Oct 21, 2013
6:34 AM
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When I saw BT this summer, it was the second time they had played that song live. It was the encore tune.
I listened back to the song yesterday. I don't think there were any huge clams save the ending where half the band went to end the song and the other half didn't.
No one was jamming with them, but there was a harp solo in lieu of the second guitar solo. It was much much better than this. He comped playing the main riff until the solo. He started the solo playing the vocal melody in the bottom octave.
He stated in the bottom two octaves and then build to the top end where he played a very Popper-ish solo using a sort of pedal note theme...very balls to the wall.
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HarpNinja
3533 posts
Oct 21, 2013
6:45 AM
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This isn't from the show I was at, but it is a similar solo....
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scojo
428 posts
Oct 21, 2013
7:41 AM
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If I was playing this song, I would play it in third position. No question about it.
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HarpNinja
3534 posts
Oct 21, 2013
8:25 AM
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All of his top octave runs would layout into 3rd just fine. It might sound pretty jazzy with some of the blow bends, but you can't hit a wrong note up there in 3rd position.
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scojo
430 posts
Oct 21, 2013
8:27 AM
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I might mix in a little fifth position, too. But third seems most natural to me, and even better with OBs. I would not play cross harp on this song, even though it can be done with meticulous attention to avoiding those major thirds.
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boris_plotnikov
892 posts
Oct 23, 2013
1:18 AM
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As for myself, I'd still prefer 2-nd position because of sound.
Popper is great for his unique phrasing, dinamics and speed. Actually for today Popper is the only harmonica player I listen to. He sounds like noone else. His playing influenced me a lot.
I agree that subjected video with girl on a guitar is not enough good, but every player and every band had bad takes because of unrehearsed material, tiredness, poor health or bad onstage sound. And actually audience liked it, that means things was not such bad.
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Excuse my bad English.
My videos.
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Thievin' Heathen
264 posts
Oct 24, 2013
10:36 AM
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I can't think of more than a dozen harmonica players who came along and played the instrument in a new way. I consider John Popper in that company. To me, that qualifies as influence.
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1847
1229 posts
Oct 24, 2013
11:07 AM
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my God... what a F#%$@%$# contraption
it looks like a trunk on an elephant
some one please get him an ultimate 57
for his birthday lol
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i get a lot of request when i play my harmonica
"but i play it anyway"
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Thievin' Heathen
265 posts
Oct 24, 2013
8:45 PM
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I'll have to agree. JP definitely needs an Ultimate Intervention.
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HarpNinja
3548 posts
Oct 25, 2013
7:07 AM
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A buddy of mine in Germany built his own Popper-like mic where you can control various things from the mic rather than a pedal board.
I am pretty sure he gave the plans to Popper and they built him his current version.
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Mantra Customized Harmonicas
My Website
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eharp
2131 posts
Oct 25, 2013
7:52 AM
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Doing something in a new way does not make one influential.
It only becomes influential if it causes many people to do it the same way.
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HarpNinja
3549 posts
Oct 25, 2013
8:22 AM
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@eharp
While I agree with your statement, I would assume that just because a couple of dozen middle-aged guys post here and play blues that there isn't a larger world out there regarding harmonica.
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Frank
3084 posts
Oct 25, 2013
8:29 AM
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whatchewtalkinboutwillis :)
This is who john influences- I LOVE John... JP is middle aged ain't he :)
Last Edited by Frank on Oct 25, 2013 8:38 AM
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HarpNinja
3550 posts
Oct 25, 2013
8:52 AM
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He is middle aged, which is relevant.
If you think of it in terms of generalities, most people are most influenced by the music of their formative years (or what they were exposed to then). A lot of that is due to the fact that it is accessible.
Without going on forever on the subject, guys who are in the 50(ish) and up club and are playing now either started young and had a concrete schema regarding harmonica by the mid 90's - which would almost be entirely blues based - or are starting to play now and still looking back at music from their youth.
People growing up in the 90's, like myself, would have a very different frame of reference regarding harmonica. Pre-internet and things like Napster, you only heard harmonica if your parents let you watch the Blues Brothers or you listed to the radio.
The only harmonica featured on the radio was JP or Alanis style stuff growing up. The blues boom had sorta died down, and what was left in the mainstream was guitar-centric and a generation or more removed from the fathers of the blues.
I had no idea who Muddy Waters even was until college in the early turn of the century. My generation is the first to have the internet during the later part of their formative years - when the world turned flat and you could have access to any and all music whenever. Heck, most the players mentioned on this site would be unheard of were it not for the Net. Those still trying to do it the old way are finding they can't.
My kids growing up will have a very different path as music listeners than even I did.
Bottom line is the extent to which JP is an influence can't be measured by people who started playing harmonica before he came onto the scene.
No way Little Walter was as famous then as he is now, for example.
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My Website
Last Edited by HarpNinja on Oct 25, 2013 8:57 AM
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HarpNinja
3551 posts
Oct 25, 2013
8:59 AM
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You also have to look at the world of music on the whole. Who is the big thing in guitar right now? I mean no older than their 40's? Warren Haynes? Derek Trucks? I would bet they aren't as "famous" as JP.
Most of music's heroes weren't gods until after their peak. That isn't to say all, but a lot of their influence isn't felt loudly until after their time.
Food for thought:
Eric Clapton's only number one hit was in '74 with I Shot the Sheriff. Tears in Heaven reached #2 in '92. Layla never cracked the top 50...oh wait, it did - acoustically it hit #12 in '92.
Yet, he might be the most famous rock guitar player in the world!
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Mantra Customized Harmonicas
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Last Edited by HarpNinja on Oct 25, 2013 9:05 AM
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Frank
3090 posts
Oct 25, 2013
3:15 PM
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JP has proven himself a talent to be reckoned with - he was way to great a musician to be confined to playing barrooms the rest of his life and thus has become one of the truly successful harmonicas players in the world to date - no easy feat...the odds usually snuff out most players who try to make it big :)
Last Edited by Frank on Oct 25, 2013 3:15 PM
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garry
456 posts
Oct 25, 2013
5:24 PM
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@harpninja: i don't disagree with most of your post, but you're way off base wrt Warren Haynes' fame vs. JP's. for a couple of years he was lead guitar and singer for the allmans, the dead, and govt mule, all of which are way bigger than BT.
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1847
1239 posts
Oct 25, 2013
5:54 PM
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eharp that was an awesome post!
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i get a lot of request when i play my harmonica
"but i play it anyway"
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HarpNinja
3554 posts
Oct 25, 2013
6:42 PM
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Not in the mainstream.
Went to the local music store this afternoon knowing they employs twenty somethings. There were three salesman...all guitar players that gig regularly. When I mentioned I played harmonica they all knew who Popper was and mentioned listening to BT growing up. None of them knew any other name I mentioned, which were guys like LW and SB.
One did say he wanted to learn harp to play a couple blues tunes...one Zep and one Cream tune, ha.
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Mantra Customized Harmonicas
My Website
Last Edited by HarpNinja on Oct 25, 2013 6:43 PM
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Frank
3116 posts
Oct 26, 2013
5:33 AM
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Ask them who Warren Haynes or Derek Trucks is and I will bet you a weeks pay they will know... If they didn't know who Warren Haynes is or Derek Trucks- I would personally protest outside the store for them to be fired - or at least a law made that they can't call themselves "guitar" players... Warren Haynes and Derek have been on the cover of every major guitar magazine in the world constantly for years and years - Both those guys are "main stream" to musicians (no matter what age) who refer to themselves as a "guitar player"... And let's get serious - Warren Haynes and Derek Trucks are extremely well known amongst most every Rock or blues musicians in the world, regardless of what instrument they play, as is the great JP...Players that good - are payed attention to and word gets out - I would not be suprized if heavy metal guitarists knew and admired Warren and Derek :)
Last Edited by Frank on Oct 26, 2013 5:51 AM
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HarpNinja
3555 posts
Oct 26, 2013
5:48 AM
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I am a huge fan of both Warren and Derek. Derek is my favorite musician. I am sure those guys knew who they were, but the average non musician does not.
just asked my wife who Warren is and she had no idea. She knew who Trucks was because I took her go a show, which she didn't cafe for.
You're missing the point, though. Even most musicians don't realize much about harmonica players. Even the few blues musicians out there who do are a small fraction of the whole. I have never met another musician who didn't know who Popper or BT was save one really weird guitarist. Almost none have known who Levy or Ricci are. Rarely do they know LW. This is sad IMO but true.
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Mantra Customized Harmonicas
My Website
Last Edited by HarpNinja on Oct 26, 2013 6:00 AM
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Frank
3117 posts
Oct 26, 2013
6:07 AM
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Agreed, The average non musician -pretty much is wrapped up in a few bands where they care enough to know who plays what instrument..Brought my wife to see Derek and loved the show...And she is particular about what she likes - she is a musician and was blown away by him , the band and the overall show...What kind of music vibe does your wife like Mike?
The point me and Gary are refering to is, in regard to your statement below,
You also have to look at the world of music on the whole. Who is the big thing in guitar right now? I mean no older than their 40's? Warren Haynes? Derek Trucks? I would bet they aren't as "famous" as JP.
Last Edited by Frank on Oct 26, 2013 6:09 AM
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HarpNinja
3556 posts
Oct 26, 2013
6:16 AM
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A trend on this board is to ignore the fact that we represent such a small in niche. Guitar is bigger, bug pales to the non musician masses. My wife is the average music consumer...which the VAST majority are. She likes current top 40 and top 40 from her youth. Unfortunately that means she likes bad music.
Although I guess if majority rules then I am the one with bad taste.
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Mantra Customized Harmonicas
My Website
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Frank
3119 posts
Oct 26, 2013
9:34 AM
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I like pop music, similar to how I like sweets...in small doses, but I like it - And, I believe that the more famous long lived "pop stars" have a pretty good grasp of who were the great artist/performers from days gone by...Where the average non- musician music lover of today haven't a clue where a lot of these successful Pop Stars are getting their material and inspiration from, a lot of it is stolen from the greats of the past and a new twist is spun with it and its new phenomenon - at least the public thinks so :)
Last Edited by Frank on Oct 26, 2013 9:39 AM
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Thievin' Heathen
268 posts
Oct 26, 2013
10:55 AM
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This seems like a good time for me to plug David Lindley. Check him out, live when you can.
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Hakan
365 posts
Oct 26, 2013
3:13 PM
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John Popper did a great job here. This is not a song for harp but he teamed up well with the guitar woman and he picked a good sound for this particaular situation. It would have been be interesting to hear Jason Ricci play this with Popper.
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SuperBee
1493 posts
Oct 26, 2013
3:59 PM
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Well, I'm only 50. I had never heard of John popper until I joined this forum. I've been around music all my life. I had heard of BT but only because I found a CD in a second hand store. I bought it on spec because it had 'blues' in the name and a funky illustration on the cover, and I'd never heard of the band. I sold it again not long after as I found nothing in the music which grabbed me.
I'd always thought BT must have been a fairly minor/short lived act, well known on this board because it featured a harmonica player with a distinctive approach.
But I'm now gathering they must be quite famous. I saw a post above asserting they are more famous than the GD and ABB, which are bands I have regarded as famous since the 60s.
Maybe their fame didn't make it down under. Did they have any hits outside the US?
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SuperBee
1494 posts
Oct 26, 2013
4:05 PM
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Clapton? He was pretty famous at the time. People were writing ...is god...back in 66.
I remember my brother telling me about the 'best' guitarists, when I was a little kid. He was in high school. Hendrix, page, Clapton. Then they couldn't decide about guys like Blackmore. It was clearly a popularity competition though.
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The Iceman
1234 posts
Oct 26, 2013
6:22 PM
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RE: best guitarist.
I love Hendrix's quote when, early on in his career, a reporter asked him how it felt to be the world's best guitarist and he replied "I don't know. You'll have to ask Rory Gallagher."
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The Iceman
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BigAl
10 posts
Oct 26, 2013
6:33 PM
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As musicians, we all discuss the small details of any instrument. And we should. I try to find something I like in everyone's playing. It's interesting to me to read the discussions and critiques of music performance videos. When I think of having all my performances preserved in video, there are some I wouldn't want everyone to see ;) !!! When I'm onstage, I want to be personally happy with all aspects of my playing. That being said, when you take your playing in front of others, your playing becomes a performance. Then how your audience experiences your music is very important. Without the audience, its just playing, with the audience the music is elevated to whole other level. How the audience interacts with your music is the most important thing. If johns crowd loves it, than he is successful. As musicians, I think we sometimes belittle the audience a uninformed cattle.
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FMWoodeye
805 posts
Oct 26, 2013
9:37 PM
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@Big Al..."As musicians, I think we sometimes belittle the audience a (as) uninformed cattle." And rightly so.
I find that I please audiences more when I "dumb down" my performance. Licks that are perceived as cheap tricks by musicians are eaten up by the audience.
Head'em up, moob'em out; moob'em out, head 'em up; head 'em up, moob'em out, raw-HIIIIIIIDE! Yeah! Four-hole draw, two-hole shake!!!
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SuperBee
1495 posts
Oct 26, 2013
10:16 PM
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I'm not totally convinced the audience did love that. I heard the woman with the camera yelling a lot. One of the things she yelled was 'that's my daughter'. I didn't stick around for the end though...
But you know...fans
FMW, I know what you mean. I see the 2 hole shake brings more acknowledgment than any other move. The well placed blow bend will open a lot of eyes wide too, but that may be in shock.
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Frank
3123 posts
Oct 27, 2013
6:08 AM
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"Talent hits a target no one else can hit; Genius hits a target no one else can see."
- Arthur Schopenhauer
Last Edited by Frank on Oct 27, 2013 6:09 AM
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The Iceman
1236 posts
Oct 27, 2013
7:22 AM
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RE:pleasing the audience.
Over the years, I've been known to sit in w/band or at a blues jam...will start my solo w/4 hole inhale bend slow release to 4 hole inhale, add monster vibrato, watch crowd go wild, and then say "Thank you very much" and leave stage.
(too easy)
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The Iceman
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