We've talked a lot here about what it might take to make the harmonica, and the person who plays it, the focus of pop music fascination. This new video from French player Greg Zlap is an interesting entrant in that competition. I personally prefer an earlier video called "Free Soul" that consists of one incredible tracking shot (posted second, below), but you've got to admire the guy for trying. He's not content to be "just" a harmonica player, much less a blues guy. He's trying to make something happen. As to whether it will happen--well, you can't predict those things.
@Stevelegh - interesting observation - have to agree. Add Marko Balland to that group as well. ---------- *************************************************** /Greg
@kudzu: I "follow" Zlap on YouTube, and watched this new video of his just after he released it earlier this week. I had basically the same reaction as you: Quite impressed that he's using harp in this Pop context, but not personally sold on the music. That being said, I'd rather listen to the Greg Zlap Band any day over most of the rehashed blues stuff that gets passed around here in the States as the proper context for harmonica. Is it a European thing? Perhaps. We've got Zlap, we've got Charles Pasi (who I'd not heard of yet, thanks Steve!), we've got the Rhythm Junks, we've got Will Wilde, we've got the Mississippi Big Beat, We've even got Ben Bouman playing harp in a major pop song (see below).
Having just been in Italy for a month and half, I will say that I got a lot more people coming up to me than I do here in the States when I played outside somewhere (in a park, by the beach). And a lot more of them were twenty-somethings, who seemed way into the harmonica as a musical thing. Perhaps it wasn't a totally representative sample, but it was noticeably different to me...
Here's Ben Bouman as a sideman in a real pop song:
very interesting. there is a french professor at penn who soulds a bit like some of these examples. his name is samuel martin,and i would put him right up there with any harp player in the world,no joke.
these are fun videos to watch! thanks for the heads up! ---------- www.shakeylee.com
We may well be in a time when the same thing will happen to blues harmonica as happened to blues guitar; you not only have to play well, but have good looks and fashion sense to achieve a following bigger than the local bar scene. It seems we already have a start in Europe. That said, the players on these videos are good and it's obvious that they put their time in woodshedding the basics and applying their own spin on it. What this demonstrates is there is more to blues harmonica than just the blues. The music is blues based, to be sure, but this about other uses for an instrument that is only now transcending the cliches and stereotypes that have besmirched its reputation. I am encouraged for the future of the harmonica in mainstream culture. That said, "Better With Butter" is a ridiculous title, and Pasi's pouty countenance is aggravatingly self-aware. I am not the intended audience, though, and the man can indeed play. ---------- Ted Burke tburke4@san.rr.com
