I know several of you folks double on horns. Is this piece (by a guy I found on YouTube named Jamie Faull) as impressive as I think it is? There is a lead in, and then he starts the heavy hitting at 44 seconds in...
I'm watching this guy, and thinking "Damn. If I could play the harmonica doing stuff like this, I could die happy.".
BTW, I came across this guy from the following video for a track called "Mission to the Sun Howling" by a OMB called "Jeremy Loops." I liked the track, and the interplay between Jeremy, his loops, and the sax. There is even some (mediocre) harmonica towards the end!
For what it was, I actually liked the harp in the second one. It fit in with the song nicely and the chord work contrasted against the sax, which is what you are really after in the arrangement. It wasn't a particularly technical part, but it didn't need to be.
@nacoran: I agree with you. I just listened to Jeremy Loops full album now (it's available on Google Play Music), and he does a lot of that kind of playing. Not hugely technicaly, and a bit thin on tone in places, but rhythmically interesting, and fitting to the songs. He's a rack player, mostly, so I sort of hear it as a bit of a modernization of the Bob Dylan folk-style of rack harp...
@Jinx: Care to elaborate? As a non-sax player, it seemed quite impressive, and I was wondering if a sax player would have the same impression (or not), and why? I'm sorta trying to understand what a non-harp player would think of a similar performance on harp (vice versa other harp players)... I haven't listened to a huge range of sax players, as typically I've just not been interested in the music that I hear sax being used to make. This guy was playing stuff that I actually found interesting, and so it peaked my interest.
Ok sorry so blunt. I guess, what is this, a bar mitzvah or something? In that case he's coming of age, time to assert his ego and all that... If I knew the kid, I'd probably be cheering him on.
Otherwise, as a artist statement, I don't dig his product. Reminds me of Jason dicci's approach. Just not my bag. More power to them, though ----------
The pedal point in the Jamie Faull piece is interesting, but an awful lot of the piece seems to be just making sounds. Although certainly harp players could get some ideas for effects to use when they think appropriate.
The sax playing on Straight No Chaser is maybe (MAYBE) less "modern", but right there at 0:40 you can tell there's some great music coming up.
@Harp_Study and GamblersHand: Moon Hooch! How had I not heard of those guys? Wow. When they hit the groove, it's pretty damn unstoppable. In the pocket, tight, and hard hitting. And MODERN sounding. No offence to timeistight, but MOST of that Joshua Redman clip sound just like every other horn jazz thing you hear. Until the verrry end, around 6:30, where it finally got interesting to me. Until that point, it wasn't that interesting to me, and certainly was nothing like the OP or Moon Hooch stylistically. I'm a bit with Frank101, however, on the "making noises" stuff, which both Jamie Faull and Moon Hooch do at different places in both clips, and actually in the Joshua Redman clip too. I feel like that's a bit overused by sax players in general, and it's unpleasant sounding. Used sparingly it could be effective, however... But in general, that tight, melodic groove thing that Moon Hooch had going on is really attractive to me -- both to listen to (and dance), but also to try and play...
@Jinx: Thanks for clarifying. I get it now, it's not your bag, and that's ok. I do see a bit of a difference in Jamie Faull's approach vs. other fast players (of any instrument), and that's the groove.
Thanks for the comments and links, guys!!! ----------
One more thing about Moon Hooch: It strikes me that the drummer is KEY to those guys' sound. That drummer is just hitting that beat consistently and driving the groove along. He's providing the perfect background for the two sax's to weave their groove on... ----------
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