kudzurunner
5813 posts
Dec 25, 2015
8:17 PM
|
NPR's "Weekend Edition" is going to air a big harmonica story tomorrow, Saturday, entitled "The Diatonic Revolution." The correspondent, John Burnett, interviewed a number of contemporary players, including Howard and Brendan. Somehow I got thrown into the mix. I haven't heard the story, just offered a few thoughts, but I will certainly track it down by midmorning tomorrow and post a link here.
Interestingly enough, if you google "NPR harmonica," you come across a handful of interesting stories, including one on Howard and, as I'm sure we all remember, the story on Brandon Bailey that sent his debut CD, MEMPHIS GROOVES, skyrocketing on iTunes.
https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q=npr+harmonica
Last Edited by kudzurunner on Dec 25, 2015 8:17 PM
|
Michael Rubin
1094 posts
Dec 26, 2015
5:33 AM
|
John is a great harmonica player who took a few lessons from me years back.
|
mlefree
482 posts
Dec 26, 2015
8:18 AM
|
I just listened. It's a GREAT report. Our own Kudzurunner is featured prominently.
Congratulations, Adam!
The link: NPR's "Pocket-sized revolution"
Thanks,
Michelle
----------
SilverWing Leather - Custom leather creations for musicians and other eccentrics.
Last Edited by mlefree on Dec 26, 2015 8:21 AM
|
kudzurunner
5817 posts
Dec 26, 2015
9:22 AM
|
Really nice piece, I agree. I just emailed John to praise him and the piece. I told him that the only thing I would have liked added to it was some acknowledgement--perhaps through a reference to Jason--of the way in which overblows have begun to reshape blues harmonica and, to a lesser extent, country. In terms of the audio clips he included, he began with old school, pre-overblow blues, then focused almost entirely on classical, with a nod at Brendan's Irish stuff at the very end. Why no blues? Jason, Alex Paclin, and Todd Parrott: I would have liked to have heard about them.
But you've gotta work with what you've got, and I'm happy that the instrument, and Howard, are getting some respect.
|
New but determined
52 posts
Dec 26, 2015
1:59 PM
|
I really enjoyed this, thank you. And, I listened to all of the other interviews they had when I searched under harmonica- pretty neat.
|
Gnarly
1571 posts
Dec 27, 2015
7:50 AM
|
Interesting read--Howard got my attention early on too, before harp took over my life. Nice to see Adam quoted a bunch.
No mention of Lee Oskar, surely his efforts have also helped keep our tiny metal friend popular.
Maybe if Jason blows up he will get the attention of the media and we will all be trendsetters.
Last Edited by Gnarly on Dec 27, 2015 8:57 AM
|
ridge
646 posts
Dec 27, 2015
8:54 AM
|
Kudzu,
I shared some of the same thoughts you put forth here. My rationalization was that the piece focused on representing the 10 hole diatonic harmonica as a real and capable instrument.
The way John seemed to emphasize this point was by playing examples of the harmonica in world and classical music and by contrasting it to the more well regarded chromatic harmonica. He also took care to mention players that have gone through the traditional channels of musical academies and conservatories.
At the same time, I guess there is this possibly unintentional subversion of the diatonic harmonica used in blues playing. I don't think its meant as a diss by omitting players with more notoriety from the blues world.
I was happy to hear it. Howard rocks!
----------
Ridge's YouTube
|
florida-trader
854 posts
Dec 27, 2015
10:42 AM
|
Also, minor point. Brendan is clearly a pioneer in harmonica design - but he does not use overblows. All his harps are half valved and he uses a ton of alternate tunings to play his music. He has some harmonicas that are set up for one specific song and that is the only time he uses it - to play that song. The article was pretty much about overblows so it is not quite historically accurate to feature Brendan's playing (fine as it is) as an example of the type of music that can be created using overblows and overdraws.
----------
Tom Halchak
www.BlueMoonHarmonicas.com
|
PaulOscher
45 posts
Dec 28, 2015
3:20 PM
|
Well I heard it too, i really liked the diatonic jazz player and I liked Brendan Powers stuff and i was very impressed with the violin like sound of the player from bucharest or somewhere like that. The HL stuff went over my head i didn't get anything out of it musically. It would have been nice if they had mentioned that i recorded an overblow two years before Howard discovered it and I discovered the overblow another couple of years before that!
but since i never use them anyway they are right in making me out to be the dinosaur that i am, i don't want to change the blues no kind a way. I love the blues just the way it is or should I say was?
----------
Paul Oscher "Nothin but the Blues"
official website: www.pauloscher.com
official fb band page: on.fb.me/1JMV44y
"Don't try to outplay your peers just try to out play yourself" po
Last Edited by PaulOscher on Dec 28, 2015 3:48 PM
|
Gnarly
1573 posts
Dec 28, 2015
3:39 PM
|
But Paul, isn't the OB on hole 6 useful in the blues?
Granted it's strident, that kinda works in the blues (I am not a blues player, you are, let's see what you think, you already told me what you think)
Ooops, did I say that out loud?
|
PaulOscher
47 posts
Dec 28, 2015
3:43 PM
|
yeah and thats where i played it. i just don't play it much anymore maybe thats because i don't practice over blows -it is very useful there. but in general i don't like the intonation of overblow notes.
----------
Paul Oscher "Nothin but the Blues"
official website: www.pauloscher.com
official fb band page: on.fb.me/1JMV44y
"Don't try to outplay your peers just try to out play yourself" po
Last Edited by PaulOscher on Dec 28, 2015 3:55 PM
|
Gnarly
1574 posts
Dec 28, 2015
7:21 PM
|
Thanks!
I will still play overblows on occasion, I hate not playing the note I think works, and the blue third is one of those notes. Granted it's not as soulful as draw bending hole three . . .
And I use one of Brendan's tunings, Power Chromatic, that is diatonic but fully chromatic with draw bends except for one note, the b6--so the blow chord is F6, the draw chord is G6, it's in the key of C, and the Ab is only available if you overblow--I will do that, when I need to.
I don't play as well as any of these cats, but I still have a good time!
|
mlefree
485 posts
Dec 29, 2015
6:09 AM
|
Paul, this is the first I've learned of your seminal overblow explorations. I'm not interested in using the technique myself but I am a serious student of our favorite instrument.
I'd always heard that "Blues Birdhead" was the first to have recorded an overblow in 1929. Here is a quote from Pat Missin:
"Who first discovered the technique is an impossible question to answer, but when it first appeared on record is much more straightforward. On October 13th 1929, James Simons, a relatively obscure harmonica player from Norfolk, Virginia went into a studio in Richmond set up by the Okeh Company and recorded two jazz-influenced instrumentals accompanied by an unknown piano player. These were issued as Okeh 8244 under the name Blues Birdhead, with some later reissues using the name Harmonica Tim."
I've heard Joe Filisko make similar comments on numerous occasions.
Then there was Will Scarlett's work with Hot Tuna in the mid '60s and Howard's early work in the late '60s to early '70s. Of course we all know about Adam's application of overblows in the late '80s and how he help teach the technique to Jason Ricci.
After 15 years of study, to my knowledge your contributions have been a well-kept secret so I can't blame NPR for not knowing about it. I think it should be better documented so that it can become more widely recognized. If you could give us the details here, that would at least be a start and I know many of us "Dirty Southers" would appreciate knowing all about it.
Thanks,
Michelle
----------
SilverWing Leather - Custom leather creations for musicians and other eccentrics.
Last Edited by mlefree on Dec 29, 2015 6:13 AM
|
