J is the best alive right now. There is no argument!!! I know some don't like Jason's tone or his attitude or that he plays too many notes or whatever. I've heard all the "excuses" Sorry this video proves hands down he is the best player on the planet right now bar none! His solo starting @13:12 is unreal start to finish!! Ain't no one playing like that. I can't fathom why this video has only 32 views at the time of this posting. ENJOY!
---------- "The only way to get better is to play a little outside your comfort zone every time you play!"
Starting at 15:28, he starts throwing a descending chromatic line (mostly) on top of the rhythm bed he has established and maintained for a minute and a half. If he ain't the best, he certainly doesn't seem to have much trouble coming up with stuff! Mooncat is his own random harmonica generator!
Technically good doesn't equate to "likes." Some people are really good at what they do, in anything, not just music, but that doesn't mean it is appealing to every audience. For example there are great guitar players out there such as Eddie Van Halen or Joe Satriani or Yngwie Malmsteen. Great and real speed demons! But that's not my thing. I respect their ability but I don't care for "that." I prefer Stevie Ray Vaughan or Clapton and even David Gilmore as he has a blues background I can hear in his playing.
It seems harp is a bit different. Harp players love all the big names...it seems... whether it's in their style preference or not. Just because. There are a lot of harmonica "greats" that I respect but just aren't my thing. For instance, Sonny Boy Williamson (John Lee). Great, of course, but not my cup of tea. SBWII? Yes, I like him. ---------- Tommy
I agree with 'doesn't equate to "likes.' They are not my favorites but certainly all are at the top of list, for the best—its subjective
Charley Mccoy- Brendon powers- john Popper- Sugar blue Carlos del junco
What I liked about his playing on this was ; he mixed chugging for home base and runs back to home base-just my opinion but I thought it was some of the best playing I’ve heard him do – I love the blues so when a player can rip runs, really good runs, acapella and then bring u back smoothly into the song, that’s great playing
During his lead, he still followed the movement of the song, which kept me going, This is not easy----u have to hear the song in yr head, while throwing licks in----—then wind up with the band coming back in smoothly
GREAT PLAYING IMO
Last Edited by snowman on Jul 27, 2017 8:37 AM
Jason is outstanding and a great teacher and player, both electric and acoustic harp. I enjoyed the video. He is a fantastic live performer and his solos are creative and use techniques that are jaw dropping.
He certainly is a harp "Great."
He may be the best at certain things on certain nights, certainly among the best players alive, but I just don't believe in the idea of a player being the "Best Alive."
"This video proves hands down he is the best player on the planet right now bar none!"
This kind of statement is to me slightly embarassing and more suitable for a boyish fan club than a forum of this kind. And that reservation has nothing whatsoever to do with Jason R´s undisputed excellence as a harmonica player, in no way, but more of the general level of discussion you are trying to introduce: "Jason is the greatest!" "No, Jason is greater than greatest!!" "No no, you are sacrilegious: Jason´s greatness is way beyond the greatness category: He is ... fantabulously wow-acious!!!"
I don´t know if that is taking us any further in understanding and appreciating harmonica playing, Jason´s and others?
@ martin and Ice, Yup you are both correct. I saw the video and it moved me and in that moment of elation I posted a silly boyish fan club style of post. It was not my intention to offend our stir up a "pissing match" of who is better. Those posts indeed do not get anyone anywhere as they are very subjective and are very personal tastes based. Sorry for posting in this way. I'll take a higher more academic approach and ask some questions as not to embarrass myself.
Are there any players that are doing chugging style rhythms and runs like Jason is doing in this video? If you know of any post a video. I like this style of playing and I'd like to hear more. Any clue what notes in the chromatic scale Jason is using during the descend @15:28? Is there anything that Jason is doing that others are beginning to copy? If so what and who? To my ears Jason is getting much better than he was back when he won his BMA. Is this true or are my ears deceiving me?
Again, Sorry for the boyish, childish type post. I got caught in a moment of emotion at this video and decided to post a dumb "oh he's the best" post because I wanted to share. It wasn't really well thought out. Anyway Cheers ---------- "The only way to get better is to play a little outside your comfort zone every time you play!"
descending scale that you ask about? Just 6 hole exhale, 5 hole OB, 5 hole inhale, 5 hole exhale, 4 hole inhale. basically is the core idea. Only listened once, but may have heard his first descending line also include 4 hole OB after that 5 hole exhale.
For an even more impressive display of this style of harmonica, check out Mark Graham (Pacific NW region) and David Rice (Cleveland area). This is a specific style found in acoustic jug band/old tyme music. Jason is "borrowing" from them - not innovation, but ideas from others with the "Jason spin" added - chromatic notes. ---------- The Iceman
I use "OB" and "OD" to indicate where the note comes from which is universally understood now. Not concerned with what the initials stand for in long hand. ---------- The Iceman
I'm all for those with the passion,knowledge and poetic eloquence to declare a particular artist--musician, film maker, painter, poet, playwright, sculptor--"the best" at what they do. The caveat, though, is that the one making the declaration is obliged,I feel,to explain himself (or herself) in ways that, if not persuasive, at least have us understand the reason for the effusion. Such things should be instances where someone can more or less wax poetic and present to their readership (or at least those he or she may incidentally be speaking with a development of a personal aesthetic, drawing on one's emotional response to the art, a discussion of how matters of influence and style distinguish this artist from others and empower to transcend mere chats about technical competence, how the work has remained relevant beyond it's historical moment and travelled well into the future, our present. An example, f'rinstance, could be Norman Mailer's declaration that he thought Henry Miller was, at the time, the greatest living writer in English, even putting out a book on the subject, Genius and Lust. I heartily disagree with the premise Mailer set forth, but the pleasure was in reading his ideas as to why Miller fulfilled his particular criteria for being the best over many , many other brilliant writers. ---------- Ted Burke tburke4@san.rr.com
Iceman, interesting. I use draw and blow to indicate inhaling and exhaling, as it's universally understood that straw sucking and candle blowing is bad technique. (well, understood at least as much as what OB and OD mean)
@FBInsMan: If you move a little outside of the blues territory (which perhaps is not what you´re looking for?) there are quite a few high velocity players who maybe could be described as "chugging" -- but I confess to a certain insecurity when it comes to what that exactly implies.
Wailin´ Wood is a down home/country/fiddle style player (or something) who at least should meet the speed criterion. (If you listen to the beginning of this video I´m sure you´ll agree.) This is mostly what I believe Larry calls "pattern playing", and by that meaning, I take it, not made up as you go along but learned through many and many an hour patiently sitting in the woodshed:
We all react differently to different sounds and are inspired by different things. The guys who push out and find that untravelled spot in our psyche are reaching into us. The thing is, we are all different. The more specialized the musical drug a performer is pedaling (pedal joke!) the stronger both the favorable and unfavorable reactions.
The answer to this? Bland music where all the performers sound the same! I think even the Jason haters can agree that's not what we want. I get it. I love Jason's playing. It moves me. But there are other players that do nothing for me. I can recognize how brilliant Stevie Wonder is, but for me, it just sounds like elevator music. I have all the respect in the world for him. I'd love to sit down and talk music with him. I don't find anything about his playing offensive. It just doesn't move me. But more power to him, because his music does connect with a lot of people, and if he makes other people happy he's alright in my book.
The "best" is always a subjective topic whether you are talking about a harmonica player or peanut butter. It is dependent on personal tastes. I feel Jason Ricci is bringing the harmonica to a whole new level.
I share The Iceman's sentiment to the nth degree. This is one of the few sites where I'm not subjected to partisan political opinion. There's absolutely no need for it.
Any serious discussion of the best needs to consider the prodigious talents of Bruce Willis. He was always good, but his playing really reached the next level with "The Return of Bruno."
There are to many great players of all instruments to be, oh ! he`s the best. To you ,but not to many others.enjoy but don`t push bullshit on the rest of us.
Last Edited by nowmon on Jul 29, 2017 1:02 PM
