I've just uploaded a video that's basically an audio track from an in-studio appearance at WKCR back in 1991. It's Satan and Adam without the heavy percussion thing, which gives you a chance to hear the way I was working my harp in and around a very busy guitar part.
In the studio, we were each playing through a Mouse--they put mics on each amp--and Sterling was singing into a mic. So they had three inputs, and they were mixing them live. If my harp sounds a tad too loud at certain points, that's not me. In fact, I was playing lighter during all the comping portions than I was when I took my solo; I really bore down on it during the solo.
I liked to warble 45 draw on the 1 chord and then switch to 56 blow on the IV chord; you can hear me do that at a couple of points here.
Please post videos of guitar/harp combos where you can hear the responsiveness (or non-responsiveness!) and interaction. What larger points can be drawn about what works and doesn't work?
Is a very melodic way to play whit a singer, but it works because the guitar playing is so flat. ---------- Sorry for any misspell, english is not my first language.
Thanks for posting the Chesis and Clark video. I love this kind of playing - simple, but so to the point. Nic Clark has great tone. Same goes for the first video with Adam and Satan, and Kim Wilson, of course.
Last Edited by Rgsccr on Jul 30, 2017 1:43 PM
oops on the Miuddy / Portnoy post. I was thinking about comping / accompanying general.
One of my things is an acoustic duo doing mostly originals. My partner Tom plays finger style - which gives me a lot of options in terms of how much to play. Taking lead, weaving together equally, or backing up with simple rhythm or minimal sustained notes at lower volume. Here's one of ours, - the video is a goofy sync over a recorded track, but the track was recorded live without overdubs. A little harp guitar at 1:16 - more at 2:24 or so
Kudz, I think you overplayed that. You didn't take even one single rest note over what you yourself described as a busy guitar. ----------
Last Edited by JInx on Jul 30, 2017 3:24 PM
I think I may have posted this before a while back. It is actually sort of a trio, not a duo, since there was a drummer and an acoustic guitar playing singer on stage when I was called up to the stage from where I was running sound.
Since Mr. Satan played guitar and drums I think that comping in this video should still qualify as similar to a duo.
In this video I take a restrained approach, as I viewed myself as being asked to play as an accompanist for a singer playing acoustic blues on a slower song.
In the "Good Day for the Blues" duo video I played more, including some harmony parts with the vocals. ----------
Thanks, folks. Some fine, fine harp playing in this thread. I'm not sure if there are any lessons to be drawn, except that there's more than one way to achieve excellence. Carlos is very busy; Kim is not.
I think there's one lesson, perhaps: every harp player needs to adapt to the situation that he finds himself in. When you're paired with a guitar player, one on one, the way the guitar player plays--leaving a lot of space, or playing busily and driving the groove, is inevitably going to condition the choices that you make.
Last Edited by kudzurunner on Jul 30, 2017 6:03 PM
Those that hire Kim for their project will get exactly what they need - no showboating, just solid accompaniment and tight solos.
One of the best examples I know of side man Kim doing what he does best is on this Mark Knopfler project below - Mark did a handful of blues on this double CD. Here is the complete recording, so you will have to go in and weed out the cuts with Kim, unless you enjoy a very talented guitarist/singer doing other than blues as well - then listen to the whole project. Highly recommended - especially how SIMPLE Kim plays behind Mark...
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