Yesterday I learned that two of canada's top harp players were going to perform in a local blues bar (Carl Tremblay and Jim Zeller. These are the first and 4th player in the vid, respectively).
When I saw the youtube vid before the concert I thought I was going to have a ball. I was really excited because I had never actually seen a live harmonica blues concert before.
So I get to the bar and the show starts. Right away I'm dissapointed. The harp playing is oversimplistic (maybe about 3 or 4 licks that keep coming back), the tone seems weak and licky, the rythmic aspect is not very interesting...I actually left after the first hour and I played in my car in the parking lot.
what's wrong here? These are touring professionals? I felt like I could easily have been on stage with these guys and feel comfortable (I'm not saying this because I think I'm a great player, I'm a very advanced beginner maybe intermediate)
Has this ever happened to you guys? Have I become a harmonica snob? Help! ;-)
PS: this is a vid from the 90s. Please don't think we dress that way in Québec.
Happens a lot with guitar players. You'll get, say Eric Clapton on stage with Buddy Guy and..whoever. Well they all get to be overly careful about looking like they are trying to show anyone else up or cut any heads that none of them end up playing anything worth listening to.
yeah...I thought about that too. You may very well be right. And yet, it was more subtle than not cutting the other player's head with your best licks. It was like the harp playing was fundamentaly not interesting even in it's simplests riffs and in the way it sounded (though this last element might have been due to the bar's sound system.)
English majors have this problem too. Once you learn what good writing is like you hate most writing.
Remember that for every Christina Aguilera there is a Britney Spears. You'll also run into people who are brilliant. And you'll hate the music they play.
If you're in Quebec (and you like traditional blues) Bharath Rajakumar is a must. He's a walking encyclopedia of traditional stuff...Little Walter,Big Walter, Rice Miller. He's an excellent singer as well.
@BeardHarmonica -- Peter Shonk is an old friend of mine from back in the 70's when we both used to gig between Boston and Providence RI a lot. Please say hi for me the next time you see him. ---------- Sincerely, Barbeque Bob Maglinte Boston, MA http://www.barbequebob.com CD available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bbmaglinte
