i was looking at who is your fav. harp player all masters but of how many styles ? now their is not one on there that i dont like. but i have only met two that could really be called masters of all styles. and they are not that well known Kit Gamble and Chirs Hammer Smith im shure theres more.
so does anyone know others that truly have mastered, chro. jazz blues bluegrass country irish
Good question, but I think most harp players only master one style of music maybe 2 at most. To be a master of many styles is not the norm,& they are few and far in between,IMHO
thanks guys i thought i was gonna have to start a delta frost thread. Chris Hammer Smith is in l.a. calif. dont know if he still does but used to teach any of these styles i would think Brendon Power could do this . my dog is an anatolion ill ask him
A true harp master can play one harp in a rack in his mouth, one in each nostril, and one each with each foot and hand using a bellows, all in different times and positions, on different key harps, while over blowing and operating the buttons on their chroms with their toes.
Some people say that there are those out there that can play even more harmonicas than that. Never borrow their harmonica.
Good question.. ..define master harmonica player....first. Tough one.
What about emotional content? Or maybe technical wizardry? Modern Master? ..or Early Master?
Would you nominate SonnyBoy W., Little Walter? or how bout, Kim W., Rick E., James C., etc, etc...?
For a Modern Master category. I don't know much about Howard Levi, but I know he'd be a good candidate. I was blown away at his vid clip of him playing every key, with a C harp. I wish I had it. Anyone out there see it, too.
And for Early Master category...my vote would go to Sonny boy Williamson.. ..for his sheer dominance of the blues scene, his instrument, and his innate ability to play it well, and with soul. thanks for asking. I hadn't pondered that question ever.
I think it's almost impossible to play all styles with the same quality. I think Howard Levy is farther than any other harmonica players in such direction. He is free playing jazz, fusion, classical, balkan, blues, arabic. I think his only weakness is working with amplified tone, but it really doesn't matter. I actually don't know any diatonic player which can play classical music and I even don't know any chromatic player who can play both classical and jazz music.
Also Brendan Power, Chris Michalek plays great arrange of styles (but I never heard classical music from them).
Anyway who know what is better. To be great playing one style or to be good in a bunch of styles? ---------- Excuse my bad English. Click on my photo or my username for my music.
Last Edited by on Nov 11, 2010 5:35 AM
i did see a guy from china on tv playin classical on the harp. and it does not matter.NO just like it does not matter about learning those squeeeeky overblows or theory. humor remember im rodney's kid btw chris played with Paul Mcartney now that matters excuse my bad spelling
I think they play a lot more classical harp in Asia. They have classical quartets and even full harp orchestras. Of course, a lot of classical is designed to be played on a bunch of instruments at once, so without a bunch of other harpers or at least track recording or a loop pedal it can be hard.
(I can play a piece of the Masterpiece Theater tune...) :)
I believe a true harp master is a player who plays any one style with superlative expression, which usually involves having developed a lot of technique along the way.
I don't think playing a lot of styles is necessarily the sole criterion for judging a harmonica master.
My list of players who have mastery over the harmonica is nearly endless.
One living proponent of harmonica mastery that I am currently revisiting is Clint Hoover. Wonderfully technical and soulful on both chromatic harmonica and diatonic, Clint is a jazzman, and a prewar blues style player.
boris sez: "I actually don't know any diatonic player which can play classical music."
The American stand up comedian, Robert Klein, is a decent harmonica player. As part of his act, he would sometimes play passages from Beethoven (I think) symphonies on the diatonic harmonica and was pretty good at it. I haven't seen his act for quite a few years, but I remember being pretty impressed when I did hear him do this. I mean, it wasn't a recital or anything, but it was classical music.
Last Edited by on Nov 11, 2010 4:03 PM
Buddy Greene may not be a master of classical, primarily a gospel player, but this video makes a compelling argument for playing classical music on a diatonic.
a master is really just someone who holds a firm confident command over something. in the harp world, that could mean "insert genre here"
once you know the ten holes like you do the language you speak, then you can use your inner voice to make whatever music you like. part of it may be technical proficiency, but a majority of it lies in what you chose to say...
another thing... masters always have subjects. however loyal or even the ones taken by force. ---------- Kyzer's Travels Kyzer's Artwork
I'm looking for some Robert Klein and I can't find, could you show me some links?
Buddy Green is cool player, but his classical medley is actually not classical playing. It's far from classical standarts, it's just medley of popular classical heads. Bonfiglio is great perfect classical player, but jazz improvising is unfortunately not his best point.
---------- Excuse my bad English. Click on my photo or my username for my music.
I looked on YouTube and could not find any examples of Robert Klein playing classical material, but I think his act was more or less similar to what Buddy Greene is doing.
Not long ago, in a post on Harp-l, Robert Bonfiglio excoriated Buddy Greene's performance and probably would be just as critical of Robert Klein who, as I recall, would play some harmonica as part of his stand up comedy act and then fluidly take it into a dramatic high energy rendition of a recognizable symphony movement to conclude his performance.
No one come to mind that could be as good as all three of these great players. Being a master doesn't mean you have to play a bunch of different styles. Being a master of one is a lifetime achievement.
---------- Emile "Diggs" D'Amico a Legend In His Own Mind How you doin'
Last Edited by on Nov 12, 2010 7:23 AM
charlie mccoy has always been one of my favorites.especially his playing on steve miller band album no.5 if anybodys interested check out on youtube steve miller band going to the country and tokins
@ Xpun3414: No problem, my pleasure! @ Diggsblues: I totally acknowledge Bonfiglio as a master, I have heard of him, but never listened to his stuff before.
I do have to acknowledge Buddy Greene however, particularly as a moonlighter. One of the more complex arpeggios he was playing before "William Tell" definitely had some intonation problems that I could hear, but I love the loud and clear tone and articulation he had in that medley, very appropriate for the majesty of the music!
I have to agree with most of what you guys are saying about a master. a master of anything is some one who has spent the time it takes to do the one thing perfectly EVERYTIME he/she does it.some people are born prodigies. I've met Peter MADCAT and got the opertunity to be in a couple of his classes. this guy is an unbelievable harp player, is he a master ? I've heard to Toots Thillman alot in my life. is he a master? Buddy greene, Charlie McCoy, Bonfiglio, these gentlemen are very impressive to hear and I think that any harp player who has a good ear could pick up alot of cool licks to add to his/her playing ability buy listening to these guys alot.. BUT are they masters?? anybody could play a typical 1.4.5 chord progression with an afternoons worth of instruction and a butt load of confidence. there is alot of different types of music in this big world of ours. to say a person could master ALL types of music on a harmonica, regardless of the type of harmonica, is a big statement. but definately one for thought. I wonder IF there is a musician who could master all those different types of music on ANY instrument?? this is a good thread. Thanks Capt Beef Harp.
wow i get the feeling some of you think im b.s. ing tryin to feed ya the old pork sandwich i say look em up and call have em play on the phone . but in the spirit of b.s. he could do this in his early 20's
Listen to some of Diggs music. If he is not a harp master, he's damn close. ---------- Wisdom does not always come with old age. Sometimes old age arrives alone.
I'm thinking Joe Filisko might have the range you guys look for. Mel Melton says he's the best harp player he ever heard and he's heard just about all of them.
it is certainly a great achievment to play like one of the greats or being able to play just anything...but to me mastery means being able to play "my own song"...the one I would play if I have only 5 more minutes to live and someone hands me a harp...because what is craftsmanship without soul? ;-) ---------- Music is moonlight in the gloomy night of life. (Jean Paul)
A good candidate for the title of Master Harmonica Player. Here's two of em...together! Got to check em out, if you haven't already. This is cool. I'm gonna suggest this regardless whether I'm the only one who hasn't seen it. A friend just stopped bye and told me I should check them out. Your turn.
Last Edited by on Nov 21, 2010 2:01 AM
amen....to that one! how sweet it is, eh? I think these guys qualify as masters...changing the subject a bit...I love a good drummer/s. Three of my favorite, together! turn it up! lol!
Last Edited by on Nov 21, 2010 4:48 PM
