Alex, I wish I had half of your creativity juices. The video gave me goosebumps. So did your last Christmas video. Keep up the excellent work man, you are a very valuable member of the community!
I said a long time ago that this kid was really something special, but everyone seems to only focus on the young players in the U.S. like Jay Gaunt, LD Miller, Brandon Bailey, etc. And they are all good btw. But, Alex is much more than a harmonica player, and the title of this thread says it best. He is a true artist and a musician. There is no one on the planet that I know who can compete with Alex. And he has only been playing 2-3 years!
@Todd no one on the planet can compete with him-thats a very strong statement with all the great players on the planet kim wilson rod piazza madcat ruth billy branch
Excellent production. And Todd, for what it's worth, music is not a competition. Listeners ears are fickle and what one does with their own music is not a statement on anyone else's music.
I don't know how any of you can turn this into a mini argument. Alex is definitely a shining example of what you can do if you apply yourself to something... or many things.
Alex, you just impressed me on many levels outside of playing harmonica. Excellent production. The end result is fantastic and well worth it.
You guys are taking my comment way too seriously. It's simply intended as a nice way of complimenting Alex. Yes, I know music is not a competition, yes I know that there are other phenomenal harp players....
If you take my comment in the proper context of Alex being "much more than" a harmonica player as the thread even states, perhaps it will be more clear as to what I am saying. Did anyone else notice that Alex:
- wrote the lyrics - produced and edited the video - sang and played harp - played the guitars - played the bass - did the audio recording and mastering
And he did all of these things very professionally as far as I'm concerned. For a young man, this is awesome and I'm proud of him. He's a talented, good guy and a friend, and was a cool roommate at SPAH last year.
As for harp players, many of my favorite players are not even overblowers or "fancy" players. Music is about expression and feeling. As far as I'm concerned, there is no such thing as the world's greatest harmonica player or musician. It's a matter of personal taste.
Funny. A previous 'Paclin Brothers' vid had me thinking that Alex has a twin sibling. I take it that I missed the joke. Seeing Alex play guitar adds another 'wow' factor.
I think Todd's statement was spot on. If anything, Alex is the most commercially viable harp player in the world right now, purely from the perspective of him being able to present his work so well.
How many harp players would go to that trouble to not only create their own backing track, but also a an vid with actors and stuff in it?
He's great and I hope he becomes a phenomenon and enjoys every success he deserves.
after to watching the video its obvious alex is more than a harp player-he is a fine musician great vocals and creative talent would love to see him in live performance
all very great, and best of all alex is now developing his 'own sound", that was not as obvious in some of the older videos he posted, this is a major step, probably bigger than learning the all technical aspects of any of the impressive playing, recording, and video production on this. in my opinion of course
This is a really good mix -- did he do the mix/master himself? It sounds perfectly panned, which gives it a lot of depth, but not too much separation. Masterfully done: I wonder what program was used. The video and musicianship are clearly top quality, and the vocals are silky smooth. I'm impressed!
Yes and Yes. I can easily envision a John Mayer type career. Wonderful tasteful chops on the instrument but obviously more than that as pointed out above. Excellent songwriting and production. Cute as a button too - I linked my 21 year old daughter to some of your you-tubes and she completely concurred.
Sometime soon I hope you connect with a good A&R rep for a label - or at least a good manager to start moving your career forward.
One techie harp question for you Alex. Please tell us about your move to valved harps. I've never played one and am just getting comfortable with some of the OB's and OD's. - Wondering if I should try a valved or half valved harp. How would you compare them? Are you using valved harps strictly now? What was the transition like?
Keep on keeping on young man - we are very much enjoying what you are producing - and are rooting for you to reach all of your goals. ----------
Last Edited by on Feb 15, 2011 6:09 PM
I think valves gives you a great opportunity that you can bend every note which is often necessary. Besides you still can play chromaticly. Ask PT Gazell, he knows a lot about valves=)
The clicking sound you hear sometimes (example around 2:56) from the harp must be the sound of the valves? It's not too hard to block out...but it's kind of like squeeking guitar string sounds guitar players have to contend with..it can be a bit distracting none-the-less at times.
That's some very beautiful music. It disables criticism, really, and that's a good thing. It speaks for itself and doesn't need any interpretation, justification, or apologizing for. You've got a rare combination of creativity, soulfulness, and careful, spot-on execution. The future is bright.
I will say it again....Alex has taken the valve thing I've been using & talking about for years and taken it to a much higher level than I'm capable of. That's what the next generation is supposed to do. Bravo! ---------- "Life...10 Holes & 20 Reeds At A Time"
Last Edited by on Feb 21, 2011 11:37 AM
Wow both vids are excellent! I liked the second one even more. What a level of playing...
But a question about valves: Is it really that difficult to sustain a bent valved note? To keep it stable? Or does it play just the same as regular bent notes?
If you can bend notes ACCURATELY without valves, you should be able to adjust your technique to do this with a little practice. It was for me more of a mental hurdle to blow bend holes 5 & 6 after playing my whole life knowing that those notes were not bendable. The valves just enable me to do the bending. Alex did not play valved harmonica till sometime after SPAH 2010. He heard me playing and liked the possibilities. There is no magic bullet. If you go to http://www.facebook.com/pages/PT-Gazell-The-Side-Effects/195146590497731?v=wall and click on band profile you can play "September Song" to hear an example of holding valved bends stable.
Thanks ---------- "Life...10 Holes & 20 Reeds At A Time"
Last Edited by on Feb 22, 2011 3:05 AM
