Re: [Harp-L] I want to play chromatic like Stevie




On Jun 10, 2005, at 8:58 AM, Robert Paparozzi wrote:


Slim,
    Your right, that's a definite "Stevie-ism"....

Try clicking the tip of your tongue of the top of your upper palette, 1st without the harp and you'll get a a sort of click-pop sound effect. Then, take a few notes on the chromatic (upper register works best above 5).

Yes, I would say that this is the way to do it.

When you first hear it it sounds like his giving the harp short staccato type "Kisses" but it's really the technique above.......

Hmmm, interesting. I always felt the harmonica was applied and then pulled away from the lips. Steveland is such a 'spastic' player, that it made sense to ME.


The Plucking in his version of 'Alfie' is awesome!

I did Alfie at Buckeye. I feel bad for anyone who didn't hear it. While I didn't QUITE get the plucking sound in, everything else was close. Not that I was happy with it...just satisfied. In fact, I did 5 numbers. Each was done in the style of a different person. A few astute listeners noticed it, but most did not.

Good Luck............ Rob Paparozzi

I am generally a humble person but so as to give no misconceptions, a little about me.
Born 1942, I was a Consulate brat and spent my first 18 years about equally divided between N.Y. C. and Italy. At age 12 1/2 I started playing chromatic. By 14 I was playing in a sidewalk cafe in Naples. By 15 I was playing in a sidewalk cafe in Paris. At 14 (1956) I played on the Andrea Doria the night before she sunk. I even blew a few notes on a couple Italian 45 record sides. At 17 I sat in with the Royal Canadians. I was almost as good as another teenager (Gene Jimae). In 1959 I discovered what cutting the 5th draw reed on a diatonic UP one semi-tone would do. Soon thereafter, I quit active playing..Why, you ask?


My parents were NON supported and did everything in their power to keep me from being a musician. I went on my own at 18 and everything I have I earned the hard way. I eventually settled in Pittsburgh. I once had a job for 27 1/2 years which didn't allow moonlighting. Specifically forbidden was to "hang around" liquor establishments.(long story I needn't go into). Every couple years I would appear on a telethon, Mr Rogers Neighborhood, local commercial, national commercial (American Motors, Mighty Dog) I belonged to the Pgh Jazz Society and was a regular, having played with the likes of: Richard Holmes, Jimmy McGriff, Kenny Burrell, Harold Betters. Whatever I did had to be under the table. I was once offered a movie shot, but couldn't do it because I would have gotten in trouble at work.

My first SPAH was 91. I played an evening slot in 93 (Memphis). 9 years later (2002), I played a second time at Columbus. My first Buckeye was 91. I played an evening slot in 94. 11 years later (2005), I played a second time.

As you can see, my appearances are indeed rare. Now (at age 62) it hardly matters as I was better at 17 than I am now. Therefore, I play for fun, and that's the deal.

JoJo






This archive was generated by a fusion of Pipermail 0.09 (Mailman edition) and MHonArc 2.6.8.