[Harp-L] The Chrome

[chris smith <harpshredder@xxxxxxxxx>]

    The chromatic harp is a truly exciting axe for
blues with tremendous potential for improvisation in
all keys not just the delicious 3rd position . Little
Walter obviously relished it (check out solo on I Just
Want To Make Love To You) but like most straight ahead
bluesers he rarely, if ever , used the button. I
really dug Mike Turk's riff but that's definitely on
the  jazzy side of the blues equation AND THAT'S OK
CUZ DOGGONE IT PEOPLE LIKE JAZZ ( to paraphrase Stuart
Smalley).
     As far as Elizabeth's comment of wanting to hear
on it (the chrome) what she hear sax players do that's
an extraordinarily tall, if not impossible, order. Sax
and clarinet are two of the most fluid single note
axes there are and the note-bending capabilities are
almost unlimited.
Last time I checked I only have one mouth but 10
fingers and all those fingers can go a lot faster than
the  one mouth. The sax is a large instrument that
without any amplification is LOUD !! The harp is a
tiny instrument that almost always requires
amplification. Every instrument is like a different
personality with its unique qualities, plusses and
minuses. I really like the sax's jazz improvisational
capacity but I really 
wish it had the multivoice sound of the piano. Absurd
right ? Nurturing and discovering the harmonica's
unique, personal and evocative voice is what it's all
about, n'est-ce pas ? And frankly when it comes to
real blues as far as I'm concerned leave your sax
parked in your den- just bring the Mississippi
Saxophone : the blues harp .
     P.S. I do a fair amount of chromatic blues in my
shows- hope to 
see you somewhere  this summer (see giglist).
                                                      
                Keep cool,
                                                      
                                Chris




Chris "Hammer" Smith
Hammer Smith Band
Official Myspace Page http://myspace.com/chrishammersmith
harpshredder@xxxxxxxxx