[Harp-L] Re: Taylor Hicks



"He is now one of the two finalists and is guaranteed a major label 
 recording  contract.  You can count on all of his albums having a good
amount of harp content, and he is damn good from what I've heard.  It's
officially a pretty  big deal for the harmonica community.  He is going to
bring blues harp to a large new audience.  Could have the impact of John
Popper except Hicks plays  in the more traditional blues style.  Surely most
of you guys can be happy about that!"

---------------------------

Hey Taylor - you out there, bro?
Hell, lets get this guy connected up on harp-l and he'll be OVERBLOWING on
national TV?  If he's as good a harpist as some folks say he is, he MUST
have picked up a thing or two from our list.  Didn't someone say they go and
see him locally?  Maybe they could slip the harp-l URL to him or get his
e-mail.  Seriously, Stevie and Popper are too busy/important to bother with
a harp mailing list, but get Taylor on board before he gets too big, and we
may have our first super-mega-star on line.  Then again, if/when the
recording career tanks (what's Reuben Stoddard doing now-a-days, anyway,
playing state fairs?), Taylor will always have harp-L to fall back on.

Seriously, it's cool that a harper is getting exposure to millions, I just
wish it was Levy, Madcat, Paparozzi, or Bonfiglio, who I'm sure have *just*
a few more chops than Taylor.  Of course, I'll have to wait to actually hear
this great blues harpist play, if ever.  I'm afraid I have been unable to
watch more than 5-10 minutes of AI at a time.  Over-produced,
over-orchestrated, no group dynamics, no original music... and dare I say
this... the current crop's voices are really weak?  Hell, Jon Gindick (a
neophyte singer, BTW) can hit a note on pitch better, and keep from having
every note waver with vibrato all over the map like these folks.  As for
Taylor, if I wanted to hear an accomplished yeller, I'll just put on some
Joplin or Salgado.  If "energy" and "soul" really counted, J. Ricci would be
Billboard #1.  When Taylor gets close to all these folks - wake me up.

I'm glad someone who can play harp is on TV, I just wish it wasn't the 653rd
most accomplished one.  If your friends mention this, point them toward the
real deal.  Maybe Taylor does much better in person or on recording than on
TV, and I wish him well, but it's still Ted Mack's Amateur Hour.

Fred S






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