[Harp-L] Re: Music and perception

["Haka Harri" <harri.haka@xxxxxxxx>]

Elizabeth wrote:

> when it 
> comes to  music in 
> general, and for this thread: Stevie Wonder's talent in  particular.
>  
>   And for the record I've never once considered him  
> "supernatural"...only an 
> absolute phenomenon, musical prodigy and genius,  who's never 
> been given his 
> true "due" in harmonica playing precisely  because he IS an 
> incredible 
> "multi-instrumentalist" and vocalist,  songwriter, 
> arranger....who gets faulted 
> because he  doesn't focus strictly on the harp as far as some 
> people (who  for some 
> reason seem to be mostly European?) are concerned  (something 
> I find faintly 
> ludicrous).

I doubt that being European affects one's view of multi-instrumentalists that play harp or makes their opinions even faintly ludicrous. As I said earlier, Stevie is not "faulted" because he plays other instruments. I also like his very unique style of harp playing but would not put him on the top of my list of best harp players.

Jon wrote a good post on what searching for "the best" is really all about:

> seems to me that you all would be much safer and have more chance of  
> success if, instead of looking for "the best" harmonica player out  
> there....you'd instead type "my favorite"...which makes total  
> sense...and can be easily defined.....no argument .....who's 
> going to  
> say that your favorite really isn't your favorite?
> 
> Looking for the 'best' is silly.... especially if you don't say "for  
> what purpose?"
> 
> toots is THE BEST at sounding like Toots...

That helps in phrasing my final comment on this thread: My favorite harp player is Little Walter Jacobs and Stevie Wonder is the best at sounding like Stevie Wonder. And both of them are American.

Harri