Re: Subject: Re: Subject: [Harp-L] Re: Music and perception

[Joe and Cass Leone <leone@xxxxxxxx>]

On Nov 28, 2006, at 12:46 AM, EGS1217@xxxxxxx wrote
> .. Excellent point, Smo-Joe....Like you, that is in my opinion,  
> comparing apples to oranges.  Poor Toots gets dragged out for every  
> chromatic argument, yet I've seen Randy Singer more than hold HIS  
> own in a session with Toots...Randy was fabulous...played "Toots"  
> almost better than "Toots" did.

Paul Farmer said it best the other day. To paraphrase: *I prefer to  
listen to some of the 'lesser' players* (notice please..not in  
quotes). There are a few players who don't have the rep of a Steevie  
or a Toots, or a Levy, etc, and while hurting peoples feelings is not  
high on my list of entertainment values, I am compelled to agree and  
add that there are a few people who I can listen to all day. Randolph  
would be one of them. Will Galison is another. Even Hendrik (whose  
CDs I have ALL of and is, incidentely my favorite chromo player,  
wears on me after a while merely because of his PAST preponderance of  
Latin material.

Now Latin is my favorite, but too much coconut creme pie will also  
make me queezy.

>   So that particular argument is gone for me.  NO ONE holds Jason  
> Ricci in higher esteem than I do.  So I find anyone using him in an  
> argument about Stevie just a teeny bit silly.

Not even apples and oranges. More like apples and Komodo Dragons.  
Steevie is a 'spazz' and unless you yourself are a spazz, you will  
NEVER match his style. He is choppy and jerky. But that's what he  
does best and the whole package comes off as quite nice (IMO) :) I  
had a CD with Tony Bennett doing a raft of duets with a bunch of  
other 'name' entertainers. I had to give it away because I don't like  
Bennett's nasal lisp. On the CD, he does a duet with Steevie called  
'Every Day I have The Blues'. Steevie stalls, stammers, and trips  
over his tongue for about 4 bars attempting to start the tune. I  
would have never let that cut out of the studio. But then, that's MY  
opinion. Proves that NO one is a God.

On the subject of players: I opine players by how many times I have  
heard them and how many times they actually sounded like they were  
trying to do what they were supposed to be doing, Namely..playing  
harp. A few interesting observations on just a few of the people I  
have seen
Name                  decent job vs number of times seen          
batting average

James Cotton             2     /      
3                                         667
Jr. Wells                      1    /       
3                                         333
Rice Miller                   2    /       
2                                        1000
Little Walter                 1    /       
3                                          333
Wilhelmina Mae Thornton  1    /     
1                                    1000
Lazy Lester                  2   /        
2                                         1000
Sonny Terry                 3   /        
3                                         1000
Big Walter                    not seen
Toots                            2   /    
3                                             667
conclusion? .... Use your own imagination


>  When I hear someone of the level of a Robert Bonfiglio marvelling  
> at the talent of Stevie Wonder during his own Grand  Canyon  
> Seminar.....then I discount any players not of the caliber of  
> Bonfiglio having anything to say about Stevie's chops.

Some people would disagree and say that it doesn't take someone of  
the stature like the 'Bon Vivant' to define who can play and who  
can't. After all, people have ears. But 'I' WOULD agree with you  
inasmuch as someone like Robt. will NOT be jaded nor prejudiced and  
will listen to the individual performer with a teachers ear totally  
disregarding any other impetus other than the piece and how it's  
being rendered.

> I was delighted that his tastes were so much in sync with mine  
> (even to how much he was moved by Jason's playing at SPAH in  
> Denver)...not that I've ever needed anyone else's opinion to back  
> up my own, but it just proves my contention that Stevie Wonder is  
> at a harmonic level some people just don't seem to have the ability  
> to understand.
>
> "Each and every time I have said anything about Steveland Morris
> Judkins, I have taken heat, so I don't talk about him any more."
>
> "I once made a statement and was barraged and reminded that someone
> 'else' had spent "More time than anyone" studying Steevie and his
> works.
>
> Someone I know we both respect highly?

Yes, true, but it still hurt my feelings.
> He passed most of the Free World by musically!  I keep telling you  
> how much I like your playing...and style of playing.  And they  
> don't know your background the way I do now. Maybe that's why I  
> like Stevie's chromatic so much?...or like YOUR playing so  
> much....one or the other.  I'll have to ponder on that some.  :)

You're giving me WAY too much credit, and I don't understand why you  
would think my playing was anything more than a feeble attempt at  
tossing out a few notes. I'm an old man and smoking has taken it's  
toll. Lately, I get very tired. On the other hand, anyone who heard  
me do 'Alfie' at Buckeye 2005  K N O W S what I can do.

smo-joe
> Elizabeth