Re: [Harp-L] the difference between funk and blues; a response to JR Ross

[BostonMoeJo <bostonmoejo@xxxxxxx>]

I recall hearing Robert Johnson historian Elijah Wald on NPR when he was promoting his book on Robert Johnson discuss how Robert was a very accomplished musician and would often be hired to play for Polish parties.  Apparently he was quite adept at playing polkas on the guitar. Fortunately, he never recorded any of his polka tunes.....

Perhaps if he had music history might have taken a different path..Imagine Rock & Roll being based on Polka rather than Blues music....

Just a thought...
~Bo



In a message dated 08/25/08 16:47:59 Eastern Daylight Time, dberger1@xxxxxxxxxx writes:
Haven't I read that Little Walter even played some country music? 

and Memphis Minnie played everything- its just not recorded! 

Dan 
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Mike Fugazzi" <mfugazzi67@xxxxxxxxx> 
To: <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx> 
Sent: Monday, August 25, 2008 4:23 PM 
Subject: Re: [Harp-L] the difference between funk and blues;a response to JR 
Ross 



From: Mike Fugazzi <mfugazzi67@xxxxxxxxx> 
Subject: Re:  [Harp-L] the difference between funk and blues; a response to 
JR Ross 
To: "mfugazzi67" <mfugazzi67@xxxxxxxxx> 
Date: Monday, August 25, 2008, 3:23 PM 

1. Blues is a feeling. 
2. On many of these songs, he's playing blues licks. While the progression 
may not be a standard blues, much of his phrasing and scale choices are 
deeply routed in blues. 
3. I also wrote that in many cases he went into the studio and was 
collaborating with others. 
4. For as famous as Clapton is, he bolted on many of his bands when they 
drifted from their original path. This includes the Yardbirds, Derek and the 
Dominos, Cream, etc. 
5. As he got older, Clapton undoubtedly drifted from roots based music. Like 
many of our harp heroes, he adjusted to the times to make a career. Now he 
can sit back and play whatever he wants to thousands. 

I can never bash anybody for playing multiple types of music...especially 
veering away from straight blues. Let's face it, 
Little Walter made a lot of money playing pop music in the streets on 
guitar. There is no such thing as a purist past the very first generation. 
Even then the music was "compromised". Labels were created and like humans 
do, it had be organized into a solid object. However, all music, even blues, 
is a continuation of sound. It was never original...it always existed and 
has always been changing since the creation of time. That's what makes it so 
great. 

I have a much harder time understanding why somebody would go to the well 
for a whole career (this happens all the time in any genre) then let 
themselves evolve. It is always those that let the path take them where it 
may that go down as legendary. 





Mike Fugazzi 

Harmonica/Vocals 

http://www.myspace.com/niterailband 

http://www.myspace.com/mikefugazzi 





"Music should be healing; music should uplift the soul; music should 
inspire. There is no better way of getting closer to God, of rising higher 
towards the spirit, of attaining spiritual perfection than music, if only it 
is rightly understood." 

-Hazrat Inayat Khan 

--- On Mon, 8/25/08, mfugazzi67 <mfugazzi67@xxxxxxxxx> wrote: 
From: mfugazzi67 <mfugazzi67@xxxxxxxxx> 
Subject: Fwd:  Re:  [Harp-L] the difference between funk and blues; a 
response to JR Ross 
To: mfugazzi67@xxxxxxxxx 
Date: Monday, August 25, 2008, 3:13 PM 

--- In harp-l-archives@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, "Tim Moyer" 
<wmharps@...> wrote: 

Mike Fugazzi wrote: 
Finally, if [Eric Clapton] was good enough for Muddy...who loved 
EC...than he's blues enough in my book! 

I think my favorite blues piece of his is "Lay Down Sally"...  No, 
wait, "Wonderful Tonight"...  No, wait, "Cocaine"...  No, 
wait... 

-tim 



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_______________________________________________ 
Harp-L is sponsored by SPAH, http://www.spah.org 
Harp-L@xxxxxxxxxx 
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