Re: [Harp-L] Levon Helm and The Rco Allstars/Butter



Anthony,

Sorry if I didn't laugh along with the gang, but when it comes to Butterfield's music and how important it was to MY learning the instrument. I take it pretty seriously when these kind of blank statements are being made on an international Harp forum.
( I agree tho, it's hard to know when someone is joking in email, so use more ,-))) when you can,-)


Yes, they are your opinion and you may have valid reasons for why you feel this way about his playing. My point is that you haven't referred us to any examples about the 'incorrect notes and busy playing'. To my ears he never sounded BUSY. I also think he was harmonically very advanced and was able to choose notes that weren't normally choose by traditional players and that contributed to his unique sound and approach. But I respect your opinion and how you hear him as well.

To me, he seemed like a really
busy player and much didn't sound correct. It seemed like he would use blow
notes in place of bent draws to allow for fast play and to simplify breathing
patterns even if it wasn't right.

Let me give a few examples of what I mean but there are way too many to get in to here:


I think most Butter disciples would agree that he really was approaching his greatest work by the Double LP and his his amazingly languid and brilliant acoustic solo on "Driftin". Then his epic arrangement of Little Walter's "Everything's gonna be Alright" where you can heard his harp perfectly building a storyline verse by verse and an acapella intro with TONE that most players won't achieve in a lifetime.


Moving on from there, is what I think of as his Masterpiece, he just really plays the Harp as a SUPPORT axe throughout the whole record. He takes his big feature on 'New Walkin Blues" and let's you know he is complete control. But then get's behind the other singers (Ronnie Barron & Geoff Muldaur) and is the IMO PERFECT sideman: examples:


-Please Send Me Someone to Love (subtle fills to compliment the Vox & Horn Lines)
-Broke my Baby's Heart ( and his solo on this is absolutely inspiration to me)


as Steve Webb pointed out his work on:

-Done a lot of Wrong Things in my Life
is a lesson in what a blues diatonic player can & should play on a non blues and more country rock type changes on a ballad like this.


-Highway 28, was obviously a JAM and an afterthought on this LP but talk about different note choices, The changes are basically I-II-V7 and he plays it in first position like you never heard it before. Doesn't it sound DIFFERENT, Heck yeah! and that is what I loved about his playing. NOT always going for the obvious note is what makes a a player like Butterfield stand with his OWN voice on the axe.

yesterday you said:

I went on you tube and looked up some Butterfield and I stand by my previous
comments. I think many of the opinions on this site are based on the
i>ndividuals experience of the 1960's! Basically, the free love and drug
mentality had all you old hipsters too high to know any better! >

Now it just brings back too many great memories for your ears to >be honest
with you...

Seriously, Point me to a great you tube video of him cause I wasn't
i>mpressed with what I found.

I don't think we can find this kind of stuff on YOU TUBE, if you'd like I can make you a personal copy of my examples on a CD. Ofcourse if you already examined or heard these example and think differently we can agree to disagree and move on. I think diversity in taste and listening is a beautiful things and what makes this world so wonderful...happy listening

*PS...I agree with Ken D, The new LEVON CD's are really great even w/o harp! My friend Larry Campbell helped produce these CD's and is currently in the newest config of Levon's band...I look forward to catching them live.

My opinion about Butter's playing on the RCO all star stuff....is that it's just OK, I think Butter was already dealing with Demons by this point and he is a bit more distracted on these records.

Respectfully,
Rob Paparozzi






---- Original Message ----- From: "Anthony Smith" <anthony@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: "'Rob Paparozzi'" <Chromboy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>; "'michael rubin'" <michaelrubinharmonica@xxxxxxxxx>; <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Wednesday, July 08, 2009 5:59 PM
Subject: RE: [Harp-L] Levon Helm and The Rco Allstars/Butter



Lighten up Rob! Better yet, look up the Iceman and see if he can "score"
you some Good Panama Red and if the price is still right, I might be driving
north!


I am near 40 and far from a youngste. Just one generation away from
free-love, damn the luck. I own hundreds of cd's and oddly still prefer
them over downloads. With that said, I won't take your advice and go buy a
CD to prove to myself what I already believe. I was looking for something
out there to support the Butterfield comments thinking I might have
overlooked something back in the day. Regrettably, that doesn't seem to be
the case.




-----Original Message-----
From: harp-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxx [mailto:harp-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf
Of Rob Paparozzi
Sent: Wednesday, July 08, 2009 5:33 PM
To: Anthony Smith; 'michael rubin'; harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: [Harp-L] Levon Helm and The Rco Allstars/Butter


The problem with you young 'youngsters' is that you think you can find TRUTH
on You Tube, spend some $$$ and buy some records or CD's good music isn't
free...


>think many of the opinions on this site are based on the
individuals experience of the 1960's! Basically, the free love and
drug mentality had all you old hipsters too high to know any better!

"Yeah, like WOW man, that must be it"


Thanks for such cogent and in depth observations.

Rob Paparozzi

----- Original Message -----
From: "Anthony Smith" <anthony@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: "'michael rubin'" <michaelrubinharmonica@xxxxxxxxx>; <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Wednesday, July 08, 2009 5:12 PM
Subject: RE: [Harp-L] Levon Helm and The Rco Allstars/Butter



I went on you tube and looked up some Butterfield and I stand by my
previous
comments.  I think many of the opinions on this site are based on the
individuals experience of the 1960's! Basically, the free love and drug
mentality had all you old hipsters too high to know any better!

Now it just brings back too many great memories for your ears to be honest
with you...



Seriously, Point me to a great you tube video of him cause I wasn't impressed with what I found.



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