atty1chgo
1173 posts
Oct 15, 2014
6:26 AM
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The Lowrider Band (former members of WAR) perform "The World Is A Ghetto" on the Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise # 23 - somewhere in the Pacific Ocean - on October 9, 2014.
Featuring the great Lee Oskar on harmonica and Lance Ellis on saxophone. Play in HD for best quality.
Last Edited by atty1chgo on Oct 15, 2014 6:33 AM
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Barley Nectar
556 posts
Oct 15, 2014
7:01 AM
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Great vid. Great playing. Not your typical blues.
Kinda weird is the fact that my playing style resembles Lee's more then any other harp player that I know of. I'm not as good of cores. Maybe all those LO harps in my case have a little MoJo in um...BN
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atty1chgo
1174 posts
Oct 15, 2014
7:09 AM
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I saw all 4 shows that they played on the cruise. He had a table there with dozens of harps on it, many in the same key, or major and minor of the same key. He was swapping harps out constantly, even during songs.
The video was a bit shaky and too close up, but I was enjoying it so much. :)
Last Edited by atty1chgo on Oct 15, 2014 7:14 AM
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walterharp
1534 posts
Oct 15, 2014
7:21 AM
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it is nice, he certainly frees himself from the more cliche licks that many other harp players use, it gives him such a free sound...
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The Iceman
2207 posts
Oct 15, 2014
8:29 AM
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Lee has very special tunings that only he uses on some of those harmonicas.
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The Iceman
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Ted Burke
242 posts
Oct 16, 2014
6:42 AM
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This may sound odd coming from me, but I love Lee Oskar's playing because he has learned the art of slow playing and of using space to mold his improvisations. His tone is golden and rich, and his modulations of notes from high to low pitches as he plays has a the delicacy of what a skilled saxophonist can do. He builds to a compelling intensity, his phrases coming closer together gradually, the pauses becoming shorter, the lines coming just a shade quicker, purely articulated and emotionally right. All of this while he skillfully rides the rhythm section's simple yet propulsive underpinnings. I regard his use of space and the fascinating placements of his phrases to some of the more compelling free verse poetry one can find, whether e.e.cummings , frank o'hara or even billy collins. His improvisations , the creation of spaces of tension and release, of calm resolve and melodic order in a busy existence that would trample beauty in the name of commerce and effiency, are marvels to be experienced over and over again. Nice work.
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ted-burke.com
tburke4@san.rr.com
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Bryan A
6 posts
Oct 16, 2014
11:51 AM
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Thanks for posting! Lee Oskar is inspiring. I love how he's the lead horn player in most of WAR's tunes. Sometimes I do wonder what tuning is being used, but I've managed to learn some riffs. Eric Burdon and WAR, MAN that stuff is so so good! Cheers!
Bryan
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bonedog569
924 posts
Oct 18, 2014
7:00 PM
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Nice - very nice. Thanks for sharing this. What an innovator. Not really a blues harp player - more of a musician who's instrument is the harp.
This band has more of the original WAR personnel than the group touring as WAR if Im not mistaken. I've seen them both in recent years and have to admit - they both are really good. the new 'WAR' has had a different harmonica players (Stanley Behrens, Mitch Kashmar). Whoever I saw (Behrens I think) largely aped LO with this band, but was damn good none the less.
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atty1chgo
1177 posts
Oct 19, 2014
8:04 AM
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@ bonedog - The band that is playing under the name "WAR" has one original member - Lonnie Jordan. The Lowrider Band has four, Harold Brown, Lee Oskar, Howard Scott, and B.B. Dickerson (who recently suffered a stroke). I have seen WAR in concert with Stanley Behrens, and I have the video with Mitch Kashmar. I saw The Lowrider Band four times last week. There is no comparison IMHO. Lee Oskar is the best, and the quality of the WAR songs and music played by Lowrider Band is superior to the "WAR" band lineup.
I posted a video of Lee Oskar on this Forum in a different string today, playing harp on the song "Red House" with Los Lobos so you can hear Lee in a blues context.
Last Edited by atty1chgo on Oct 19, 2014 8:05 AM
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The Iceman
2221 posts
Oct 19, 2014
10:03 AM
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Have heard the new "War" studio album. It is more urban/contemporary funk. Like it much better than when they reproduce the old War tunes. They sound like they are trying to hard to sound like the old War.
Best Live War was the double album they released way back in the day. The 2 Lee Oskar solos on this recording very much influenced me.
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The Iceman
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bonedog569
925 posts
Oct 20, 2014
12:22 PM
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atty- I'm all for supporting the originals, - and think it sucks that they don't own their own name. (It's owned by the manager who first put the 'project' together I believe.) LO is fantastic and a true original. I got to shake his hand and tell him how much I appreciate his music after seeing him here two years ago.
The cruise must be a blast. If I didn't hate being stuck on a floating bar-mitzvah, I'm sure I would dig it muchly. Also been tempted by Cayamo, an alt-country cruise, - but just can't do it.
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