Although this website is called Modern Blues Harmonica, I want to make sure that everybody knows where I stand on jazz: I love it. I can't really play it. I was influenced very heavily by watching it and listening to it during my formative years in New York (1985-1995).
I've just come across a video that captures the NYC jazz scene that I remember. In particular, it has a nice mini-portrait of Jesse Davis, an alto player who I spent many an evening watching at Augie's, a little hole in the wall on 105th St. and Broadway. (It later became a place called Smoke.) Jesse was incredibly nice, and relaxed: mellow, just like the guy in the video. That's the Jesse I remember. He had a straight ahead, Bird-like approach. High energy. That's the kind of horn playing I like. When he got on the bandstand, something significant happened. He had all the energy, but he never seemed the slightest bit pressured or rushed. He could relax at high intensity. That's a great lesson. He took his time.
My general M.O. was to get a drink or two and just sit and let the sax lines (and piano lines, and drum solos) whirl through my head. Sometimes, in my head, I'd do a running translation of the horn lines into cross harp lines. Often, when the night was through, I'd walk a number of blocks and try to capture some of the licks, and some of the energy, that I'd just been immersed in. I couldn't begin to follow the harmonies, but I'd still try to get some of the feel, some of the melodic leaps.
I used to say that jazz was freedom and blues was necessity. That's not a great summary, but it works.
Anyway, here's the video. My approach to harp comes out of this stuff as much as it comes out of close listening to Cotton, Big & Little Walter, and playing on the streets.
Nice! It must've been cool to be a part of that. Where I live and grew up I'm lucky to find even pop culture, haha. I do enjoy myself some good jazz & hey I heard you do good justice to moanin' live in Philly!
---------- ~Ryan Pennsylvania - H.A.R.P. (Harmonica Association 'Round Philly)
Kudzurunner:Great great great Every great blues artist digs jazz.
Some of Art Blakey's band Years ago on tour I hung out with ,Bobby Watson, cats like that.
A alot of folk don't get jazz because it is so diverse and usually the time warp is you got to narrow it right down.
What Kudzurunner goes for in jazz, to me is right in the ball park for a blues player to dig.May be unwittingly as a blues man he picks what is generally termed Hard bop. By hard bop a lot get confused here
Hard bop is bop player who has developed on embellished and complex chord structures from the standard chords and then goes in more sparse tonalities in driving swings, grooves and shuffles at all tempos.
Horrace, silver Art Blakey, Dexter Gordon Herbie Hancock , Moving into Miles Davis jimmy smith stuff etc etc. Very much New york then way over to west coast. ( the key thing here is the approach which is very different in europeon modern jazz)
I hear this idea in Kudzurunners playing for sure. The approach and delivery is right out of the Blues idiom. It's direct, it swings it grooves it is hip It makes a profound statement. Just like kudzurunner on thunky think or on Crossroads. Great stuff
Come to think of it Kudzurunner is actually giving away alot more here of himself than it first seems.
I would put a bet on that his influences could also been unwittingly from hip film scores such as Harper the first Paul Newman film as Harper not the second or the score of Bullet Steve mcqueen, Man from Uncle score Mission impossible Series not film. etc etc Those scores sit right in the ball park. ...............................................
Last Edited by on Nov 05, 2009 5:16 AM
Moanin' is one of my all time favorite songs,regardless of genres.I was delighted to hear Adam quote it. My idea of harmonica nirvana would to be able to play Lee Morgan's (studio) solo.So soulful,so bluesy. Check back with me in another 10 years. LOL
