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Dirty-South Blues Harp forum: wail on! >
Playing the language of the blues!!!
Playing the language of the blues!!!
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HarpNinja
66 posts
Jan 16, 2010
3:50 PM
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I had an epiphany last night at my show. I am surely a modern blues harmonica player and although I can play more traditionally, it doesn't always appeal to me. I don't like the "rules" of blues and much rather prefer the freedom found in jazz, rock, fusion, etc.
Now, before anyone attacks a suggested lack of improv in blues, think about it. There are several scales that work over dominant 7 chords and minor chords. Most harmonica has been based on using 5 or 6 notes out of the 12 (plus semitones) that are possibilities as well.
I mean, I have been listening to Kim Wilson for at least an hour a day for the last week...I am hard pressed to find many instances of him using anything other than a typical blues scale (however, he makes it extremely interesting and a joy to listen to!!!!!!)
Well last night, I started playing that style by osmosis...I was playing licks from Smokin' Joint that I had never even tried to think about playing before let alone try...they just started coming out. It was then I realized how important blues rules are in the right context. I also realized that as a turnaround would come up, I was all of a sudden much more delibrate in where I was headed next. It was the David Barrett model in action!
Rather than jamming, I was communicating through the language of the blues. While it wasn't as improved as what I would normally do, it was a new kind of improv for me where I was dictating the story more than letting it unfold. I kind of went with that mindset through all the more traditional blues tunes we were playing, and the thing was, the crowd was loving it! Usually I do everything I can to not sound like a harp player, but in a packed club with everything from college kids to baby boomers, I was getting a huge reaction for my blues playing. Instead of getting a reaction by sounding "different" on harmonica, I was able to be as bluesy as I could be without people getting bored (and it wasn't a hard core blues crowd).
The point being that even though I imposed some restrictions on my playing for those few tunes, what was being communicated didn't lack the soul and personality that would come with my playing. I didn't feel like I was cheating by putting more direction into my phrasing.
After the first set, I had a veteran harp player/teacher from the area come running up to me. He had just stopped in for a burger but decided to check out the band when he heard me playing during sound check. So he comes up and says, "So are you Paul Butterfield or what? I am not trying to patronize you, but I usually have to take a trip to Buddy Guy's if I want to hear someone play harp like that. You're the best I've heard in town here." The best part was he wasn't even drunk lol!
I am going to try a more David Barrett-ish approach to some of the straight blues we play and see how it goes. I really do think that mindset along with just listening to hours of Kim took me in a direction I've been ready to go for a long time. I played in a more laid back fashion and was even able to play some 1st position stuff with obs that I haven't really laid out there before. I've always felt that if I didn't play with a sense of urgency, my playing would lack soul or sound lazy. I was totally wrong.
However, I will always continue to push my playing and the perceived boundaries of the harp wherever I go!!!
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Mike Fugazzi
http://www.myspace.com/niterailband
http://www.youtube.com/user/NiteRail
http://www.twitter.com/NiteRail
http://www.facebook.com/mike.fugazzi
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tookatooka
1021 posts
Jan 17, 2010
3:25 AM
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This is a good post. I'm going to listen to Kim Wilson too, in the hope some of it rubs off.
Congrats on your epiphany.
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Marcelus
14 posts
Jan 17, 2010
9:32 AM
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Great stuff. Went on youtube and listened to some Kim Wilson. Now I got ta make a KW folder and order some of his albums (CDs). It's funny how some music publishing companies don't understand the value of exposure.
Mike, have you recorded some of you're newer stuff? I would like to hear it.
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addict
51 posts
Jan 17, 2010
9:41 AM
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Kim Wilson also records with other people a lot. Some of my favorites of his are Cleo's Mood with Barrelhouse Chuck, Blues Thru the Wintertime and Shaking the Boogie andwith Billy Flynn, and Gone Away with The Hollywood Blue Flames and his CD with Big Jack Johnson called Memphis Barbecue Sessions.
Some of these are acoustic.
Last Edited by on Jan 17, 2010 2:22 PM
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HarpNinja
67 posts
Jan 17, 2010
11:50 AM
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Marcelus,
Thanks for your interest! My band has a full length album coming out in February. It is a modern sounding blues album...not blues rock really, but too funky to be traditional. We do have an instrumental on there that is a straight blues with lots of overblowing. As we get the final mixes, I am sure we'll stream a bunch of it on MySpace. In fact, there are a few on there now.
Kim's Lookin for Trouble and Smokin Joint are excellent CDs to start with.
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Mike Fugazzi
http://www.myspace.com/niterailband
http://www.youtube.com/user/NiteRail
http://www.twitter.com/NiteRail
http://www.facebook.com/mike.fugazzi
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