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From: "Barry B. Bean"
Date: Tue, 03 Sep 96 08:55:00 -0500
Subject: RE: augmented triad tuning & the jazz sound!

On Mon, 02 Sep 96 16:05:18 GMT, dijk~orldaccess.nl wrote:

>Of course Toots is not interested in another tuning system. His way of improvising
>is for 40% based on harmonica specific playing. I don't say that his playing is not
>interesting, but his note choice is very much influenced by the tuning system of
>the chromatic harmonica. For me, Toots' best recordings are made in the 1950-60
>period. Recordings like 'Man Bites Harmonica' are great. But, his note choice
>didn't develop very much any more and his fast runs become more and more harmonica
>dependend. Listening to this recording ('Man Bites Harmonica'), Toots' old
>fashioned tone and vibrato are the opposite of the straight-a-head bariton sax
>sound of Pepper Adams.

But isn't that one reason any instrumentalist chooses an instrument?
For its particular strengths and weaknesses? You don't hear Pepper
Adams playing Miles Davis lines on bari, nor vice versa. Indeed,
doublers can often be distinguished by the fact that their
improvisations and runs sound similar on all the instruments they
play as opposed to being particularly suited to the instrument they
are currently playing.

Its interesting that you chose to discuss instrument limitations by
comparing Toots to a bari sax player. You must surely know that there
is substantial discussion among bari sax players about playing the
bari AS A BARI. indeed, the primary criticism of bari sax great Serge
Chaloff was that he played his bari like an alto, and didn't use the
idiosyncracies of the bari. Pepper is sometimes criticized for
playing his bari like an overgrown tenor.

The point is that there is a longstanding tradition of emphasizing
the idiosyncracies of different instruments, and not just their
differing timbres. Harmonica layout DOES lend itself to certain
musical ideas, but that simply makes those ideas a harp signature.

BBB
- -
B.B. Bean - Have horn. Will travel.
http://www.cris.com/~Bbbean