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Showing posts with label Little Walter. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Little Walter. Show all posts

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

The Holy Grail of Harp


Ok, so what is the Holy Grail of Blues Harp?  Well, given the nearly celestial tone of Little Walter, I suppose most players genuflect in the direction of his classic "Juke."  

 

Not a lot of things in life are stunning. Perhaps the most recent verbal smoke bomb of a Sarah Palin which can leave people wide eyed in bafflement. Juke, however, IS stunning. Now, nobody -- and I mean nobody -- has mastered it. So, get  that out of your head pronto.  If you want to start goofing around with it, go right ahead. Thinking a tiny sliver of a transcript will make one a Little Walter is akin to saying, "How do I ride across the Grand Canyon on a tightrope on my bicycle?" and hearing "Well, first get a rope."

There are a few important points beyond that.

If you're interested, you might try out http://www.harptab.com/blues/playjuke.shtml which is, I suppose, a good hearted attempt to get one moving in the right direction.