em defesa do John Popper

estão discutindo no harp-l sobre o John Popper. De tempos em tempos o pessoal traz o assunto à tona, pq o Popper é "O" gaitista pop, portanto sempre é julgado pelos demais gaitistas de diatônica, ao contrário do que acontece com o Stevie Wonder.

o fato é que o cara tem uma legião de fãs e de tempos em tempos os gaitistas caem em cima do Popper. Ainda, o próprio Popper encheu o saco disso e, até onde sei, é bem ressentido da comunidade de gaitistas existente.

então Popper é sempre um divisor de águas. O que nem sempre aparece é uma boa defesa fundamentada a favor do Popper. Até hoje, acho. Abaixo, um email do harp-l sobre o assunto. Desculpe a galera que não lê em inglês. Eu não vou traduzir. O babelfish no entanto pode ajudar nestes casos. Google babelfish.

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While I agree with many of the comments already posted (there are harp players and then there are harmonica players), I would have to disagree with some of the JP statements. The first being he wears a vest of harmonicas. He hasn't done that for the better part of a decade. The second, is that he does have good command of holes 1-4, which is evident in earlier cds like "four" which (for most of us) is probably the last Blues Traveler CD we've heard.

Isn't that cd about ten years old now? Has anybody picked up "Straight On Till Morning", "Bridge", "Truth Be Told", or "Bastardos"??? How about the "John Popper Project" CD?

John has milked 2nd position for all it is worth in all three octaves. While he doesn't play "chromatically" in all three keys, he can play more in the upper octave then just about any player out there (and he gets alot of chromatic tones from up there). His rhythm chops destroy almost every single player out there, including some of our harmonica gods.

Yes he wanks, and no he isn't my favorite harp player. But I think what he has done since "four" is some awesome stuff, although sometimes hit or totally miss. Recently he as explored more modally and he definetly can play a lot of different grooves. There are some really great lyrical elements to his playing. Especially on the two most recent albums.

In terms of music, he may not be the best harp player, but there isn't anybody I can think of that can play an insturment with a totally unique voice, sing with that much soul and range, and then be one of the best song writers ever.

With singing harp players, the actual songwriting is overlooked. In terms of lyrical value, he's right up there with guys like Bob Dylan.

Finally, John hit it big while in his very early 20's in an era without 1/100th the harp info now available to us. I think before we make too many judgements about his playing, appearance, etc. we should remember that he is now in his 30's and has done a ton musically since he first hit the scene.

If we took such a small cross section of Ricci's, Buffalo's, or anybody else's playing, we could find a lot to pick a part too.

Mike (Fugazzi)