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Date: Fri, 31 May 2002 14:01:28 EDT
From: Philhar~ol.com
Subject: Re: Bluestime Review/fulsome reviews

- --part1_bf.211ed60c.2a291478_boundary

Truth is most harmonica players cannot stand less than exuberant praise of
their CDs, harmonica heroes and take extreme umbrage.

Recent case in point: I did a cover story on Jerry Portnoy's last CD which
featured swing band tunes along with four originals. I thought the album was
great. It was up to Jerry's usual standard of excellence. But then when a
player gets to Jerry's level of performance I don't think he could play a
sour note if he wanted to. He's a professional. That's what a professional
does.

After 35 years in newspapers on my day job, it's really tough to try to come
up with a new approach to a CD that I haven't considered or used before.

In the same issue, a contrary review of the same CD ran which found the
recording lacking in sound quality and execution, with, as I recall, some
suggestion that Jerry ought to stick to the blues and leave swing alone.

There was nothing subtle or ironic about his review; it was flat out.

But we're still picking up the bodies around the AHN office (and I can see
the wounded coming out from the hills on the Harp-L) from the shootout that
resulted from feedback on the second review.

Yet both reviews met the standards that I always try to keep in mind:
1. What is the artist trying to do?
2. How well was it done?
3. Was it worth doing?
4. Did the review provide enough information to let the reader make up his
or
her mind
about the review?

Frankly, I'm not interested in whether it has a nice beat and it's easy to
dance to -- although I love to swing dance.

Or a paraphrase of Samuel Johnson: Some harp acts are like watching a dog
walking on its hind feet, you marvel not at how well it's done but that it's
done at all.

The other thing is that I pick my CDs to review. Some come in the mail as
review copies; others I purchase at my own expense. (In fact, everything I
do
at AHN is at my own expense, but that's another story.) For the most part, I
don't review CDs I don't like.

I have rather eclectic tastes in music: Bonfiglio, Larry Adler, Tommy
Reilly,
Howlin' Wolf, Madcat, Sonny Boy Williamson I, Rice Miller, DeFord Bailey,
Mike Stevens
and Charlie McCoy, to name a few.

The longer I stay in AHN the more very good harmonica players I come across
- -- who don't have national followings. There are players I met at SPAH
conventions who play better than others who enjoy national reputations.

Some of these people AHN helped discover -- possibly. But I don't think AHN
ever made anybody's career. Like the guy who "introduced" Joan Baez: he has
said over and over again he didn't do anything; she was going to break out
nationally. It was just a matter of time, and it happened on his watch.

If this hasn't thoroughly confused the issue, I have failed in my efforts to
eschew obfuscation.

Phil Lloyd/contributing editor
American Harmonica Newsmagazine

In a message dated 5/28/2002 12:34:50 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
peloquinha~otmail.com writes:

>
> Robb,
> I tip my hat to you for your review of what you perceived to be a less
than
>
> stellar performance. From what I read on harp-l and in AHN, every
harmonica
>
> CD and performance is the greatest thing since sliced bread. The real
world
>
> often tells it like it is. Negative reviews and feedback help an artist to
> correct inadequacies (if he is so inclined to do so!)
>
> Michael Peloquin
> http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/peloquin

- --part1_bf.211ed60c.2a291478_boundary

Truth is most harmonica
players cannot stand less than exuberant praise of their  CDs,
harmonica heroes and take extreme umbrage.



Recent case in point: I did a cover story on Jerry Portnoy's last CD which
featured swing band tunes along with four originals. I thought the album was
great. It was up to Jerry's usual standard of excellence. But then when a
player gets to Jerry's level of performance I don't think he could play a
sour note if he wanted to. He's a professional. That's what a professional
does.



After 35 years in newspapers on my day job, it's really tough to try to come
up with a new approach to a CD that I haven't considered or used before.



In the same issue, a contrary review of the same CD ran which found the
recording lacking in sound quality and execution, with, as I recall, some
suggestion that Jerry ought to stick to the blues and leave swing alone.



There was nothing subtle or ironic about his review; it was flat out.



But we're still picking up the bodies around the AHN office (and I can see
the wounded coming out from the hills on the Harp-L) from the shootout that
resulted from feedback on the second review.





Yet both reviews met the standards that I always try to keep in mind:

1. What is the artist trying to do?

2. How well was it done?

3. Was it worth doing?

4. Did the review provide enough information to let the reader make up his
or her mind

about the review?



Frankly, I'm not interested in whether it has a nice beat and it's easy to
dance to -- although I love to swing dance.



Or a paraphrase of Samuel Johnson: Some harp acts are like watching a dog
walking on its hind feet, you marvel not at how well it's done but that it's
done at all.



The other thing is that I pick my CDs to review. Some come in the mail as
review copies; others I purchase at my own expense. (In fact, everything I
do at AHN is at my own expense, but that's another story.) For the most
part, I don't review CDs I don't like.



I have rather eclectic tastes in music: Bonfiglio, Larry Adler, Tommy
Reilly, Howlin' Wolf, Madcat, Sonny Boy Williamson  I, Rice Miller,
DeFord Bailey, Mike Stevens

and Charlie McCoy, to name a few.



The longer I stay in AHN the more very good harmonica players I come across
-- who don't have national followings. There are players I met at SPAH
conventions who play better than others who enjoy national reputations.



Some of these people AHN helped discover -- possibly. But I don't think AHN
ever made anybody's career. Like the guy who "introduced" Joan Baez: he has
said over and over again he didn't do anything; she was going to break out
nationally. It was just a matter of time, and it happened on his watch.



If this hasn't thoroughly confused the issue, I have failed in my efforts to
eschew obfuscation.



Phil Lloyd/contributing editor

American Harmonica Newsmagazine





In a message dated 5/28/2002 12:34:50 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
peloquinha~otmail.com writes:







Robb,

I tip my hat to you for your review of what you perceived to be a less than


stellar performance. From what I read on harp-l and in AHN, every harmonica


CD and performance is the greatest thing since sliced bread. The real world


often tells it like it is. Negative reviews and feedback help an artist to


correct inadequacies (if he is so inclined to do so!)



Michael Peloquin

http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/peloquin





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