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Date: Tue, 05 Mar 2002 14:47:35
From: "Jimbeau Harp"
Subject: Re: Soloist's Freedom

>From: Mike Will
>

A serious question deserves a serious reply:

>Anyway, it got me to wondering if there's a difference
>between a soloist's freedom of expression and
>interpretation vs. those of an accompaniest. Are
>there fewer degrees of freedom there? Less room for
>rhythmic, dynamic, or phrase variation? Maybe this
>also applies to ensemble playing, like a horn section
>or quartet.

Mike,

I believe there is just as much room for expression in the accompanying
function as there is in soloing. In fact, the accompaniest is, to a large
degree, going to make or break the entire sound of the band.

How many times have we heard great soloists struggling with a poor back-up
band? If the back-up is unimaginative, or lacking in dynamic variation, or
playing cliched lines, then it's going to be difficult for the soloist to
rise above it.

Great back-up players are those who are acutely in tune with what the
soloist is doing. Many times, their efforts are not immediately discernible
to the casual listener. In blues, the work of people like Jimmy Rogers and
Hubert Sumlin come to mind for me.

In general, I believe that the art of accompanying, especially in
improvisational situations, is most highly developed in jazz. But certainly
all music genres have many many examples of great side players who have done
yeoman duty to help featured artists turn in outstanding performances.

I don't pretend to be an expert, but I also play guitar in the bands I'm in.
I can tell you from personal experience that I find just as much challenge
and satisfaction from my rhymthm guitar work as I do from my harp solos.

Mike, that was a great question. I for one always appreciate the level of
knowledge you bring to these discussions.

Thanks.

Jimbeau

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