From groovecake@yahoo.com Fri Feb 07 13:55:03 2003
Subject:Re: music, glitz, and purists (hopefully on topic)

I would never use pitchbend on my clone. I just find
it wrong.

--- "Stoo Schultz "
wrote:
> What these debates are really about is the conflict
> between
> musical "purists" versus, for lack of a better term
> "tourists" (hey
> they rhyme !) . . . . one values being true to the
> form, the other
> values new experience, new ways of expression.
>
> I think as Hammond clone players we're beaten on the
> head with this
> conflict. There are many ways of playing a clone
> that a "purist"
> might take offense to, like using velocity
> sensitivity, pitch bend,
> sustain pedal, various effects like the wah effect
> some of you
> Electro guys are using, even reverb, extra drawbars,
> extra
> percussion harmonics, two harmonics at once, etc.
> Even using a
> clone instead of the real thing is enough to label
> you as a wannabe
> in some circles (there's a blues club in Vancouver
> where the only
> keyboard bands are allowed to play is a vintage
> Hammond ! No clones
> are allowed).
>
> But what's wrong with adding any of these "devices"
> to your
> playing? If I like to use pitch bend in my Hammond
> solos, isn't
> that a positive thing because it adds musical
> expressiveness to my
> playing (we're assuming it's done tastefully . . .
> )? Yet if I do,
> I'm sure there are many "real" Hammond players who
> would write me
> off as not a "serious" player because my playing
> depends on
> a "gimmick," sort of like face paint.
>
> So here's a question for you guys and gals: do you
> avoid using pitch
> bend, or velocity-sensitive percussion, or other
> effects in your
> playing because you or other musicians think it's
> gimmicky and not
> true to the instrument? Or do you think these are
> totally valid
> ways of expressing yourself as a "Hammond" player,
> and critics are
> just talking out of the side of their neck ?
>
> Can you be a respected Hammond player and play with
> your feet once
> in awhile, like Jerry Lee Lewis ? ? ? (tastefully
> of course! ;-)
>

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