Oh, ya'll might like this... Improvisational Blues Harp... (no, REALLY!)

Kelly Holdridge

Kelly Holdridge

New member
Todd Emerson is our harmonicist in the band, he's always comin' up with crazy stuff... so I've started putting "secret" mics on his amp, and caught this gem during practice a while back (mid february).

It's called "Checkin' Like a Mofo," a live 2-track (58's) w/ snippets about each person that happened to be in the barn at the time (late Friday night, as I recall). He wants to be known as "Catfish Slim", so he's at www.mp3.com/catfishslim ...

You'll notice the rain kicks in about halfway through the song... I adjusted the drum overhead to catch his non-amped vocals, and the 58 was really close to the tin roof (btw, this is what a double tin roof sounds like with a couple layers of foam on it. a good lesson in why foam won't stop SHIT).

I'd appreciate a listen, and will try to bounce back here when I've listened to it again to explain some of the lyrics...

:D

btw, he's playing where the drums used to be in these photos... http://www.angelfire.com/al3/studio/Pages/Kelly_Holdridge.htm The room has changed alot, we opened up the other side (from the drums) and tore out the stairs, but the "feel" of the room remains...

Thanks!
 
Hmmmmmmmmmm - that was strangely reminiscent of Blind Melon Chitlin'. See what happens when you practice too late at night??

mutt
 
rule of recording and mixing #35, practice all fader moves, effects moves, MIC ADJUSTMENTS so that they are smooth.....anyway, that was funny as hell....

"Catfish Slim has a unique way of combining classic blues harp sylings with hip hop lingo that would make any true Delta blues artist proud..."

GIDGE
 
Mesh, just dont try to drive home...oh, your already home....I love Swedish chicks and southern girls....
 
That was funny.

But please don't take offense if I vent about something...

He may normally be a good harp player, but that was TERRIBLE harp playing. He wasn't even playing in the second or third position. There are a lot of great harp players out there, and it's been bugging me lately hearing so much garbage harp playing, guys who are doing no more than any 8-year-old would do if he picked up the thing and blew and sucked on it. JEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSCCCCCCCCCHHH!!!!

Thanks. I feel better.
 
If he hasn't heard Captain Beefheart, we have a cosmic coincidence here. And if he has, the verdicts's still the same - I want to hear your band at large, and not just the harpist playing down.
 
Dobro: ever since your little Captain Beefheart reference in my MP3 thread a few months back I've been investigating that whole phenomenon...woah! Trout Mask Replica had an effect on me I can only describe as like a brain enema.
 
Um... we've never heard Captain Beefheart. Score one for Cosmic Coincidence... :D (i guess we need to check that out, huh?)

Blind Melon too, hmmm.... Will have to listen to that as well...


Todd's real gift is his musical spontaneity, and while his songs may never be MUSCIALLY perfect, they've got a rhythmic and melodic quality all their own. But they're always funny as hell, and he'll have his own site as long as it's FREE. :D

p.s. Dobro: We'll have a real TRACKED song up in about a week (i'm uploading it tonight, it'll take however long MP3.com takes to "verify" it). I think you'll really enjoy it (apart from the abrupt ending, it's very good). I'll start another thread when it gets posted.
 
That's cool Kelly.

Another cosmic coincidence:
Some friends of mine had this band where they did a rock musical, told stories about these Pimps. One of the Pimps was named "Slim"! the other "Chief Slappaho" (indian war paint with pimp suit on stage) "Chief" also played the part of the "Crosseyed Catfish"
Their stage show was great, the Catfish outfit was awsome, a mask of duct tape with straws for the wiskers and these huge eyeballs. They also had a robot pimp costume. Dance moves and everthing. The "Catfish Crawl" was awsome. Move both feet in, then both feet out, while going, left, then while going right... you had to have the shoes and some soul to do it, kinda like doing a lateral moonwalk...

The "Chief" and I are doing something together now, it's all improv, the group brainstorms a story line or some other concept and then tell it through the music, and with dailog, winging the whole thing. Next show were going to do "A making of the band" type thing. Our plan is to start out the night playing these really simple progressions, kinda purposly screwing up, then we'll tighten up. throwing in dilog so the audience knows what's going on. The band will get almost get a deal, then break up, all going on to do different things. The leader will then go on to make a boy band from random people from the audience, and exploit them and make millions... When I play with those guys it's never a dull moment.. and I never know what's going to happen next.

-jhe
 
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