Gordon Buzz Brown about the DVD:
PAUL LAMB’S JOURNEY THROUGH THE BLUES WITH A HARMONICA - A DVD TUTORIAL INTERVIEW
‘The harmonica is the most expressive instrument in the Blues. From your inner-most soul, you will release all the emotion and feeling through this tiny, versatile instrument.’ (Paul Lamb, 2006).
Listening to Paul Lamb breathe life into his harmonica is an exhilarating experience. As I sit transfixed by the sheer spontaneity and apparent ease with which he demonstrates his artistic and technical skills, it occurs to me that I’m a very lucky man. To have one of your harmonica heroes sitting opposite you blowing the Blues; to be able to hear, without distraction, the pure acoustic sound coming out of his harmonica; to absorb a master player’s tone, subtle nuances and different tonal textures; how each note is shaped - this is the ultimate learning experience for any harmonica student.
The key to learning how to play the blues harmonica well is to train and develop your ears. With a music genre full of traditional values, it’s vitally important first to have the sound you’re striving for in your head before trying to play it. You have to know what to aim for. It starts with understanding the music, the language of the Blues, its rich traditions. It means going back to the roots, listening to the early acoustic players, learning all the classics, and, given the chance, listening to modern-day masters, like Paul Lamb. The next step is to find out how to produce those sounds, and discover the techniques involved.
Paul wanted to do something different in the way of a tutorial, and he asked me if I would like to collaborate with him on the project. It’s an honour for me. I count Paul Lamb to be amongst the elite of blues harmonica players. The idea was to examine and demonstrate all the different styles of the players who have influenced him over the years and to integrate that within an interview-style format which explored his life in Blues.
When Paul started out, there was nothing available in the way of tutorials, books, CDs, or websites, so he had to figure out how to do it for himself. A plethora of information now exists on how to play the harmonica. There are teaching methods that provide a more theoretical approach to learning. This DVD tutorial, however, is for blues harp players, like myself, who wish to learn by ear. It’s purpose is to encapsulate the spirit of the Blues, increase your understanding of this rich musical form, and make you aware of the quality and character of the Blues sound. It is designed to motivate players of all levels to express their own feelings through the harmonica.
It takes extraordinary discipline, perseverance and hours of practice to reach Paul Lamb’s level of musical prowess. Like all languages, it takes time to master. It’s a long and challenging process. But it’s not a race, there’s no finishing line. And it’s not just the words you say, it’s how you deliver them.
As Paul says: 'My intention was to try and get across my feelings and passion, not just for the harmonica, but for the music itself. Basically, at 52, with my experience, I felt it was the right time to do this. I reckon I understand this music and I hope that anybody who hears the interview will see the way I feel about it. For me, it was always the music, the Blues, that got me into the music ... not the harmonica, not anything else, just the music.’
In this tutorial you hear Paul talking candidly about his early experiences of the Blues growing up in the North East of England; his first harmonica and how he struggled to find the right notes to play like Sonny Terry; the influence of his grandfather’s playing and story-telling; his early days playing acoustic country blues in the folk clubs; why he thinks working on tone is essential for a good harmonica player; the importance of listening to the early players like Jazz Gillum, Noah Lewis, Robert Cooksey, and DeFord Bailey; how he felt when he first heard the big-chorded sound of Big Walter Horton; creating a style of your own - all interspersed with impromptu demonstrations of the playing styles of Sonny Terry, Big Walter Horton, Sonny Boy (John Lee) Williamson, Sonny Boy (Rice Miller) Williamson, Little Walter and George Smith, all of whom have strongly influenced him.
A question that inevitably gets asked at a Paul Lamb workshop is: ‘Paul, why are you so good?’ It’s a question borne out of sheer frustration by many fellow harp players who recognise that there’s something missing from their armoury. If you listen to all the great blues players, you’ll hear that it’s more about tone, the sound, than anything else. It is the sound that moves people. Paul Lamb possesses one of the sweetest tones I know. It’s a sound as rich and as big as his heart.
GET CLOSER TO THE BLUES with Paul Lamb. Listen and learn from a great blues player. This is a rare opportunity and a unique way to learn from someone who has spent over thirty-five years honing his craft as a professional blues musician and band leader. I hope, like me, you will be inspired to take your own personal JOURNEY THROUGH THE BLUES.
Paul, it’s been a privilege. Thank you.
Gordon Buzz Brown
GORDON BUZZ BROWN is a freelance film sound editor, photographer, writer, documentary filmmaker, and ex-band leader, singer and harmonica player of the blues bands THE INNOCENT BYSTANDERS and BUZZ BROWN & THE STINGERS. He first met Paul Lamb in 1989 when they appeared at a blues festival together.
