Chris is good, but I've got a couple of issues with him...
He's a member at another site with a forum, and he comes across a a pompous, self-important prick. He's like Simon Cowell - he knows what he's talking about, and he's usually right, but his criticisms are never constructive, and he's mean-spririted, and will take every opportunity to tell someone they are awful because they don't meet his standards. A quote from him:
"In my mind Fred[rick Yonnet] and Christelle [Berthon] are in the same class of harmonica player. They are harmonica players with pretty good technique who do not have it together musically. They are more harmonica player than musician and certainly wouldn't be classified as artists. How do I qualify that? Put them on a stage and see if they can play. Yonnet would ruin a song with his wanking and other worldly antics... christelle would fold like a sheet. She can't handle pressure, ambiguity and doesn't have the skills to improvise with a real band. In the end, neither of them add to a song."
I also caught a video of him (maybe on YouTube? I'll try to track it down) where he picked up the innards of a harp - comb and reeds - and stated that it was someone's (not his) that he was customizing. Then he proceeded to play it. Perhaps it's OK with the owner, but not if it were mine. Thanks, but my harps are for my mouth only. I suppose since I enjoy playing smoochies with my wife I wouldn't be skeeved if she picked one up and played, but that's it.
Link: [
www.youtube.com]
But he is good, and he knows a thing or two or three, so I'll listen to him - but not with the same enjoyment as when I listen to Richard Hunter.
Post Edited (2009-05-07 02:21:48)