Harp great Rick Estrin (Rick Estrin & The Nightcats) has come out with a harp tutorial DVD called "Rick Estrin Reveals Secrets, Subtleties and Tricks of the Blues Harmonica". I think I just broke the world record for most "Rick Estrins" in one sentence. Regardless, Rick comes right out and states that this is not a typical "how to play the harp" video. It's more a graduate course on how to take what you've learned and fit it into a musical mosaic. Think of a race car driver who can turn fast laps in practice and now needs to learn how to drive in traffic. At that it's brilliant. It's also got the best explanation, with examples, of playing on, behind and ahead of the beat that I've ever heard. By best I mean the only one that I've been able to understand. For the theoretical sonic landscape opened up with that little bit of knowledge alone it is well worth the price of $29.99. The same lick or run played behind the beat has a completely different feel than when it is played on the beat. When you mix it up during the course of a song by playing behind, on and ahead of the beat at various points (what Rick calls "messing with the time") you have an aural feast. By "messing with the time" you go from playing just licks to, again as Rick says, "telling a story". When I practice regularly I would categorize myself, generously, as an intermediate player, so my opinion has limited value. But I couldn't possibly rate this DVD any more highly than I do. On a scale of 1-5 Sonny Boys, 5 being best, I give it a 5 plus. Like Rick says, "This is some important shit".
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