iefje wrote:Not everybody's cup of tea, because it's a sound and style not usually associated with Hank, but I quite like it. Because I have been listening also to blues music during the last 20 years or so, I have come to appreciate extensive improvisation on guitars and gypsy jazz music is well-suited for that.
Gypsy jazz is a difficult style to master. Not only is the picking technique unique but you also need a high level of musical knowledge and the ability to think quickly. The danger, as with other styles of guitar music, is that it can become purely a technical exercise. It can blind you with so many notes that it doesn't mean anything melodically.
That's why, as I mature as a player and my ear matures as a listener, I have come to appreciate Hank even more than I did when I was a teenager (if that's possible!). Hank admits himself that he's not the fastest player; he's extremely humble when talking about his own ability. But given the option of listening to the current leading gypsy players or to Hank Marvin and his group, for me, it's Hank every day of the week. He makes it mean something. He takes you on a melodic journey. I listen to 'Django's Castle' and I can't help but smile and laugh my way through the entire album. I've never come across another player who can grip you with melody like Hank can.
You mention blues. Some blues players can express set melodies well but when they break into improvisation they lose you. Gary Moore was like that for me. He tore out your soul with the core piece and helped you soar as a listener. When he improvised, however, he blitzed you with passages which included too many frantic notes. He punctuated those passages with long, bent, notes which, to me, just seemed to give respite from all the musical scribbling.
One player I appreciate is David Gilmour: he slowly, measuredly. passionately takes you on a journey and makes every passage count. I rate him so very highly because he makes so much happen in what is a very freeform style. His melodic exploration is pure and honest. He builds and releases tension wonderfully. He knows when to play and when not to play. The beauty of Gilmour's melodic style, too, from a guitarist's point of view means that you can use his ideas but at the same time make a piece very much your own - more than you can with a Shadows-style arrangement.
But not one guitarist can do what Hank does, IMO. Forget the 'Godfather of Delay' moniker. He is the all-time Master of Melody. I said for years I'd love to hear Hank show us what he's capable of outside of the confines of set melodies. And then we got 'Django's Castle'. Goodness me, the man is a genius. The album was and is a delight. I absolutely cannot wait for 'Foolin' with the Feds'!