From: Tim Kelly Date: Fri, 12 Jan 1996 10:05:32 -0800 (PST) Subject: B.W. Booster-11 yr. old harp player
I say B.W. Booster in Kansas City over Christmas, the 11 year old harp player who B.B. King discovered when the kid was 8. King claims the kid is one of the best harp players of our lifetime. I must confess, I turned to my brother in the first set more than once, wondering if it was real. At times, he does things wiht the harp that send a chill down your spine, as you wonder where it comes from. It seems virtually effortless as he barely puts the harp up to his mouth and all sorts of sounds come out. I also sort of like his blues voice. His parents were there, of course, and as the band warms up at the beginning of each set, he sits with them or talks to his friends. The cutest thing about the whole event was the other under-age, very young kids, males and females, at the show who admired Booster tremendously. He may very well lead a whole new generation into blues harp playing. The only ciriticism I have is that his back-up band is too flashy and loud. I swear they remind me of a Vegas soul cover band. Some of their soul tunes simply did not lend themsleves to his harp, and sometimes they were just too damn loud, and they did not give him much of a chance. At this point, Booster has an incredible amount of natural talent, and he is certain to get better as he mellows out and gains more control and focus. Booster has been on many TV shows, including Letterman and Dateline. He is scheduled for a national braodcast TV telethon on Jan. 21.
I sort of like his blues voice as well.
***************************************************************************** Timothy P. Kelly Reference Librarian/College of Law Library W I L L A M E T T E U N I V E R S I T Y
