From: Steve & Anne Price Date: Tue, 27 Aug 1996 23:26:06 -0500 (CDT) Subject: impressions of SPAH part II
I missed several workshops that I would have liked to have attended, but I managed to get to hear a number of harp players who knocked me out.
Harmonica John is singularly inspired by a joy in the instrument and grabbed diatonic players walking by to get them to play a bit with him just for the fun of it. He showed me 5th position, E minor on a C harp, and showed me how interesting it contrasted with 3rd, so much favored by many blues players. HJ mentioned a number of people whose playing was incredible, chromatic players like a fellow named Randy, Flavio from Brazil, and I noticed Damien Masterson is featured in the latest issue of Easyreeding that the hohner rep Sissy Jones gave out.
Winslow Yerxa seems to have an uncanny ability to find interesting ways to make his harmonicas (diatonic and chromatic) fit any kind of music that exists. It was interesting to hear the variety of ways he's able to approach music whose traditions are unlocked and expanded by his thoughtful approaches. Fascinating to hear. Also to listen to him, Bobbie Giordano, and Douglas Tate discuss the physics of the instrument. Deeply informed and understanding people.
Bob Williams seemed to know where everything and everyone was at any given time. Jack Ely was kind and charming and warm. Buzz Krantz was described after Buckeye as "an experience," and he really is at least that. His blues playing is playful and impressive, and he naturally gets people feeling at home and eager to participate. He's got some goofy jokes, but the bottom line is as an emcee, he got everyone playing without getting any feathers ruffled. Great job, Buzz.
I got to hear Douglas Tate's fledgeling attempts at blues improvisation on his homemade chromatic. Unless he was pulling my leg, he claimed that was his first time playing that stuff, and he soared like an eagle. Good lord, we should all hit the ground running like that in new endevors.
That Hoosier daddy Ned Kraft is a funny guy and belts out the blues with relish. He tells me I hoodwinked him. At the electric jam on Thursday night, he says he was going to call the tune I called. I should have explained I only know one song and I HAD to do that one.
Now I'm going to mention a couple other things about Tate. First, it's easy to see why he was the darling of Buckeye, he's quite charming and knowledgeable about every aspect of harmonicas and playing. He's got a way, and he demonstrated this in his workshop, of using his hands to make the resonance of the harmonica leap out, and so his tone is bright and loud and with very little air pressure. His playing always seemed to rise above even rooms full of lifelong harmonica players. Extraordinary. He certainly had his hands full in working with Bobbie on that harmonica of theirs. That should be something when they're in production.
Peter Madcat Ruth did a workshop and performed. This guy is unbelievably hot and manages to squeeze sounds and rhythms out of a Filisko tweeked Huang that is unbelievable. He's also open and warm and willing to explain and show and suggest. Amazing.
Well, it was extraordinary to be a fly on the wall there. Harmonica John got people playing name that harp tune at 4:30 in the morning in Denny's with a table full of knowledgeable, experienced harp players. Ned Kraft was hawking the Hoosier Daddies' latest CD, as was singer/songwriter (not on harp-l yet) Suzanne Cimone.
So much I've not mentioned. So much playing. So much talent.
Hope I didn't bore anyone. I've been inspired and excited and overwhelmed. Oh, collectors were there with some wonderful displays of harmonicas. Sissi Jones of Hohner stood fixing harmonicas for the line up of people for two and a half solid hours without stopping or complaining.
So much to take in. Thanks to all who made it there, and to all who encouraged me to go.
