Other web Sites
Harmonica Blues  Harmonica Amps
Harmonica Links Harmonica Pages
• Archives Home
• Years
 · 1992
 · 1993
 · 1994
 · 1995
 · 1996
 · 1997 		 · 1998
 · 1999
 · 2000
 · 2001
 · 2002
 · 2003
 
Web HarpL
Ebay Searches:
Amps:
Microphones:
Effects:
Harmonicas and Gear:
Harmonica Music and Instruction:

 

 

Harp-L Archives

[Previous Message] [Next Message]
[Next in Thread]
[Start of Thread] [End of Thread]

From: William Tufts
Date: Fri, 30 Jul 1999 13:58:38 -0700
Subject: Re: Augusta Blues Week/Port Townsend Country Blues Workshop

Paul Messinger wrote:
A fine report about Augusta week, which gives me motivation to
report in about my week at Port Townsend.
All in all it was a wonderful experience for me and I plan to
return next year. It was my first experience at formal instruction and
will surely benefit me immeasurably (if I practice).
Port Townsend and Augusta shared two of the three instructors in
harp: Grant Dermody and Phil Wiggins (I believe Gary Primich was at
PT last year). The third instructor at PT was Mark Graham. A formidable
player with a unique style, Mark can heef, huff, hoot, toot, whistle and
bark through a harp like no one you ever heard. Grant calls him world
class and I have no reason to doubt that opinion.
Phil Wiggins has the best acoustic tone I've ever heard. He has
a unique cup which must be seen rather than described (at least by me)
which allows him to get the harp deep in his mouth and still remain
airtight. He has a very hornlike sound.
Grant Dermody was my main instructor and a more generous person
would be hard to find. He put on so many impromptu workshops he
couldn't have had much energy left at the end of the week. And all with
a broken right hand in a cast, try playing like that some time. (Did
he still have the cast Paul?).
All of the instructors were knowledgeable and opinionated (in
a pleasant way). Grant, for instance, doesn't favor overblows because
"they just don't sound good to my ear." And yes he's heard Howard Levy.
There were, I'd guess, about thirty harp players. A very good
number, 50 sounds like a lot to me. Among them our own Bill " 'fessor
mojo" Donoghue, who is every bit as enthusiastic in person as here on
the list about SBWII. He's worked very hard on his research, contact me
off list if you want my take on his interesting presentation. Keep
working on the harp Bill!
The instruction format at PT is all workshop and playing.
Little or no sitting and listening to lectures, which suits me fine. I
do too much listening and too little playing as it is. Two classes in
the morning, and two impromptu classes in the PM. On Friday (the last
day of classes) six of us were sitting in a class with Grant on
Walter Horton learning some first position playing at 5:30 pm.
It was a great time (and I haven't begun to talk about the
guitar players).

Bill Tufts