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From: "Paul Messinger"
Date: Mon, 2 Aug 1999 16:10:42 -0400
Subject: Re: Augusta Blues Week/Port Townsend Country Blues Workshop

Bill Tufts wrote:

>Paul Messinger wrote a fine report about Augusta week, which
>gives me motivation to report in about my week at Port Townsend.



> 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.


Without a doubt, Phil has the most unique hand technique of anyone
"I've" seen or heard. The thing at Augusta that always kills me is that
Phil and John Cephas just plain love to play. I mean, how many of
our "pro" friends out there in harpland will just play all night at a party
(night after night) because they feel like jamming? The older we all get,
it seems the less we feel like just taking out the axes and jamming.
I've had many a night where I've just played 3 hours, stopped by at
a party after the gig and am just "played out" . . . Phil and John are
just really generous and passionate guys . . . I'm sure that Phil upheld
that tradition by himself as well . . .

> 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?).

Grant's hand was out of the cast, but really tender. As I was a
massage therapist for ten years, I volunteered services late one
night. Grant's students raved about his class at Augusta. They
performed a Deford Baily tune at the Friday showcase, and
really nailed it as a group. I remember hearing some doubts
earlier in the week, but Grant just really "believed" that he
could teach it to them, and he apparently did.

> 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.


Grant seems to be really committed to doing the work on the Chro at
this point. He's got a bunch of keyboard chops and theory, so it
should come real naturally to him. It sounds real good right now.

> 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 classes at Augusta varied in attendance. For instance, the late
afternoon advance harp mini-class with Gary Primach had only 5
of us, and Gary worked very specifically with each of us all week.

> It was a great time (and I haven't begun to talk about the
>guitar players).


Let's not . . .

Best regards-Paul Messinger/Chapel Hill NC