Re: [Harp-L] Sitting In (the other side)

[michael harp <diachrome@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

A few years ago we had a local blues guitarist that would hire various harp
players to play with her. Despite jamming with her many times and playing
freebee non-profit gigs with her, she never called me for a paying gig.

After the other harpers got tired of playing with her band for various
reasons she went out as  a trio act. She would always email or call me to
come sit in with the band. Never did she hire me to play with the band.
While I didn't play the entire evening I did stay on stage for most of the
set I was in.

After awhile I realized she was using me and other musicians to fill out her
band while she and the rhythm section got paid for the gig. Every one of her
gigs became an open invite for local blues musicians to sit in including
private parties where she would take a posse of players and bring them on
during different sets.

I lived a few blocks from the last place I saw her perform. She begged me to
go home and bring back my harps. I politely refused saying I just wanted to
hang out and listen to the music.  After that she never bugged me to sit in.
She eventually gave up playing and moved to Florida selling flea market
antiques.

mike