Re: [Harp-L] On the Road Again,,and again




On Jan 1, 2007, at 4:09 PM, BiscuitBoy714@xxxxxxx wrote:

I'm glad I joined this list so I could hear other guys talk like this. I
play sax too but played harp first so I play the sax like it's a harp
sometimes and visa versa.

I started chromo at 12 1/2 but only played a couple years Went on to clar. I use a chromo or diatonic pretty much like a clar or sop sax. Besides most of my music is written for Bb instrument.


I even learned some of the harp parts on Bloodshot on the
sax and some Mayall stuff too. Harmonica never fails me but when some guitar
player I'm playin' with wants to control me and have me sit down for a few I
just play something else like sax or guitar. Harp players don't get any
respect sometimes.

It starts out that the harp gets no respect, then when you do something to change their mind, they relent and realize that you ARE making a contribution. Then sometimes, they tire of you for one reason or another. Generally it's an ego thing. Down here (s.w. Fla), the keyboard players seem to be prima donnas and the guitar players are generally the ones who are ok.


Yall know as well as I do that the harp gets  just as much
crowd response as the guitar does. What's up with that?

Interesting statement. I had been playing with this bunch of guys for the last couple YEARS when one night, out of the blue, the keyboard man asks if 'I have a minute'. That usually means a jag is coming. So he says "We recorded last weeks session and you played on there an awful lot". Right, you picked up on it too. The word 'awful' sort of stood out. So 'I' says 'In other words, I played too much?'. Well says he 'you 'could' be a little more selective. So I says ok.


Now this was at the START of the evening, so some guys would have walked out. Besides, I wasn't getting paid...it was a jam for schmuck's sake. Classy guy that I am, I knew there were a couple fans there, so I stuck around. Instead of sitting in on 4 of the first 6 tunes, I did 3. Then instead of 3 tunes on the next set, I did 2. Left before the final set.

Didn't show the next week. They lost at least 10 customers. Now considering the crowd was only 50-52 to begin with, the loss made me feel a little vindicated. Besides, they were too loud, too into bee- bop & re-bop and I prefer the subtleness of a supper-club crowd at a high end restaurant. Somewhere where you can hear the harp above the din.
Somewhere where you can do Bluesette, Desifinado, Harlem Nocturne, Laura, Angel Eyes, and not get hammered into the floor.


Ahhh, the trials and tribulations of playing at harp..... :)

smo-joe

               Randy
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