[Harp-L] Bill Hines



I thought I would post this for Bill since he is too humble to brag about himself.

I've known Bill for about 3 years now. While he had sat in with his cousin's rock cover band occasionally on harp it wasn't in a blues format.
I've bugged him for a few years to play at the local jam but he preferred to sit back and listen and learn the right from wrong in stage etiquette from other harp players.


This past winter he made his first forte onto the jam stage with most of the local harp players in the audience to cheer him on.
I was surprised at how well he listened and learned. He didn't have the usual pitfalls a rookie (or seasoned) harp player makes on stage.
He laid back, added fills where needed and never played through the vocalist or other soloists. Despite the mix match of talent (or lack of) he was pared up with he
was never sat in the conductors seat in a trainwreck.


Last night at my gig I was surprised when the band leader called up a special guest, Bill Hines. I was planning on asking the band leader to let him sit in on one of our gigs but
he beat me to it.


Bill played with authority and control and has great chops. I guess woodshedding with jammers paid off. When it came time to play with a tight band he really fit in. He didn't sound like a
rookie on stage. He sounded like he actually fit with the band. Good use of chords, phrasings and effects. It was also nice to finally hear what my amp sounds like out front since Bill's style is
close to mine. The audience's loud response afterwards was genuine.


You can sit in with us any time Bill. I figure he could be my fill- in player inside 2 years if he isn't in a band by then.
Way to go Bily. Now we gotta get you a nickname.


mike 'fathead" e.





This archive was generated by a fusion of Pipermail 0.09 (Mailman edition) and MHonArc 2.6.8.