[Harp-L] Report on SFBayharpers First Jam

[Bob Loomis <miltloomis@xxxxxxxxx>]

    OK, a report on the first meet-and-greet jam session of the SFBayharpers/East Bay Harmonica Club, held last Thursday at Armando's in Martinez, CA. Those of you who already received this report via the Yahoo Group can hit the delete button on this one.
    Unfortunately, I left my clipboard at Armando's and probably part of my brain, too, so I'll be lacking some names, may have the order of appearances scrambled, etc., but basically here's how it went:
     We opened the music a little after 7 with yours truly rendering a truly fumbling set of fiddle tunes on the Hohner Echo Celeste tremolo harp, key of A: Put Your Little Foot, Buffalo Gals and O! Susanna. I have my excuse: a bad cold that kept me from practicing for the four weeks prior to the get-together. Caused me to jettison my envisioned chromatic harp medley of Moonshadow, Up Jumped Spring and My Funny Valentine. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.
    With the musical ball rolling, Larry Marks (all the way from Mount Shasta, and thus our long-distance award winner) and fellow traveler Gregory Williams on 12-string AE guitar joined  Jim Caroompas on guitar and Steve (whose last name I do not know) on bass, for a set of four or five classic blues tunes on which all sparkled. It was a great way to get the jam into high gear, and thanks to Larry and Gregory for coming all that way despite having to leave right after the jam to head home because of commitments at home on Friday. Now that's dedication!
    East Bay Harmonica Club President Deron Cavaletti played a solo tango, Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White, in first position on a 14-hole Hohner Marine Band, a performance that was impressive for his combining melody, rhythm embellishments and chords. 
    Following that Deron called up East Bay Harmonica Club cohorts Peter Sproul, Marty Parker and myself for the first official public appearance of the EBHC Harmonica Band. We did Train Song, I'm a Man (featuring Marty's vocal) and Summertime. All this with less than two full practices. Deron played chord harmonica, Peter and Marty played diatonics and I played a Brendan Power-modified Hohner 270 in G, except on Summertime, where Peter and I used Lee Oscar A natural minor harps. I'm told there's video of that performance but I have not received it yet. 
    Jeff (another name lost in the mists of bad memory), a local harper, joined the band for a set of four excellent blues tunes including, IIRC, Honeybee. They were rockin'. That was followed by a set with Berkeley's Jason Redwine on harp and friend Chris KapSalis' on Regal metal-body resophonic guitar with the House Band, with old friend Jim Brunelle taking the bass chair and drummer Steve Myers, who arrived and set up his kit after the EBHC Band's set.
    With the drummer aboard, and longtime band mates Caroompas and bassist Scott Riggs working together as they have for years, the place began to groove even harder, especially when Bayharper Greg Heumann joined them for a set of three tunes, one of many high points of the evening.
    Mike Hernandez from Red House Music in Walnut Creek then did a smokin? blues set, followed by somewhat hurried (time was fugiting) sets with Mark Fenichel, Paul  From Down the Street (that?s what he said), Gunga Dean (whose custom leather harp vest holding every conceivable key of harp was an eyecatcher), Mark Irwin, Tom (last name lost) and yes, let's not forget Danny White, whose sponsorship of the jam via his Good Stuff Guitar Shop in Martinez and back line of boutique guitar and harp amps helped make  this evening a success.
    Unfortunately, we had to compress the later performers' appearances into one or two songs or even choruses apiece and even then not all who wanted to jam got to do so. this was true despite Armando?s owner Roy Jeans letting us run almost 30 minutes over the city?s mandated 10 p.m. shutdown time on week nights. We will strive to correct this timing problem at the next gathering of Bay Area harp faithful.
     Again, many thanks to Armando's owner Roy Jeans for letting us use his venue and to sound man Thomas Martin and Danny White for making us sound as good as possible under semi-chaotic conditions. We had a good turnout this time (more than a dozen harpers) and I hope to see more folks at our next group gathering and jam on August 21, when I will try to smooth out the minor bumps we hit the first time out. It is nice to have some faces to put with the names.
   If anyone on Harp-L is a Bay Area player and wants to sign up for our Yahoo Group, go here and hit the JOIN button, or contact me off-list so I can add you:

http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/SFBayharpers/ 

Bob Loomis
SFBayharpers Modulator