Re: [Harp-L] Jazz Jams at SPAH 2009 - and not just jazz

[IcemanLE@xxxxxxx]

It's normal for different people to have different memories of an event -

(Rent Rashomon, by Akira Kurosawa - The film depicts the _rape_
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rape)  of a woman and the apparent _murder_
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder)  of her  husband through the widely differing
accounts of four witnesses, including the  rapist and, through a medium (_Fumiko
Honma_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fumiko_Honma) ), the dead  man. The
stories are _mutually  contradictory_
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unreliable_narrator) , leaving the viewer to determine which, if any, is the  truth.)

My memory of the Jazz Club contradicts Smo-Jo's. Acoustics were good,
volume was under control, lighting was tempered (Bob Williams wanted to give the
 flavor of a Jazz Club), attendees knew what was going on, attendance was
good,  multiple mics let three harmonica players on stage at the same time,
which lead  to a lot of interesting interplay, and Randy had a solid handle
on  controlling some of the egos. It did run concurrent with other events,
but the  idea was to have a World Class experience in which it was impossible
to attend  everything and there was a lot to choose from. Beginners were
intimidated, as it  was a much more professional situation. However, it gave
those with experience a  chance to really play with excellent acoustic
musicians.

At the time, SPAH was moving in a different direction than Buckeye, which
was more geared towards the beginner. The idea was that, between the two
events, both beginner and more advanced players would find exactly what they
needed.

Randy was instrumental in creating the Jazz Club and we were behind his 
ideas to bring in the professional musicians and PA, piano, etc. Perhaps Randy
 has his own recollection of the Jazz Club to offer.

Lame it was not, in my opinion.

So, we leave the "viewer to determine which, if any, is the truth."


In a message dated 6/3/2009 1:36:43 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time,
leone@xxxxxxxx writes:

The  private room was a bad idea. First of all, some harmonica players  
are show offs and playing in a sterile room with plasticine wall
coverings, bad acoustics, harsh lighting was lame. Secondly, no one
realized what was going on. There were NO passersby. If you didn't
read the schedule, you never knew there was a jazz showcase going  on.
Thirdly, sometimes it ran CONCURRENT with the major show. That,  in
itself, made attendance lame. It was all  lame.

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