Re: [Harp-L] Bluegrass Harmonica

[Cara Cooke <cyberharp@xxxxxxxxx>]

Bill Monroe's point of view was 'I employ you, so you do as I say.  I am
the leader of the band'.  He was responsible for training up a great many
wonderful bluegrass musicians.  He had focus on what he wanted and, through
his determination toward that goal, he taught a lot of young, talented
musicians how to be better than they were when they first started working
for him.  He essentially operated a boot camp for future bluegrass
legends.  It was an honor to be asked to be a Bluegrass Boy, and it was an
opportunity to put your future on track, even if Bill had hired you to play
some instrument other than the one you wanted to play.  With "Bluegrass
Boy" on your resume', you often got audience and opportunity.  However,
Bill was a hard drill sergeant.  Many young players didn't make it through
their first year.  The opportunity to work for Bill always netted a good
result somewhere along the line, though.

Bill's point of view was not unique in music or business, so if Vassar
insisted on playing what Bill didn't want him to play, I expect he was
fired.  He was not the first or the last to be in that situation.



On Wed, Dec 19, 2012 at 8:05 AM, Bart van Strien <knuppel@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> I agree, but nah ... Monroe probably couldn't
>
> Although he did manage so see the crazy energy in Earl's picking in the
> early early very first live gigs. The MC's would just announce the band as
> 'Bill & Earl'. I bet he didn't like that very much either. But hey, I'm
> just guessing
>
> "harmonica is not a bluegrass-instrument ...." =>  So f***** what?
>
> Bart
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Richard Hunter" <
> turtlehill@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> To: "Bart van Strien" <knuppel@xxxxxxxxx>; <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
> Sent: Wednesday, December 19, 2012 2:50 PM
>
> Subject: Re: [Harp-L] Bluegrass Harmonica
>
>
> well, for sure he does!  But isn't that wonderful?  Surely Mr. Monroe
>> could have figured out  how to use all that crazy energy...
>>
>> Regards, RH
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>>
>>> From: Bart van Strien <knuppel@xxxxxxxxx>
>>> Sent: Dec 19, 2012 8:38 AM
>>> To: Richard Hunter <turtlehill@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>, harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
>>> Subject: Re: [Harp-L] Bluegrass Harmonica
>>>
>>> Funny story bout Clements
>>>
>>> But ... knowing Clements fiddle playing, I bet that it was a bit more
>>> than
>>> just one chord he played different. Sometimes he tends to really get
>>> funky,
>>> way out there .. ;-)
>>>
>>> Bart
>>>
>>>
>>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Richard Hunter" <
>>> turtlehill@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>>> To: <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
>>> Sent: Monday, December 17, 2012 6:52 PM
>>> Subject: Re: [Harp-L] Bluegrass Harmonica
>>>
>>>
>>> eskeene@xxxxxxxx wrote:
>>>> I heard a possibly apocryphal story about Vassar
>>>>
>>>>> Clements playing a 6th chord on the fiddle while performing with
>>>>>> Monroe.
>>>>>> Monroe turned to him and said, "That note isn't in this song", to
>>>>>> which
>>>>>> Vassar replied, "Well it is now."-whereupon Monroe fired him on the
>>>>>> spot
>>>>>> saying, "It may be, but you're not."
>>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>> My bet is that Monroe needed Clements more than Clements needed Monroe.
>>>>
>>>> Regards, Richard Hunter
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> author, "Jazz Harp"
>>>> latest mp3s and harmonica blog at http://hunterharp.com
>>>> Myspace http://myspace.com/**richardhunterharp<http://myspace.com/richardhunterharp>
>>>> Vids at http://www.youtube.com/user/**lightninrick<http://www.youtube.com/user/lightninrick>
>>>> more mp3s at http://taxi.com/rhunter
>>>> Twitter: lightninrick
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>> author, "Jazz Harp"
>> latest mp3s and harmonica blog at http://hunterharp.com
>> Myspace http://myspace.com/**richardhunterharp<http://myspace.com/richardhunterharp>
>> Vids at http://www.youtube.com/user/**lightninrick<http://www.youtube.com/user/lightninrick>
>> more mp3s at http://taxi.com/rhunter
>> Twitter: lightninrick
>>
>
>