[Harp-L] Richard Sleigh in Concert (Video) on MB30S harp

[Richard Sleigh <rrsleigh@xxxxxxxxx>]

Hi, Everyone,

I just posted a Video of a concert performance by the Jive Bombers, a group
I have been playing with since the seventies. It is the name I go under
when I play with my friend Jerry Zolten. This concert was at the State
Theatre in State College PA, a lovely restored old theatre with great
acoustics. The show was a benefit concert for a local charity and a tribute
to Van Morrison.

All the Van tunes I wanted to do were snapped up early so I went obscure -
A partially spoken word meditation called "Rave On John Donne" from the
album "Inarticulate Speech of the Heart" 1984, I believe was when it was
released.

I also opened up the set with a bit of "Wild Mountain Thyme" - Van's family
has Scottish roots. Jerry played the shruti box for a drone, joined by John
Kennedy's upright bass adding a bowed E. I played a double thick lo A harp
on that.

On "Rave On John Donne" I am playing an MB30S - the harp designed by
Brendan Power and Zombor Kovacks. I built this harp from the parts they
machined. It's in key of C. The tune is in key of G.

It is not till near the end that I dig into the top octave draw bends when
trading licks with Rick Hirsch on sax... So - fair warning - it is a
thirteen minute video, and most of it is not harp.

It was a real stretch for me to do this piece, and I was a nervous wreck
for about a week before the concert. We ended up  re-arranging it (a lot)
from what was on the album, cause there was no way in hell we could do it
the way Van did. I invited Rick to sit in on sax the night of the concert,
really glad I did...

Here it is:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ka_yxVd1ohg

Thanks,

Richard Sleigh

http://www.rsleigh.com

http://www.hotrodharmonicas.com