Re: Primal harp?

[Randy Lilleston <randyl@xxxxxxxxxx>]

On Mon, 5 Dec 1994, Ben Majchrzak wrote:

> 
> Does anyone remember the first time you bent a note?  For me that was a
> much more significant day. . .

 Sure. It was late in 1984 or early in 1985. I had noodled around with 
harmonicas for years but had never gotten very serious about playing 
them, and I had just moved to the South for the first time.
 Anyway, a buddy dragged me out to see the Blues Patrol, a pretty good 
local blues band. I'd had only limited exposure to the blues. They hard a 
harp player named Caroll Dee Bland - a huge mountain of a guy - playing a 
Green Bullet through a silverface Twin Reverb. I was totally transfixed. 
I had *no idea* you could make such a cool sound with a harp!
 I went home, pulled out an old Creedence Clearwater Revival recording of 
"Run Through the Jungle," and noodled with my harp until I could bend the 
heck out of the baby. I found I could do it almost immediately - I still 
feel lucky, in this respect. My life (not to mention my pocketbook) has 
never been the same.