Amp primer/harp news.

[Tom Ellis III <74053.3164@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Mike:  Here's the deal on the amp primer.  It runs three pages in length, in
eight point type.  It is much easier to send it out, although this response from
all of you guys has been like an avalanche!  Part of the material originally
appeared in AHN, the rest was part of a presentation I did for our harmonica
club down here.  None of it has appeared anywhere else.  Now for some harp news:
Pierre Beauregard has demonstrated his new harps for me and they are going to
change the way you look at playing various categoies of music.  They are set up
for Bebop, blues, big band jazz, folk, etc., with the tunings set to correspond
to the typical musical structure of each of these.  He says they are negotiating
with Hohner for a Fall release, will be in Marine Band format, and maybe even in
paper boxes!...Jimmy Rogers has a new album out on Alligator that has some great
Piazza work on his standards and a couple of killer instrumentals...Amos Garrett
is talking about reforming the Better Days ensemble from the Butterfield days.
No word yet on who takes Butter's chair...Mark Ford seen playing recently using
a volume pedal, allowing him to boost the volume during solos, with the pedal
set at comping volume for normal ensemble work...I have been able to play and
have a couple of Joe Filisko's double reed harps in Low F and A, and they are
just incredible.  Contact Joe about them...For intimidating experiences I've got
one:  Playing in the house band at a local blues club jam night, we were in the
groove when local patron Sam Myers got up to sing--nothing unusual for this
place.  But on this night he turned to me while pulling a harp out of his left
pocket and said, "I'll take this one, Tom."  Proceeded to unleash that monster
tone that seems to come from the depths of his gut.  We had a little bit of
exchange that night and it turned out to be a great learning
experience....Finally, always take your harps out.  I was without mine two
weekends ago when after meeting and talking with Johnny Dyer he asked me to come
up and play a few.  Now I don't even go to the bathroom without one!!!  Johnny
says he has a new CD on the way.  He really had some of his Walter stuff down
cold.  Great show for all.