[no subject]

[Jose D Beruvides <beruv001@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi. I've been, as they say, "lurking" on the fringes of the net for a 
while, and have finally decided to take the plunge into cyberspace. I've 
been fooling with the harp now for about two years, ever since I took a 
train to Memphis, drank too much, and was blown away by Little Jimmy King 
at BB's and The Fieldstones at Green's Lounge. Needless to say, I got the 
blues infection and returned to the harp after a hiatus of about 15 
years. (I first bought a Hohner Blues harp for warning sluggish grizzlies 
of my approach on an early spring snow camping trip in Yellowstone.)

I'm posting from Minneapolis, which boasts many fine harp players, 
especially R.J.Mischo, who's got SBWII and the two Walters down cold, 
and, of course, Tony Glover, who's still playing on a weekly basis with 
Dave Ray.(Hi to Chris Michalek, another local player with whom I've 
spoken during his gigs at Whiskey Junction and the Viking Bar.)

Anyway, I don't want to prattle on. Much of what's appeared on the Harp 
List is not only interesting but useful. I've saved some of the postings 
on mics and amps, but I'm a ways from indulging myself with these toys. 
(Right now I make raucous -- not altogether pleasing, that is -- sounds 
with a cheap Radio Shack ball mic and a Pignose.)

I'd like to hear more about members' favorite harp tracks/albums, playing 
tips, blues harp history, song keys, etc. Basically, the kind of stuff 
most useful to someone still feeling his/her way around the instrument. 
Here's some questions for starters:

1). Has anyone used David McKelvy's "Blues Harmonica Collection" 
(available from Kevin)? Is the tabbing easy to follow, accurate? Would 
you recommend it to a novice player? Are there any similar books worth 
investigating?

2). Can anyone provide the song keys for Big Walter's "Can't Keep Loving 
You"?

3). Song keys for "Hoodoo Man Blues"? How does Junior get his distinctive 
tone on this album? Is he using a chromatic on some tracks?

4). Key for Lester Davenport's "Mad Dog On The Loose"?

5). Anyone know whatever happened to Thom Doucette, who played harp with 
the Allman Brothers in their heyday?

Cool runnings,

Jose'