Re: Lead Guitar Players (Again).

[Mike Curtis <wd6ehr@xxxxxxxxxx>]

> 
> I've always had more problems with drummers than guitar players. Too many
> of 'em have shown some validity in the old saying that "there are musicians
> and then there are drummers".

Q. How do you know when a drummer is at your door?

A. He can't find the key, and doesn't know when to come in.

> And there are lots of people out there who own harps and give harp players
> a bad rep. You know, the clown that found a harp in a sewer drain(which
> instantly made him a musician) and wants to sit in with the band. Every
> "real" musician has come across this particular creature. Every time I'm in
> a new jam situation, I have to re-prove myself. "Oh, you play harp? My
> sister's kid's got a kazoo." And words don't cut it - the harmonica MUST do
> the talkin'.  It used to bug me but it's an old boring story so I just take
> it in stride and let the harp speak.

I've also run into this, but I keep a harp in my shirt pocket (I have an 
OLD Hohner leather belt-loop carrying case - but I wear suspenders :-(, 
and when the topic comes up, rather than say "I play harp", I just PLAY 
the thing.  It takes about the same amount of time, and shows that I can 
play well.  And it's more modest than trying to describe musical 
abilities in words.

> Plus, too many harp players don't know when to shut up. They play through
> _every_ other instrument's solo and they solo through the vocals. And they
> do it on every song. So this also gives harp players a bad reputation.

Actually, one can play through solo's if done properly.  But you don't 
SOLO through everything - you play background harp.  A perfect example of 
what I'm talking about is Jerry Portnoys fine background harp on Muddy 
Waters' "40 days and 40 nights".  It's subtle, tasty, and ADDS to the 
SONG (as opposed to the harp players ego :-)

> The reality is that I'm as much to blame for having a bias against drummers
> as other musicians are for being biased against harp players. All musicians
> deserve a chance to let their instrument speak for them. I've been
> surprised too many times, especially here in Music City USA. And I'm not
> talking about country muscians. Unless you're sccopin' the loop on the
> tourist side of town, country music is hard to find in this town. The
> locals hate it(unless that's how they make their living).

What city?  Chicago?  Detroit?

There's not a whole lot of CW here in Los Angeles, either, although we do 
have the Palomino.

 --  mike curtis
wd6ehr@xxxxxxxxxx