Hangin' with a Local Legend

[Mojo Red <harplicks@xxxxxxxxx>]

Hiya folks,

Yesterday I was able to attend the monthly meeting
of the Mile High Harmonica Club in Denver. I've
been a member for a number of years and always
enjoy playing with and listening to all the MHHC
members. 

Generally at our meetings we'll break up into
groups and I'll move off with anyone interested in
Blues and teach an impromptu class. I've been
taking my guitar the last few meetings so as to get
a blues circle going. (My guitar skills are
paltry).

Anyway, this month the club was honored when Clay
Kirkland, a local Harmonica Legend, attended our
club meeting. He's a great guy and a truly
fantastic player, perhaps the best in our state.
Oh, by the way, he's got a new CD out that just
kills. I think there are some samples available (be
sure to check out Wintertime).
http://www.claykirkland.com/

So I had my little blues-class group going and Clay
hung out with us. We discussed a lot of techniques
and variations on position play and Clay gave us
some really great playing tips. (He also teaches at
Swallow Hill)

Then I got out my guiar and started riffing through
some chords, playing harp out of a rack when my
turn came. Clay, of course blew us all away. 

We did a generic 12-bar and then ran through "Help
Me" and a few others. At one point I wanted to get
folks playing in 3rd position and started playing
the chords for Charlie Musselwhite's great song
"No" (from Continental Drifter). Charlie plays this
in Dm on a C chromatic, so I put my Solo-Tuned C
Marine Band in the rack and ran through a verse
with the harp.

Clay's mouth dropped open... "Man, that's really
cool," he said to me. "How are you playing that?"
This from a guy who could play circles around me in
his sleep with one lip and a mouth full of
crackers... Made me feel pretty good. :-)

I grinned and showed him my Solo Tuned (364S)
Marine Band. He said, "I gotta get me one of
those." He'd never seen one before. Hey, I got to
"teach" something to a Local Legend!

Later, me and Clay and another MHHC member, Frank,
played "No" for the club. Clay on diatonic, Frank
on standard chromatic and me on guitar, vocals and
solo-tuned MB. It was a great afternoon. 

I just love being able to hang with really,
~really~ good players now and again. Keeps me in my
place, but also serves as great inspiration to
strive to become a better and better player. Harp
players is good people.

Can't wait for SPAH!

Harpin' in Colorado,
- --Ken M.

=====
"When you speak of Walter Horton, the first thing you think of is his tone, that big, fat tone."
- ---Li'l Ronnie Owens

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