Re: 1 - Any of you guys in Florida or Georgia ? 2 - Is there a Harp Festival in FL or GA ?

[Joe and Cass Leone <leone@xxxxxxxx>]

On Apr 16, 2004, at 7:24 PM, Will Standley wrote:

> Hey guys...
>  
> I live in central Florida, near Cocoa Beach.
>  
> I'm just wondering how many harp players live in Florida or Georgia?
>  
> Also, are there any Harp Festivals in florida or Georgia?
>  
> thanks,
>  
> Will
>
   Yeah Will, I remember you. I knew there was someone over there in 
Melbourne. Too bad you're not a member of SPAH. The roster has all the 
clubs (about 9) and where the members live. At the Dallas convention 
Fla was represented more heavily than any other state except Texas.

  In any case there is a club at Ft Myers with about 71 active members. 
Top of The World (Ocala area) has at least 21 (they have lost a LOT of 
members lately. Coconut Creek (Boca Raton area) has at least 30. Down 
near Hollywood there are 45 members. These are mostly older folks and 
number doesn't include all the "free-lancers". I know of at least a 
dozen "biker" players (mostly rock/diatonic), and a few 
multi-instrumentalists (guitar players who also play harmonica, a 
fiddle player who is as good as Charlie Daniels and also one bad mutha 
on a harp, etc.

  There are a few famous (notorious) players scattered about. "Ice" is 
in Orlando area, "Randy (the Singer Slantomatic) Singer" in Hollywood, 
Frank Warner in Jacksonville,
  Don Klein in Boca, and the "baddest" in Florida lives in Gainesville. 
There's a couple working the cruise ships, etc.

  We just HAD a blues fest in St Petersburg (actually called the Tampa 
Blues Fest). Musselwhite was a headliner. Other than that, this is a 
veritable wasteland for engagements, but I usually get out 2 nites a 
week (depends, sometimes 3).

  smokey-Joe / & the Cafe s
  "     "     "      / & Exit