Re: So where are all the Buckeye reports?

["Ken.Hildebrand" <airmojo@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Well I'm still trying to shake the cobwebs out of my head 
from Saturday night !

This was my third Buckeye in a row, and I seem to look 
more forward to it each year, mainly because of the people
and the fun we all have (and being cooped up all winter which
seems to get longer and longer every year!).

Along the lines of what Steve and Buzz said... it is about the people!
And we do miss the 'regulars' we've grown to know over the years
on Harp-L and the past Buckeyes, but always looking forward to 
meeting others!

Tom A. and Alec D.  we missed you guys and you missed a tasty
and fun dinner at Buca di Beppo's...hmmmm-mmm good !   And no gas
masks were needed this year in the hotel rooms (although the matches helped!).

Hal Iwan, Steve Webb, Tom McGovern, and I had lots of fun just hanging out, 
playing, joking, and laughing (some beers always help too!).

I enjoy all kinds of harmonica music that is played well, whether its blues, country,
jazz, or harmonica duos and trios.

I didn't get to attend all the seminars and all the acts, so these are the memorable
ones that I had attended and seen...

The Juke Joint Saints did a great job with a mix of blues and country songs.
Help me out guys on the harp player... Justin ????   He was really entertaining
and has great charisma on stage.

I really enjoyed Paul Davies seminar on playing double harmonicas (like using
a C and a D major SBS harmonicas, enabling you to play missing chords.
I have to give that a try!

A truely amazing harmonica player and a real life virtuoso was Jia-Yi He.
I never imagined that tremolo harmonicas could be played the way Jia-Yi
plays them, especially when he has them stacked 2, 3, or 4 (or more!) high!
He plays the chromatic equally well as I realized while listening to a couple
of his CD's on the way home Sunday.

Frederic Yonnet is another amazing diatonic player!  I wish I had a penny for every note
he must play in one of his songs!  Wow!  And what energy he has!  He's an awesome showman!
Don't ever pass up a chance to see him live.  William Gallison joined Frederic on stage where
they both shot and slung countless harp licks back and forth on a couple of songs. I was
waiting for Jia-Yi to come flying up on stage, flailing several of his tremelo harps Kung-fu style
but it didn't happen (only in my mind and it was an awesome sight!).

I always look foward to going to Joe Filisko's Teach-a-thons, because you know some
of the best diatonic players and customizers will be there!   I was entertained numerous
times at Jimmy Gordon's harp-repair table with his antics and responses to various
questions.  You should've seen Jimmy's face when some real-elderly (80-ish) chromatic player
plopped his big chromatic on the table with a thud complaining about loose screws. Jimmy
did not hesitate for even a second to give him a toung-lashing about how to properly treat his
delicate instrument... NO WONDER THE SCREWS ARE LOOSE !!! 

Jimmy then sent the old geezer over to Mike Easton's Chromatic repair table.  I wonder
what luck Mike had with the old gentleman !

I love checking out what harp-repair tools people come up with, and Jimmy has many in one
of his magic bags, and he covets and protects them like a mother hen protects her baby peeps!
He will pull out a few, so you have to watch close, and sometimes you can handle them, but
other times you just get to look. 

Pat Missin made it to the Saturday Filisco event, but I only had time to stop by his table
to chat a bit, as I wanted to spend some time over at Rosco's table trying to figure out 
over-blows, pick-up other tid-bits of harp info, and as Steve said, philosophize over many things
related to harp and life in general.  These great harp players are also regular joes too ya know.
Roscoe gave me some embouchure pointers, and I wish I could go back and ask a few more
questions since I've had time to think about things relating to holding the harp in such a way
as to point the back up more with your upper lip just about hanging over the bottom of the top
cover plate, as Roscoe does.  I am mainly a pucker-type player, and hold my harp in the
traditional manner with my left index finger across the lower part of the top cover plate. 
So I'm going to have to change my grip or get an awful wet finger.  I should've paid more
attention to how Roscoe held his harp.

Roscoe's exploring toung-blocking now, so hopefully we will be seeing his progress next year!
Roscoe seemed amazed that I like to tongue block with the bottom (underside) of my tongue
with the front tip of my tongue pressed against the back of my upper front teeth.  Joe Filisko
told him that he thinks Gary Primich does similar, and I believe Norton Buffalo does also.  So
I guess I'm in outstanding good company... now we're wondering who else does.

Unfortunately, I only made it to the Saturday night blues jam (I learned along time ago to pace
myself, get some sleep, and get up early to go get breakfast and not miss the early seminars).
Buzz always has everyone in control and its always fun.

As you can see, I had a great time, and truely enjoy the friendships of all the harmonica players
I meet each year.  I hope I'm always available to go each year--its a great time-out break and mini-vacation!

God bless you all and happy harpin !

Ken Hildebrand

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