[Harp-L] Subject: Meeting Harp-L'ers at my first SPAH, what an experience

[EGS1217@xxxxxxx]

Where to begin:  Waiting for Bobbi Giordano after both our planes  were 
massively delayed; then finally getting to Knuckleheads way past 10p.m.  (I learned 
why Winslow and Barbara Butler were only too happy to have me be  the front 
seat navigator (Bobbi's driving rep had preceded her <g>)  - Winslow is not 
only the most knowledgeable harmonica person on Harp-l,  but is absolutely the 
nicest guy....Barbara amazingly funny and an avid  Irish music student and our 
foursome had a blast arriving in time to watch the  inimitable Buzz do his 
Hoochie-koochie man.  We did miss JR's set  ....aargh!   But then Dennis Gruenling 
and his wife Gina Fox (not  just a "gal singer") did their bit with Jason's 
band: guitarist Shawn  Starski stepped it up for them and then later for Pat 
Ramsey who just blew me  away.  I hadn't heard Pat before.... I see where 
Jason's influences  lie.  Now I'm going to be a life-long Pat Ramsey fan too.  He's  
an amazing performer.  That night was electric.  At least I got to  hear 
Jason at the end when they played out and they were all  terrific.
 
Wednesday a.m. on stage in the Ballroom: Pat Ramsey, Dennis Gruenling,  Jason 
Ricci, Joe Filisko and Peter "Madcat" Ruth trading licks and stories,  
fielding questions.  How could you beat that lineup?  I sat  mesmerized.  That 
session for me was worth the price of admission to  Spah.  Jason & Pat in a 
friendly blow-off - each player  notching it up a bit - then Madcat ratcheting it up 
to an astronomical  level.  As good as all the others are, HE is truly 
untouchable. 
 
 But then.......Howard Levy arrived.   I didn't think  my brain could handle 
any more.  I told MadCat exactly how I'd felt about  that 5-man session and 
even HE said  ...."but then there's Howard  Levy".....
 
 I could have listened to Howard just play the piano for an hour  or so and 
been perfectly content.  What he then does with a harmonica and  his low-key, 
quietly methodical explanations to the audience were charmingly  humorous.  His 
playing is Awesome.  No other word  suffices. 
 
Being a Scot and having begun playing harmonica on an  Echo double-sided 
tremolo as well as a chromatic, hearing Donald Black then  play the music I grew 
up with actually brought tears it was so  beautiful.   James Conway was a 
revelation in the same session as was  Winslow, who played as well as ran the 
session wonderfully.  
 
The Filisko teach-ins are always informative though I don't play there:  just 
try to absorb and listen with "big ears".  Winslow played the  XB-40 and I 
really liked the sound, which surprised me.  I actually may  have learned a 
blow-bend from Paul Rubin in an impromptu teach-in   held by the elevators one 
afternoon, after which I raced up to my room to  practice it on my lowE SP20 
(knew it would come in handy).
 
The Blues Jams are what I enjoy the most.  They were a revelation at  Buckeye 
and these were notched up further due to the huge number of  participants..I 
mean Pat Ramsey sitting in at a Blues Jam?   Wow!  Just sitting in the 2nd row 
with Steve "Moandabluz" Webb and  listening in...asking the questions I 
needed to know, I learn more  than a month of studying.  I much preferred Gina's 
singing at the  Blues Jam - - the overamplification at Knuckleheads didn't 
showcase her gorgeous  voice ...singing at the jams did.....Bobbi Giordano not only 
playing harmonica  but singing as well...who knew?  A revelation for 
me.......Warren Bee (from  my neck of the woods) Big guy with the sweetest 
tone.....Jimi Lee whom  people seemed to be overlooking in the first Jam with their  
applause was SO good!....and then slowly he garnered their attention (his  
separate little jams in the corners with his guitar were so much fun)  .....Michael 
Polefsky and Winslow Yerxa both playing chromatics gave me  hope I could 
eventually do something similar (Michael playing the  Renaissance, Bobbi & Doug 
Tate's harmonica - what a gorgeous monster  that is).....Frank of the Harp-l list 
(who doesn't post) playing  beautifully...all the others already mentioned 
here  but I confess I really  missed Ben Nathanson.  His "trumpet" tone is in a 
class by itself and  matched only (in my very subjective opinion) by Grant 
Dermody whose playing  I didn't know before this, but I will now be buying 
CD's.....so much to  absorb......our own Nicholas "Froggy" Fouquet..so young, 
uninhibited and  with whom everyone fell in love is a monster player and his  friend 
Nico (the other Nicholas)... I'm still reeling.  Buzz who is always  so good 
and who is never given credit for his harp playing trading off with a  player 
whose name I never got - "the guy with the balloon"<g>...and Jimmy  Gordon, all 
playing the highest notes possible....all incredible... Hank  Black and 
Warren creating a mini-jam after the main one ended, into the wee  hours with only 
a handful of us late-nighters left.....
 
....Bobbi accepting the award for Doug at the Banquet ...Pat Missin playing  
Scarborough Fair in tribute to Doug and I wept along with everyone else even  
though I've never met him.... Buzz's award well deserved - because he may  
look big and gruff but he's really a puddy-cat underneath it all and keeps  
things running as smoothly as anyone possibly could.  Charlie McCoy  blowing the 
audience away with monster harp playing with his band and telling  jokes 
reminiscent of Buzz's - I think I'm not going to be able to avoid getting  back into 
country music to some degree - his version of Crazy, Always on My Mind  and 
Orange Blossom Special were beyond good ......speaking of which - Cara Cooke  in 
teaching mode with every conversation, happy to impart her vast field of  
Country and BlueGrass knowledge in as pleasant a manner as I've ever run  into, 
Tobe Terrell regaling me with the most enjoyable conversation at the  Harp-l 
get together......Ken "Mojo Red" Mergentine over  lunch  politely listening to 
the story of my life (with my apologies, Ken)...getting to  finally "jam" on my 
Super 64 in the lounge on Saturday so missing the  cocktail hour, with Peter 
Graber (who'd just come from Robert  Bonfiglio's chromatic teach-in) and 
Barbara Butler - with a group of  chromatic players....and we surprised them by our 
impromptu harmonizing.   Finally becoming less afraid of playing in front of 
other people.
 
 My first Spah will certainly not be my last.  I don't know about  the 
politics.....I hate the idea that Robert doesn't feel welcome  because his presence 
there would have been the icing on the cake for  me.   I want to do it all:  
playing blues on diatonic;  playing blues on chromatic; playing anything on 
chromatic....if enough of  us choose to bridge the gap then perhaps the 
divisiveness will  disappear.  Sorry for the length of this, but this was an 
overwhelming  experience for me.  I loved  Buckeye...but this first SPAH was Buckeye  
times 10. 
 
Elizabeth