[Harp-L] Another SPAH Done Slipped Away... (really long)

[Mojo Red <harplicks@xxxxxxxxx>]

Hi,

Well, I've spent a few days recuperating from my
sleepless SPAH experience and the fog is lifting.
Another SPAH done slipped away but I wanted to
share some of the great experiences I had. Sorry,
it's a long ramble.

I arrived on Thursday evening and was immediately
disappointed that I had missed Jason Ricci's
Blowout show which was held on Wednesday evening.
However, the rest of the experience more than made
up for things. 

After settling in about 6:30 pm and doffing some
beers with some of the Harp-L folk at the bar?
visiting with Michael Polesky and his lovely wife
Sherri, Steve Web, Elizabeth, Barbara and of course
Bobby G.

I ducked into the ballroom just in time to hear my
friend Clay Kirkland perform. Clay is an awesome
harp player from my neck of the woods and did a
fine job. He?s definitely on the map now with the
SPAH crowd. Then I was knocked out by Filisko?s
Mob? hearing his regular crew, plus Grant Dermody
for the first time. Wonderful stuff!!!

My most jaw-dropping moment, however, came when
Howard Levy took the stage on Friday night. Hearing
him play was truly a soul searching experience. On
the one hand I wanted to just throw all my harps
away? I mean what?s the point? On the other hand he
was such an inspiration! The diatonic, in his
hands, seems to have no limitations whatsoever.
Omigoddd? His rendition of Amazing Grace had to be
heard to be belived. To me, his playing was at such
an extreme level of sophistication and technical
proficiency that I could hardly take it in (more on
Howard later). 

Others have commented on the other great
performances so I?ll keep it brief Mark Sallings,
Pat Ramsey offered KILLER blues performances. Pat
Missin wowed us with some great bits and played on
a very strange Asian instrument that resembled a
Sheng. I?d never met Pat before, but seemed to hit
it off with him straight off. What a great guy! I
learned a great deal from him at the teach-in about
the practical uses of alternate tuned harps. 

Donald Black is an amazing tremolo player of
Scottish tunes, and what kind man. Yasuo Wqatani
performed some classical and popular music on
chromatic that was wonderfully executed. And of
course there were Harmonica Junction and Harmonica
Classics with Frank Warner, Bud Boblink and Don
Klein? classic trio stuff, excellent performances
all! 

The main performer on Saturday night was of course
Charlie McCoy? He?s still going strong and is
perhaps faster than ever. A great entertainer and
wonderful musician? what a band he had! I had a
nice ride to the airport with Charlie and got to
chat with him a bit. 

I really enjoyed the jazz club this year, and came
~this~ close to putting myself up there. I
chickened out, however, and George Brooks was kind
enough not to put the screws to me. Whew! After
hearing Dennis Gruenling and Gina Fox perform, and
then Ron Kolina and Michael Polesky?. I wasn?t
about to stink up ~that~ stage. LOL!

I was fortunate enough to stop by the ?amp room?
set up by Dennis Oellig (Mr. Microphone) and got to
play through several mics and amps that were set up
for that purpose. I got to play through one of
those custom Meteor amps? and omigoddd? that baby
is the REAL DEAL? If I had a lot of spare $$$$ I?d
snap up on of those in a heartbeat. 

Anyway, so there I am with some other guys in the
amp room, and I?m just wailing away using this
lovely RE-10 mic getting this AWESOME tone, just
looking down and honking away through some blues
riffs when I see this pair of sandals standing
right in front of me. Cool! Someone?s checking out
my riffs and this hot amp? I look up? and up? and
up? a very tall guy? yeah it?s Howard Levy. My
heart about stopped, but I decided to play it cool
and finish up my riffs with a flourish. I?m sure
Howard was a lot more interested in that RE-10 than
my riffs. Oh-boy - a humbling but very cool moment.
Then Pat Ramsey stopped in, he got plugged in and I
slipped quietly away. 

The blues jams was what I most enjoyed. I gotta
say. This year the talent in that room was thick!
Simply amazing. Buzz Krantz (who won an award, by
the way) was ever the gracious host, Joe DeGelia
slaving away at guitar. So many heavy weights: Joe
Filisko, P. T.Gazell, Dennis Gruenling, Allen
Holmes (doubling on standup bass), Kirk "Jelly
Roll" Johnson, the amazing Jimi Lee, Clay Kirkland,
Jimmy Gordon, Winslow Yerxa just ripping it up on
an XB-40, and Mikael  Bäckman from Sweden, the
irrepressible Nicolas "Froggy" Fouqueta and his
young protégé Nicolas Moreau from France. Then
there was Mick Zaklan with his amazing position
playing and Harp-L's own Reach on percussion. 

My friend Frank, a long-time lurker on Harp-L who I
met in St. Louis last year played some very stong
solos... showing a huge improvement form last year.
Keep it up, Frank!

And the biggest surprise to me was Warren ?The
Killer? Bee exhibiting some of the strongest
playing from the mortals side of the fence (Warren
you're a Monster!). And the party went on and on...
Buzz (who won an award) directed it all with
effortless mastery, managing to play a few most
excellent solos along the way. 

I really missed some of the folks who were not able
to make this year: Ben  Nathanson, Rosco, Randy
Singer, Rob Paparrozzi, Michael (if you?re nasty)
Peloquin, Tim Moyer and David Fairweather. Hope to
see you guys all next year in Denver. Hopefully,
Buzz (who won an award) will once again take the
helm at the blues jam. 

I also wanted to mention how badly everyone at the
show truly missed the presence of our fearless
leader Doug Tate. This was one of the most
open-feeling SPAH conventions I?ve ever attended in
terms of great communication among all styles of
players.  This, I know is a goal for Doug? an end
to the chrom vs diatonic rift. Things are clearly
on the right track. And, I must also add that Paul
Davies did a terrific job in filling in those big
presidential shoes for Doug. A very well run SPAH. 

I know I missed mentioning people? all my friends
from Denver who were there, Ron and Barb Totten,
Roger Bale, Frank Kresak, Loyd, Bill Kowamura? what
a great group!

Anyway, I?ve rambled on waaaaaay too long. You
shoulda been there!

Harpin? in Colorado,
--Ken M.


		
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