[Harp-L] Chesis/Margolin tear it up in Denver

[Blueharp1@xxxxxxx]

I just had to put in a word about a remarkable evening of music last night...

Most of you recognize Bob Margolin's name and deep toneful guitar sound. He'd 
been scheduled to play a gig at a Denver club, and when he got here, got the 
news the club had closed. Hey, it happens... Fortunately for local blues fans, 
everyone stepped up: Denver harp ace Al Chesis called together his 
DeltaSonics bandmates, talked with Billly Bob, owner of Lincoln's Roadhouse, a treasure 
of a club ~ small, warm, and a friend to the blues ~ and ,along with local 
Americana radio station KCUV, put together a night of music I won't soon forget. 
Up close, raucus, deep, and soulful.
 Yep, Margolin cooked, he always does, one of the widely underappreciated 
Greats of blues guitar. But it was Chesis who made it a tasty and satisfying 
stew. Al's a guy who can blow the paint off the walls at any moment, but has the 
good taste and artful restraint to peel it slowwwwly... and then just when 
you're about to lean back, content to simply bask in the guy's full round tone and 
fat rhythmic chromatic vamp, Boom!, he nails you to the wall  with a solo run 
so powerful and so damn creative you're left with two options: Quit the 
dayjob and woodshed for the next 20 years or so; or just give up altogether.
 Chesis is without a doubt the deepest, most powerfu blues player in the 
region. Kim, Rod, Hummel, Primich....all brilliant for sure, and not a one of them 
has anything up on this guy.
 Playing through a customized Bassman and a Green Bullet, very simple setup, 
the range of tones and nuance was astounding. He's got lungs of leather, an 
absolute airtight deathgrip on the mic, and gets the most amazing effects by 
loosening and tightening the cup at the opportune moment. I think he's 
tongue-blocking pretty much everything, and has a real lowdown throat vibrato going on. 
  What impresses me most though, is that I've never seen a guy focus so much 
energy into the instrument. When I play, I find my focus wanders a bit...I'm 
aware of my tone generally, I know what makes it sound good, but I'm not 100% 
consistent in applying it. Watching last night, I realized how far, 
psychologically, I have to go. Unwavering awareness ~ you can't let up on that, can't let 
your attention fall,can't just "coast" when playing background fills or 
rhythm chugs. It makes your playing inconsistent ~ which should seem obvious, I 
guess. I listened hard for such things last night. Never happened, not a note or 
phrase that was "called in" or tentative in the least. Pretty humbling, pretty 
inspiring.  
 Lesson learned: EVERY note and EVERY breath counts. Both these guys, Chesis 
and Margolin "get that."
  Carlos Santana has said the when you're playing your music "right", the 
molecular structure of the universe is actually altered. I can't confirm or deny 
that, but whether or not everyone at Lincoln's last night knew just what what 
was going on, you got the distinct sense that souls, at least, were being 
altered; and consciously or not, they "got it" too.
Thanks Al, Bob, the band, the club, and the radio station, for the best 
evening of music in recent memory.

Hallelujah, I love the blues! The harmonica has opened a big ol' can of 
whup-ass wonder and joy in my life... oh yeah.

Jeff Gathercole
Denver CO.