[Harp-L] My experience in Long Beach, CA w/Johnny Mastro

[IcemanLE@xxxxxxx]

I spent a week in Long Beach, CA, working at the IAJE Convention.

While in Long Beach, I wandered over to the Blues Cafe on a Sunday afternoon where "The Mama's Boys" have a house gig. The leader/harmonica player/vocalist is a gentleman by the name of Johnny Mastro. Johnny invited me to join in the fun and jam with the band, always fun for an out of towner.

Johnny is a very good singer/player in the traditional style, playing diatonic and chromatic both acoustically through the vocal mic and electrically through his Bassman rig. The arrangements of many of the songs are very witty, with "bring down the volume" an important part of the songs.

Not content to let an out of towner sit on his butt watching hotel cable on a Monday night, Johnny invited me out to the oldest existing blues club in LA for the Monday night open jam/soul food banquet, even picking me up at the hotel in his van. It was a great night - good company, good food, good music. The club was a real throwback to the old days, w/velvet curtain behind the bandstand, etc.

I don't remember the name of the club, but here is where I call on Johnny to come out of the shadows and tell us about it on this list. 

Johnny has been a harp-l lurker for some time and is a bit shy. He is a real stand up guy and has a good attitude towards other harp players, encouraging them to join in the fun. 

His band is a bass/guitar/drum/harp quartet, and when the mojo is right, puts out a powerful groove that gets the audience dancing up in front of the stage.

Thanks, Johnny, for showing me a good time.

The Iceman