[Harp-L] Augusta Heritage Blues Week Report #2

[icemanle@xxxxxxx]

Monday night was the intimate concert with Cephas and Wiggins, downstairs from the cafeteria, called the Madden Center. (Trip, you wouldn't believe what they've done in redoing the downstairs).
 
Filisko's mini-class had a segment in which all the instructors (Filisko, Gruenling, Holmes, Del Junco, and The Iceman) used a different harmonica to play together a blues jam in the key of "A". I got so into connecting with Dennis and playing harmonies for "horn" fills that I missed hearing Allen's crazy chromatic soloing. Dennis is thoroughly steeped in R&B and swing harmony concepts. Some of his descending chromatic notes were just the right "color" to add to the tune. As you may know, it is not easy to have 5 harmonica players on the same tune without cluttering. However, the caliber of players allowed this tune to BREATHE, as bass line, chording, horn lines, high end notes were used by each player individually so as not to get in the way of anything. The music was orchestrated, in a sense.
 
Wednesday was the noon concert at the Randolph County Cultural Arts Center that was called "The Iceman and Friends". This is a new facility residing in an old church, remodeled as a performance venue and art gallery. It is a former church building, so the acoustics were considered a nightmare. I used the BOSE PAS System for harmonica (RJ Harman, Carlos Del Junco and myself), fed the Ralph Gordon acoustic bass into the system, mic'd the Steve Larrance base drum and ran an acoustic guitar mic'd and female vocalist (Connie Townsend) into it.
 
The sound was CRYSTAL CLEAR. It was amazing. I began with a solo improv. RJ followed with his version of a Howard Levy version of Amazing Grace. Carlos called up Ralph, Steve and myself (on piano) for Girl From Ipenema and "Junco Partner". RJ and myself played our version of "Bag's Groove" w/Ralph and Steve. Finally, Connie Townsend, a local WV award winning singer/songwriter and I did 3 of her original pieces.
 
It was a real class act and well attended by both Augusta students and local folk.
 
In the late late evening, Joe Filisko held everyone spellbound with at least one hour of non-stop pre-war tunes. I go to bed at 1:00 PM these days, but the jamming continues until 3:00 AM at The Icehouse and the Halihurst Porch.
 
The most exciting accolades are going to my student, RJ Harman, who is really coming into his own, his playing receiving a lot of respect from the more seasoned veterans.
 
Ah well, I'm off to sit in on Grant's improvisation class.
 
The Iceman