[Harp-L] Minor harp lee oskar story

[David Priestley <drmidnight@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi all

many years age I had a kids  harmonica group up and running. Some of 
the group had won 1st place in the blues, Jazz and C&W sections of the 
world champs, in germany that year. When Lee Oskar came touring the UK 
he invited us to see him and that incarnation of War perform in London.
So off we went, I told the kids to keep their harps with them at all 
times, but who can tell a kid what to do !!

We went back stage and after Lee & I had done our greet in Danish (we 
are both displaced Danes, though his Danish is far better than mine but 
then my English is better than his, as he only speaks ameaican :)  ) he 
invited one of my students up to play a number with him. The kid knew 
better and had left his harps back in the van, so whilst doing a press 
photo call and having all sorts of other calls on the 5 mins that it 
took , he re-tuned one of his spare harps to the right minor key for 
the number that he was asking the kid up for.

Not only did he tune it just right , using the harp that he would be 
playing on as a tune reference, he also posed for a photo shoot and 
amended and then approved the set list. This all took a scant 5 mins. 
later that night they went and played together. Lee was a gentalman (as 
always) he let the kid find his feet in the gendra of the song and then 
let the kid do the cuttin'; contest thing! Gadly the kid knew when he 
was beat so they ended the 'contest' in unison. The audence loved it 
and the only person that I was more proud of than my student that night 
was Lee.

That kid now grown, plays many instruments, and keeps his family and 
pays the bills with his music.

THANKS LEE

I'm pointing out it can be real quick to alter the tuning of a harp if 
you know what you're doing. Lee had the kit to change the reeds but 
deemed a bit of re-tuning as quicker - on the night.

Just sharing a story :)
David Priestley