[Harp-L] First I'm I played with Buddy Guy

[David Priestley <drmidnight@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi

Just an' old felow recalling some of his mis-spent youth. I'm sending 
it as I thought it may raise a smile.

At this time, some 20 something years ago, I was teaching out of London 
UK. My books were full and life was mostly good, as it mostly is, if 
you look on the right side.

Well I was looking forward to a night in, No students after 7, for 
once, so I was just setteling my mind into weather to try out some new 
Bach on the chromatic (a private vice for a diatonic blues player), 
read a book, or just do the TV thing when the phone rang. The voice on 
the other end was husky and I didn't reconise it at first. It turned 
out to be a student of mine, I won't give his name here, he was asking 
could I do him a favour. Well I said as how I'd be glad to depending on 
what it was. Well he had a gig at 'Gaz's Rockin' Blues club' in 
london's west end.

 His voice had gone and as a consiquence so had his harp playing. He 
wanted that I should stand behind the speaker stack and play his gig 
while he mimed. I Though this was the hight of oddness, but I hadn't 
seen Gaz   for some time and I liked him, the beer would be free and 
though my student couldnt' afford a fee, the very oddness of his 
request had got my intrest up. So I said yes and before I could ask him 
who I'd be playing with he was gone.

I made my way to the west end and arrived at Gaz's, went into 'his 
office' and had a drink with him and chewed the fat some. well time 
passes and suddenly it's all rush rush to get me set up in hiding 
behind the speaker stack before the band took the stage. I still didn't 
know who it was I was about to be playing with.

 Now when I play I try to pick up as many visual clues as I can from 
the other players. I couldn't even see the bass players fingers to get 
the key, though my student did try to tell me the keys but I've quick 
ears so that wasn't a problem. The gutrist was clearly the main item 
but all I could tell, from where I was standing, was that he was a 
black man with mean fingers and wrinkled jeans about the butt.

Well he must have liked the harp playing and after a bit he asks for 
the harp player to step forth and take a solo. By this time I'd gotten 
so much into the music that I'd forgotten that I was supposed to be in 
hiding so I step out from behind the stack and move forwards so I can 
see this fellows fingers. At first he did look mighty puzzeled 'cose 
now he had two harp players on stage and only one sound, we played on 
thru his puzzelment and it was enjoyed by all. After the gig my student 
explained what I was doing there in a horse whispa, Buddy laughted like 
a drain when he heard the tale, an' that was how I first came to play 
with Buddy Guy. Fine fellow.

Oh yes the point of this tale ? Never pass up the oppertunity to jam on 
stage, as you never know who you'll end up with. An' maybe if you're 
real lucky you could find yourself alongside one of your hereos.

David Priestley, a Data Processing Disorder survivor, So please excuse 
my odd spelling