Re: [Harp-L] diatonic vs chromatic - what can be done?

[Mojo Red <harplicks@xxxxxxxxx>]

Hi gang,

Thanks, Iceman, for that great editorial rundown of
the pervious efforts that SPAH has made to help
join the camps of the traditional harmonica world
with the younger generation of jazz and blues
players.

Last night was the last night of the 2nd Annual
Rocky Mountain Harmonica Festival, and I must say
it was a smashing success.

On Thursday night I was fortunate enough to be one
of the performers on a bill which included local
Chicago blues guy Al Chesis, who played amped, but
with only a guitar accompanyment. Other players
that night included Bud Boblink and Harper's
Bizarre, a harmonica trio (plus one). 

I finished the evening playing half my set
accoustic and half amped, accompanied by only one
guitarist -- all traditional blues with some jazz
tossed in. Afterwards I was deluged with favorable
comments from many traditional harmonicists
including Frank Warner (bass player), Bud, Jack
Ely, and at least 10 other grey haired attendees.

My experience at this event, as with my experience
at the last SPAH in Kansas City, differs from your
statement that the gap between diatonic and
chromatic is "ever-widening". I find that the
opposite is true -- the gap is narrowing, albeit
slowly.

In my impromptu class on blues theory at the Rocky
Mountain harp fest, my students included an 87 year
old gentleman (a chromatic player who "dabbles in
diatonic") who was asking great questions --
without a trace of condesension or negative
attitude. 

You make some great points about volume issues with
regard to the elderly, and about successful
programs that have been implemented (many of which
were your own ideas), but my own experience has
been that many of those programs are successful and
that attitudes are losening up, not becoming worse.

To be sure, there is still much work to be done,
but I say that progress is being made. We are
headed in the right direction and we are not losing
ground. I suggest you attend the next SPAH, right
here in beautiful Denver Colo., and perhaps get a
fresh perspective on the current attitudes and
trends at harmonica conventions.

Sincerely, 
--Ken



--- IcemanLE@xxxxxxx wrote:

> Harmonica Conventions can take a proactive
> attitude towards the ever-widening 
> gap as long as the powers that be acknowledge the
> existence and seriousness 
> of this problem.
> 


		
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