[Harp-L] Subject: Re: Buckeye Report, 2006

[EGS1217@xxxxxxx]

Buckeye, 2006. 
 
 Decided I needed to be there the night before to register early on  
Thursday.  Thought I'd be only one of a few .....was so happy to find many  of the 
"regular" Buckeye chromatic crowd in residence long before me and already  
jamming in one of the 'lobbies" (this Hotel had a strange set-up: two lobby  areas 
separated by a long corridor).  Marv Munroe already ensconced in a  chair with 
his ever-present guitar and double-harp self-built neck rig...with a  group of 
chrom players entertaining everyone.  I had been on my way to find  Gail 
Albin & her husband but had to stop and give a listen.  Then  Gail found me, and 
with husband Leon in tow, we both settled in to the  circle. She'd been unsure 
prior to Buckeye if she'd play at all...I found out  she'd already gotten out 
her chromatic and played! - such is Marv's magic.  We joined in and had our 
first mini-chrom jam session.  Lots of fun and  laughs..getting our jitters out 
of the way.  Gail knew many more of the  American standards than did I...even 
dancing with Leon to a couple of their  favorite songs.  I was glad to witness 
such an auspicious beginning to her  first Buckeye...first harmonica event.
 
Stayed up far too late as always so naturally got off to a late start  
Thursday....after registering only had time to attend the third Jim Lohman jazz  
seminar.   He gave up teaching part-way through when "& friends" (who  were 
supposed to assist him) didn't show...in favor of his backing CD's  and then 
playing his chromatic over them for us.  The class was  perfectly content with 
this...he's a great player...then took questions on his  techniques.
 
Spent far too much time ogling Richard Smith's Harmonica Collection set up  
in the same room as the Seydel display/store.   What a huge collection  of 
harmonicas Mr. Smith owns... some over 100 years old.   Mrs.  Eichler was there as 
well with her son helping sell her  late husband Al's collection of 
harmonicas...along with past issues of  American Harmonica Magazine...I made sure to 
get some issues I found of  interest....It sure would be nice if someone would 
buy the newsmagazine from her  and start it up again....I'm finding the issues 
I bought of immense  interest.
 
The show Thursday night was a great beginning....maybe my little shot of  
Courvoisier had kicked in a bit to relax me <G>  but I was thoroughly  enjoying 
having met up with Denny, a Harp-L'er who rarely posts, Ken Hildebrand  (Harp-L 
friend from last year who picked up a case of water for me  instead of having 
to run me to the store..thanks Ken..you're a peach!), Tom  Baehr from that 
"other" strictly chromatic list who'd decided (despite my  enormous trepidation) 
that I could probably sight read sufficiently to play  classical flute duets 
together with him on our chromatics at some  point....
 
....I worried a little initially about Al Smith...he seemed ...not quite so  
"exuberant" in his show with wife Judy and the rest of Harmonica  
Junction...despite playing as technically proficiently as ever.   Found out later that 
he'd been fighting off a cold/flu.   Forgive  me for not knowing the breakdown of 
the Groups and their names...since  they seem to change every time I turn my 
head, but Bud Boblink, Herb Eck   Wally Peterman, Frank Warner, Chris 
Bauer...Phil Caltabellotta, all were  outrageously good on their chords, basses, 
chromatics....the show was lively and  funny....in the middle of which I spied a 
familiar haircut on a thin  shadow escaping out the door for a quick 
ciggy...nipped outside to see if it was  indeed my Sexy OCD Rocker friend...sure enough 
Jason Ricci had  arrived....hugs, kisses...all's right with MY world now.  
Jason  brings an energy with him to any venue that lights up a room.  
 
He is such a fan of Al & Judy Smith's he didn't want to miss a  second of 
their show...(or anyone else's).  They have a mutual  admiration thing going, 
though...they come to his shows too...but as well he  loves anything to do with 
harmonica...chromatics, chords, bass - anything harp  related.  The dissing 
existing between chromatics/diatonics  doesn't happen in Jason's world...he loves 
the musicality of it  all.  Cheered up, I went back to watch the rest of the 
show...it was  so good...brought back lovely memories of last year and my very 
first  Buckeye.  I later finally met Brady...what a doll!  And the puppy is  
cute too <G>  so two more new friends.
 
We did try to get a mini-blues jam going afterwards in the Ballroom --  in 
chairs at the back.. but there wasn't any accommodation made for it...Roger  
Trobridge from England had brought a Blues player Laurence with him.....(Laurie  
Garman).  I think there were 5 of us all told...Jason and Laurie played...I  
believe a couple of others joined in ....but it wasn't conducive to a real  
"Jam", so fizzled out.  Of course, just hearing Jason play anything at  anytime 
works for me.
 
Of course the chrom players were always playing in small groups so I got to  
join in with them late at night...every night.  My stage fright seems to  
dissipate around 3a.m. with Bill (a very nice older guitar player who shows up  to 
accompany harmonica players but doesn't play harp himself)...and the couple  
of chromatic players Lee & Tom (his friends) who always play along  with him.  
They welcome me into their group while dispensing constructive  criticism so 
I'm slowly losing my inability to play in front of  others.  Bill told me that 
if I can play Bonfiglio's version of  Sleepwalk...accompanied only by him on 
guitar then I shouldn't let anyone tell  me I can't play, since it's a 
difficult song to play well in his  opinion. That was very kind of him.  Tiny 
increments....Baby  steps. I'll take that.
 
Friday..sans breakfast, I was going to attend but missed the basic  Chromatic 
Harmonica classes with Al & Judy.  Gail & Leon  attended. Tom Baehr did too, 
but left early saying I would not have gotten much  out of it at my particular 
level.  So I aimed for the intermediate  class....can't remember what got in 
the way of that...oh yes....Bobbie Giordano  arrived!!!  I'd no idea she was 
coming to Buckeye.   There  was the familiar voice overheard at the 
registration desk....only a wee bit  late!   What a pleasure to see her again...as if no 
time had  passed....all of her friends were thrilled to gather round for hugs 
and  welcomes..and commiserations about Douglas. 
 
A lot of us gathered there, so I got to hug and hold Jason's dog who is a  
smaller, tawnier version of my recently departed beloved dog, Shawnee...so of  
course the tears came again.  But it felt good getting to cuddle  a dog again. 
Puppy breath and kisses do a lot to help assuage one's  grief.  A lovely woman 
there with her harp-playing grandson literally took  me into her arms and 
hugged me and wiped my tears....I'd never met her before  but she saw my face as 
I tried to not let anyone who knew me see, and  just took control.  Some 
musical people are a special breed, I'm  finding...when the ones I'd thought would 
be there...(friends, and family back  home) were not.  
 
Being able to introduce some Harp-L'ers to Jason was very nice...but  the 
most flabbergasting part of this trip for me were Harp-L'ers who  specifically 
sought me out due to my posts on Harp-L and another  list..  Really nice..and 
very special.  Rupert Oysler (whose VHS  tapes on Harmonica repair I'd lost to a 
last second snipe on  EBay)...was there representing Seydel ....made sure to 
introduce himself and say  he'd wanted to meet me because of my posts, adding 
that one gets a feel for a  person through their writings.  Thank you 
Rupert...yo can't know how much  your words were appreciated in the middle of all the 
kidding.  (Of course I  didn't get away without buying his DVD's on harp 
repair...he wasn't exactly born  yesterday!)....He still hasn't satisfactorily 
explained his description of  Bobbie and me as "Aces of Clubs"...due to our 
birthdate (when he found out we  really do share the same birthday) ...hmm...is that 
good or bad, Rupert?   His friends were teasing him unmercifully about the 
video of him playing  Acker Bilk's "Stranger on the Shore" on a low, low F 
running on the tv screen at  the Seydel "booth" the next morning....I thought it 
was quite cute,  actually....the tall grass blowing in the wind in the dunes by 
the  ocean...looked just like the Hamptons here on Long Island. Nice video.  I 
 liked his low, low F sound.  Rupert's a very good player.  He  came close to 
selling me a Seydel, but I'd just bought a low F Lee Oskar  and a new Hering 
Chromatic...so had blown my budget. Perhaps next time  around.  Jason was 
there at the same time...and while admitting that all  the talk of "ages" made me 
feel old enough to be HIS mother...he averred  that folks there would think I 
was his wife....boy..our Jason sure knows how to  cheer up a girl <G> (and you 
wonder why Bobbie and I both love him so  much?!)
 
Early dinner with Bobbie, Jason, Brady and most of New Blood at the Hotel  
restaurant. I'd  just had lunch with Ken there....so couldn't eat much  more.  
Only drummer Steve Johnson and his wife not part of the  group.  How fun ..and 
what an education, to hear Bobbie and  Jason discussing the inner workings of 
a chromatic.  Todd, Jason's  bass player and a multi-instrumentalist... is now 
becoming more and  more interested in harp playing....bought a melodica...now 
wants a bass  harp. Watching Jason become more intrigued by chromatics was a  
treat....especially since this Buckeye could practically have satisfied that  
"other" harp lists' insistence of creating an all-chrom convention...since so 
 few diatonic players were in attendance at this stage. 
 
Denny (you know I'll never be able to spell your surname correctly)...is  
basically a blues diatonic player, but who brought his chromatic with him....and  
was very happy when we did get a blues jam going on Friday night and after JR 
 & New Blood's show Saturday night.  That went a long way to satisfying  some 
of our need to hear some down and out Blues.  
 
Friday night...no one wanted to miss the Jazz show...First the HotShots (Al  
& Judy Smith) were amazing.  Al had bounced back....but the sound  system 
hadn't.  He was clearly chagrined that the monitors weren't  working...no matter 
how much effort the sound guy was putting into it, the  system just wasn't 
cooperating.  Judy is the calm one...manages to make  even the most recalcitrant 
glitch in the system sound as though it's just a tiny  problem that's bound to 
be fixed momentarily.  She was right...They still  sounded amazing...Al & Judy 
Smith could play in a 4x4 dead room with no  acoustics and still be great.  
The audience loved them and the  monitors kicked in early enough to satisfy Al 
2/3 of the way through their  act.  They did a Star Wars score/sound effects 
that is nothing but  mind-blowing.
 
Then PT Gazell...backed up by Carolbeth True and the BHF Jazz Combo....I  had 
heard PT play last year at Buckeye ...a bit.  I had heard him play at  
SPAH...a bit.  I have never heard him play like this.  He just blew me  away.   All 
I had to hear were the first two numbers (off his new CD -  "Swingin' Easy, 
Hittin' Hard") ...and that was it...I'm a fan for life.  Have to give props to 
Carolbeth and the rest of the trio...the drummer and bass  player were 
especially astonishing...perfect backups for PT.  I had  introduced myself to him 
earlier...told him he didn't know me... was surprised  by his interrupting to say 
that of course he did.  He's another  unpretentious fabulous harpist who seems 
to have a photographic memory for faces  and names and yet has no idea of 
just how good he is, and what high esteem  he's held in. He calls what he does 
Swing  Blues...I call  it Jazz and it was cool!...another reason I so dislike 
music being forced  into such narrow categories by Radio Stations.
 
The following day PT practicing in the Harp Depot "store" and taking the  
time to explain his valving setup on diatonics to anyone asking.  The store  was 
great this year....plenty of stock...good deals to be had.  Lots of  
harmonicas I hadn't seen before.
 
After...no one wanted the party to stop...when the Jazz jam  began....and 
went on and on.....but with people like PT up on stage...Jim  Lohman, Carolbeth 
still playing the piano....even Todd Edmunds (Jason's bass  player) got into 
the act and went onstage to play the upright bass for a  while....really 
grooving to the jazz (he's a very eclectic musician)...and  having a blast....
 
...it wasn't the typical Buckeye Jam, though...as we know and love them(and  
have gotten used to).  Different...but still interesting and very  enjoyable.  
I didn't see many "amateur" players willing to get up on stage  with players 
of the caliber of PT...it was still great to listen to  the good ones jamming.
 
Later...Jason did manage to get a semblance of a Blues Jam going....in  
another area off the Ballroom hallway...this Hotel has an odd octagon  shape....I 
kept getting lost...spaces with tables just meld one into another so  we'd just 
set up wherever we could.
 
Have to mention Bob (Montgomery?) who broke out his fringed suede  
jacket...that matched mine.  Honestly...it wasn't planned.  We really  don't know each 
other...only met briefly at last  Buckeye.  Either I have no blood or it really 
was below freezing  everywhere I went in the hotel...requiring the wearing of 
a jacket almost  constantly.
 
On Saturday met Jack (Agee?) of Harp-L (another non-poster here) who  
specifically introduced himself as wanting to meet me because he liked  my 
posts....thanks Jack. He'd just come in for the day for the show  and to see Jason Ricci 
in person if I remember correctly....had a lovely  chat....Orrin Nordstrom 
(can't remember if he's from Harp-L or the "other"  list)....brought a young 
female pupil of his who played piano but wanted  to learn harmonica.....to see 
Jason & New Blood with her siblings  and father.  
 
Saturday...lots of excitement because the BIG show was that night.   Met 
Linda Fassett through Bobbie.  Not sure if Linda is from Harp-L or  not. But I 
LOVE that we Harp-L'ers just gravitate towards each other...and  become instant 
friends.  We all couldn't wait to see Jason and  the Band perform.  I'd finally 
run out of excuses to avoid  playing those flute duets....so Tom and I headed 
off to sequester ourselves to  see just how much sight reading I 
remembered...or was that on Friday?   Being at Buckeye has a habit of causing the days to 
blur into each  other. 
 
 Tom was probably being kind....(he's a classical musician with  formal 
training...and I'm anything but)...but he did say we sounded good playing  
together.  I found sight reading very stressful and tense for the  harmonica...haven't 
read music for the piano in years... never for the  harp.  One thing it did 
was make me forget my fear about  playing in front of another person.  To my 
ears, though...my playing  from the sheet music sounded pedantic....when I 
finally memorized the piece..and  played it from my head...that's when it flowed 
and sounded ever so much  better.  Which defeated Tom's purpose, I think.  Ah 
well. It was  quite an experience and kind of fun. I've never played chromatic 
one-on-one  with another (far better) player before...it did sound good...the 
two chromatics  playing harmoniously together..and I hope I'm brave enough to 
try it  again.  Perhaps next time with something I know!  
 
So Bobbie and I decided we needed to have a late lunch....before the  
cocktail hour and dinner.....have any of the rest of you ever driven in a  car with 
Bobbie Giordano?  
 
Winslow's not allowed to answer!! <G>
 
Since we were having such fun comparing all of our  similarities .....(having 
the same birthday makes one look for  them)...we didn't "get lost" on our way 
TO the restaurant....and we didn't  call it getting lost on the way back.  We 
think alike in that neither  of us ever consider it being lost...simply a 
road less or  never traveled.  <G>  She has a compass built into her  head...I do 
too but she was the driver so I let her compass guide us this  time.  It's 
the way she zips across four lanes of traffic without any  hesitation that can 
be slightly unnerving (were I easily unnerved, that  is)....but I'd gotten a 
taste of Bobbie's driving in Kansas City last  year..so this time around it 
simply made me laugh out loud.  We had a grand  time....got to see the very 
impressive Ohio State Football stadium up  close....and swathes of gorgeous tulips 
we might never have seen  otherwise.
 
Got back barely in time to change for the cocktail hour....a group  of 
chromatic players were holding forth ...that's where I met Jack  and some chrom 
players from that "other" list as well.
 
So sue me for taking a tad too long to get ready....had a bad headache  
working so decided it was in my best interests to skip the cocktail hour  
altogether....getting downstairs just in time for dinner.  Was lucky  enough be seated 
with Roger Bale (the hardest working man at  SPAH) and his wife Nancy... 
lovely people....a couple of other guys  I'd met through Tom Baehr....then between 
my table and the stage..right next to  us was Jason & New Blood's at their 
table.  Very cool.
 
I can't tell you if the food was great or not....Bobbie and I had eaten  
while we caught up on the past year....I had no room for food, only managed a  
couple of bites.. Everyone else seemed to enjoy theirs, though.  The  desserts 
were excellent...I exchanged my very chocolaty mocha dessert  with my tablemate 
who was eyeing it....took his NY cheesecake  instead...that was actually very 
good, even though I rarely taste  cheesecake.  Was so anxious for the show to 
begin.  I could see  Jason's nerves building...doubt he ate a bite...he's so 
thin..and before a show  I doubt he wanted to overload.
 
So now I know I saw Chris Bauer and was it Wally Peterman, Frank  Warner 
playing?....but my memory is impaired at this point.. "Just Wally and Me"  is...I 
believe that was Chris Bauer and Wally"....unless Harmonica Junction  is Wally 
with Phil Caltabellotta....just all too confusing...I'm  better with the 
individual's names.  I believe Bud Boblink opened the  show...or did he?  Was I 
just so used to seeing him?  I  thoroughly enjoyed his playing, by the way.  
I've forgotten how many times  I saw him up on stage.  I know an incredible 
highlight was Orange Blossom  special by Chris Bauer backed by ......oops my memory 
bank just crashed...Frank  and Bud?   Wally and Frank?  Help?!
 
Chris tells the worst corniest jokes....and everyone falls on the  floor 
anyway...something in his delivery.  He  laughs at  himself...always something I 
find endearing.  I'm a big fan of Charlie  McCoy's Orange Blossom Special, but 
I'd sure rate Chris' version a high  2nd.....haven't heard Al & Judy's version 
yet, though.   
 
Phil Caltabellotta..if I've spelled his name correctly...is one of the most  
incredible chromatic players I've ever heard as well.  I'd sure love to see  a 
"harp-off" between him and Chris Bauer in an informal jam some night.  
 
Then Sandy German...nice easy-listening music.  Jazzy, Sinatra  style...but 
for some reason his show seemed to go way past the time when  Jason & the band 
were scheduled...not just a few minutes...but an  entire hour.  At that point, 
a lot of the older chromatic fans were  just plain tired..they'd been up and 
in the same area since 5p.m. - it was 10  p.m. - past their bedtime, though 
Jason had been scheduled to go on at 9.
 
Now a young, funky..blues musician and his band were about to take the  
stage...and just as Jason had predicted, the room began to empty  out.  Some people 
were only taking a short break and did return....I asked  some chromatic 
players I knew if they were coming back in and they said they  were there to see 
and hear Jason and they wouldn't miss him...a couple of  the chromatic guys I 
hung out with late at night were among  them.  That did my heart good.  
 
One lister I know..who prefers to remain nameless was especially annoyed by  
there being no one to introduce Jason.  And this man is not a Blues  
aficionado.  He is a Chromatic player who saw that oversight as  unseemly (in view of 
every other act being introduced with great  camaraderie).  Anyone could have 
jumped onstage to introduce JR & New  Blood, but no one seemed to realize that 
they hadn't done so.  But I'm not  sure of the protocol of these things. So 
Jason and New  Blood just began to play...and play our guy did.
 
Mind you..he had attended, sat through and applauded every single chromatic  
act that had gone before him since Thursday night.  I saw Al &  Judy Smith in 
the corner smilingly loving every second of his  act...they clearly support 
Jason...and PT Gazell.  I'm sure some  of the other musicians whose performances 
he'd supported were there  too..but I was too busy thoroughly enjoying what 
was one of his best  performances EVER to pay too much attention to see if they 
all  attended.  I was also having a fun time watching Bill  Hunneke and Denny 
experience their very first Jason Ricci concert....when he and  Shawn do 
their duet of Sonya (which is the sweetest, loveliest instrumental  in their 
repertoire)(and will be on the new album)  and then Jason  sing...and the sound 
system for some amazing reason was in perfect shape  for his voice on Blue & 
Lonesome...he never sounded better....  I could  hear the intake of breath...from 
Bill and Denny both...the "aww man"s....it felt  so good, and I was immensely 
proud of him.  People do react to a live  performance by Jason the way they 
cannot to a Download or a CD.  Seeing him  in person is an altogether different 
experience.  And the rest of the  band is equal to the gauntlet he throws 
down.  They are now so amazingly  tight...their individual solos are each as good 
as the others...I don't see  how they could improve beyond this...except for 
taking the music in a  slightly different direction..which they did by doing a 
jazzy number (Jason's  choice)....so maybe there will be something down the 
road to expand their  fan base...please even more people than they do now.
 
At that point I didn't care anymore about my migraine, I was so into the  
music...it didn't matter if the rest of the old-timers left...there were enough  
of us who loved Jason to stay and give him the respect and affection he'd  
more than earned.  Bobbie couldn't stop clicking away  with her camera..had no 
more space for regular shots..due to using  up her video capabilities.  
 
All the other acts had encores...the audience calling them back.  When  it 
was Jason & New Blood's turn...we wanted it...but my one voice  calling for 
Jason's version of Amazing Grace....wasn't heard.   I believe there was a time 
constraint due to the late start.  They  ended the show leaving me wanting 
more....as it should be.
 
Then we changed and went back and jammed.  Well...JR and crew  jammed...I 
listened and grooved.  <G>  Still can't believe Jason  thought he'd get me to 
play diatonic Blues!  
 
It was good..with Jason taking charge...Shawn playing acoustic guitar (a  
first for me)...Todd on electric bass...the "other" guitarist whose name I don't  
know -  Bobby (all in black looking as though he belonged in Santana's  
band)...playing astonishingly good guitar...
and some really respectable blues jamming....Laurie from England playing  
some respectable Blues...this is the first time I've known them to do a  jam 
mic'ed  and amp'ed though.  Changed the feel of it...since  the player had to then 
get up and stand in the middle of the very tight  circle...but still most 
enjoyable.  Finally met Paul Messinger...at  this small and intimate Blues 
Jam...Hi Paul.  
 
Much later.....after my standard 3 person chrom playing tucked at the end  of 
a hallway with Bill the guitarist, the evening ended with Wally Peterman  
(whose wife was the only intelligent one who'd found a chair..the rest  of us 
standing exhausted holding up the hallway walls)...Frank Warner...Phil  
Caltabellotta...Tom Baehr, Bobbie Giordano....(Frank, Phil, Wally  playing....with 
Jason joining in on his diatonic and so blown away by  Frank's and Wally's chord 
and bass playing...as much as by Phil's superb  chromatic...then Bobbie singing 
along finally)..A fun and a lovely ending  to the harp playing at Buckeye.
 
Taking the elevator with Jason...not really saying goodbye.....taking the  
Hotel Bus the next day with Phil Caltabellotta and his wife Valerie; Roger  
Trobridge and Laurence...sharing our reminiscences in the bright sun of  
Columbus...I felt filled with new ideas...new hope for my playing... glad to  have met 
so many new friends....regrets over old friends who  were deeply missed, but 
also very happy that Jason Ricci and New  Blood were part of this Buckeye.  It 
would not have been the same  experience without him and them.  He quite made 
my weekend.
 
Had a lot to think about on the plane trip back.  This Buckeye had a  lot of 
strikes against it...not the least of which was the loss of Douglas  
Tate...and the heart sinking/feeling of loss that almost resulted in no Buckeye  at all 
this year...but Jack Ely and the Buckeye Harmonica Club  rallying...pulling 
together to manage to put together a decidedly different but  still enjoyable 
Convention...should be applauded.  I missed the Filisko  group's teach-ins.  I 
know they'll be at SPAH...don't intend to miss them  there.  I missed Buzz's 
deft handling of the Blues Jams...but we managed to  muddle along without 
them...(Jason did a heckuva job coordinating the one  real jam on Saturday 
night)...it'll make Buzz picking up the reins again at  SPAH something to look forward 
to. I missed Allen Holmes' Bass  playing, Joe Filisko's involvement at the 
Blues Jams...but we had other  guitarists sitting in....players whose names slip 
my mind at the moment, or I've  forgotten (forgive me)...someone else can 
fill in the blanks.  
 
Diatonic players were a very small minority at this particular  Buckeye...and 
quite a few were reasonably local people who came to see  Jason Ricci & New 
Blood on Saturday.  The others were primarily those  who play chromatics as 
well, or jazz players...who seem to be able to move more  freely in the chromatic 
world than do straight blues diatonic players.  But  I don't see it as a 
harbinger of things to come for future Buckeyes...rather as  a specific symptom of 
things that went awry for this Buckeye  (For one, I'd  sure be happy to 
return to last year's Hotel in Worthington...which was much  more conducive to 
friendly gatherings).  I'm sure things will get back on  track for both SPAH 2006 
and Buckeye 2007...especially if the Filisko group is  involved.
 
All things considered, though...my hat's off to the people who worked so  
hard to put it together....and I learned a lot...and that's what it's all about,  
after all.
 
Elizabeth