[Harp-L] re: How I learned..

[rainbowjimmy@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

When I was learning harp I only knew one other person who even played and he was
sooo much better than me I didn't want to bother him.

These are the songs I wore out when I was learning back in the 70s. Woodie
Guthrie Sings Folk Songs (with Sonny Terry)--especially Dirty Overhauls,
Sonny's Smithsonian recording of Lost John and Fox Hunt, Mel Lyman with the
Kweskin Jug Band doing Dark as a Dungeon, John Hammond's Source Point(can't
remember any one particular song), Pig Pen with the Dead on Europe 72 doing
"Hurts Me Too. Paul Butterfield did a killer harp intro to some song on one of
the Woodstock album and I nearly killed myself trying to figure that out.

I took a lesson once in the 70s from a guy in Boston (Cambridge?) who used to
tour with Geoff Muldaur. Can't remember his name. He turned me on to Little
Walter. I'd love to tell you that this struck a chord with me but at the time I
didn't really like Chicago blues (I was a punk kid okay?) and couldn't figure
out what Mr Jacobs was doing. Later when I saw Muddy, I got a better
understanding.

At the time, Wild Man Mike Turk was in Berklee with a long pony tail. He was
extrodinary. And James Montgomery lived right down the street but I was too
scared to ever talk to him.

I remember in 9th grade seeing a flyer for a Boston "Field" day with Bloomfield
and Butterfield and wondering who the heck they were. Sigh.


Rainbow Jimmy
http://www.spaceanimals.com
http://www.soundclick.com/theelectricstarlightspaceanimals.htm