[Harp-L] Re: Harp-L Digest, Vol 32, Issue 76

[David Hoerl <david@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

I've been a long time lurker, but avid reader of harp-l. This thread will
draw me out, however. Gary Smith was one of my early live harp heroes. I was
born and raised in San Francisco, and started playing harp when I was 15
(1967). I read the Tony Glover book too and was fortunate to have lived in
an area which had great live music for all ages, i.e.- The Fillmore,
Winterland and the Avalon. There I cut my teeth hearing Albert Collins, the
3 Kings, Paul Butterfield, Siegel Schwall, Muddy Waters, etc. In the early
70's I went to clubs and heard Rod Piazza whenever he ventured north, and
lots of Gary Smith, who was quite the innovator on harp. He not only played
great Little Walter style, but expanded a bit and at one time played a whole
night of Crusaders tunes and really had those horn lines down. I was also
lucky because I had a girlfriend at the time who one day nonchalantly told
me that a friend of her family played harmonica with Muddy Waters in
Chicago. I couldn't believe my ears and asked for his name and phone #. Well
this turned out to be Rick Estrin, who I called immediately and asked if he
gave lessons. He said, yeah come on over, and that completely changed my
harp playing life, as he taught me to tongue block. So that's how all those
guys made those sounds! I must have been 17 at the time, as I was still
going to high school. Rick totally became my mentor, and it's great that he
became such a success. My style is definitely Chicago Blues mixed with
another teacher of mine, David Burgin, who has recorded with Roy Rogers,
Amos Garrett , Maria and Geoff Muldaur among others. His style was a bit
more country sounding and a bit more adventurous. Actually Carlos del Junco
(who is a friend) was definitely influenced by David. Anyway, I moved to
Canada in 1982 and have a band up here called The Twisters, and we have a
few CD's out and one being mixed and mastered as I write this.
www.twisters.ca I also just put out an instructional DVD which can be
purchased at:   www.learnrootsmusic.com .They have a sample video on the
site so you can hear if I sound like my mentors. -Dave "Hurricane" Hoerl
>
> Gary Smith is one of the unsung heroes in the blues harp world - as a
teacher at a time when there weren't many, he influenced many west coast
players. As a player, his tone and ideas rank right up there with the best
of them.
>
> He was on my hit list of players to bring to 2001 SPAH for wider
recognition, but unfortunately the philosophy and direction of this
organization changed to the point where it was not possible.
>
> Last I heard, he played harmonica part time and worked by day as a
gardener or landscaper. Perhaps Brad Kava could fill us in?
>
> The Iceman
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: John Kally jkally3@xxxxxxx
>
>
>  A year or two later I decided I needed to learn more stuff, and so I
asked the harp player in a local blues band for lessons. Happened to be Gary
Smith, Bay Area legend. Every lesson was just off the top of his head,
nothing written down, but he spent time listening to me and pointing out my
mistakes as well as giving me clues about which records to listen to.
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 11
> Date: Tue, 25 Apr 2006 09:01:25 -0400
> From: icemanle@xxxxxxx
> Subject: [Harp-L] Request regarding Geezer Stories
> To: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
> Message-ID: <8C8367F7E20C75F-1EE0-7FE@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>
> I am keeping these stories in a saved folder and would like permission to
gather them together and somehow offer them for reading on my website.
>
> Is that OK with you "L'ers"?
>
> The Iceman
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Robert Gaustad <robertgaustad@xxxxxxxxxxx>
> To: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
> Sent: Mon, 24 Apr 2006 20:49:22 -0700
> Subject: RE: [Harp-L] How we learned diatonic harmonica in the "olden
days"
>
>
> I just want to say that this is the coolest thread I've seen in a long
time.
> The stories are amazing and it looks as if many of us started between 1965
> and 1975 so far with the stories I've seen.  A cool time for music and
> obviously a great influence for people to start playing the harp.
>
> Keep those stories coming folks!
>
> Robert Gaustad
>
> _______________________________________________
> Harp-L is sponsored by SPAH, http://www.spah.org
> Harp-L@xxxxxxxxxx
> http://harp-l.org/mailman/listinfo/harp-l
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 12
> Date: Tue, 25 Apr 2006 18:50:47 +0300
> From: "Haka Harri" <harri.haka@xxxxxxxx>
> Subject: [Harp-L] Re:How we learned diatonic harmonica
> To: <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
> Message-ID:
> <E5FFA6164834E94397A82AF6BCCEEF0328B4C3@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-15"
>
>  > So, how did we actually learn to play? An interesting
> > question.... you had to really love the harmonica to spend 6
> > months trying to learn how to bend one note without the aids
> > that exist currently.
>
> Hi all,
>
> Guess all of us who picked up on harp in the early seventies did more or
less the same high school of reading Tony Glover's great book, listening to
those black Chess albums and other available recordings. Little Walter,
Sonny Boy II, Jimmy Reed, Big Walter, Jimmy Cotton, Junior Wells, Slim Harpo
etc. But hey! Think about how most of our heroes started out. Listening to
78s, sneaking into juke joints, playing on street corners. Compared to these
true masters we 70s beginners were quite privileged in our first steps of
learning blues harp.
>
> Cheers,
>
> Harri
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 13
> Date: Tue, 25 Apr 2006 11:19:49 -0500
> From: rainbowjimmy@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: [Harp-L] re: How I learned..
> To: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
> Message-ID: <20060425111949.j4ek0n8gfso0kk4o@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
>
>
> 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
>
>
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 14
> Date: Tue, 25 Apr 2006 11:39:37 -0400
> From: icemanle@xxxxxxx
> Subject: Fwd: [Harp-L] Request regarding Geezer Stories
> To: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
> Message-ID: <8C836959856F072-1EE0-19D7@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>
> How about even simpler....
>
> If you DON"T want me to include your story in my "anthology", email me and
say so. Otherwise, I'll assume it's OK.
>
> The Iceman
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: icemanle@xxxxxxx
> To: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
> Sent: Tue, 25 Apr 2006 09:01:25 -0400
> Subject: [Harp-L] Request regarding Geezer Stories
>
>
> I am keeping these stories in a saved folder and would like permission to
gather
> them together and somehow offer them for reading on my website.
>
> Is that OK with you "L'ers"?
>
> The Iceman
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Robert Gaustad <robertgaustad@xxxxxxxxxxx>
> To: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
> Sent: Mon, 24 Apr 2006 20:49:22 -0700
> Subject: RE: [Harp-L] How we learned diatonic harmonica in the "olden
days"
>
>
> I just want to say that this is the coolest thread I've seen in a long
time.
> The stories are amazing and it looks as if many of us started between 1965
> and 1975 so far with the stories I've seen.  A cool time for music and
> obviously a great influence for people to start playing the harp.
>
> Keep those stories coming folks!
>
> Robert Gaustad
>
> _______________________________________________
> Harp-L is sponsored by SPAH, http://www.spah.org
> Harp-L@xxxxxxxxxx
> http://harp-l.org/mailman/listinfo/harp-l
> _______________________________________________
> Harp-L is sponsored by SPAH, http://www.spah.org
> Harp-L@xxxxxxxxxx
> http://harp-l.org/mailman/listinfo/harp-l
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> _______________________________________________
> Harp-L is sponsored by SPAH, http://www.spah.org
> Harp-L mailing list
> Harp-L@xxxxxxxxxx
> http://harp-l.org/mailman/listinfo/harp-l
>
> End of Harp-L Digest, Vol 32, Issue 76
> **************************************