[Harp-L] SPAH 2006

["Chris Michalek" <chris@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

For me, SPAH was pretty good this year.

Tuesday afternoon was a drag. It took me over three and a half hours to get from the airport to the hotel but after driving over a 100 miles out of the way and racking up $500 in fines this pundit  was ready to make pull out his 10 shooters and go gunslinging. The Tuesday night blow off was great. Jason sounded great, Winslow's group was interesting. Michael Peloquin was very impressive while Gary Primich was very unimpressive. In fact I thought he really sucked. Though I heard he redeemed himself with another performance later in the week. I can't comment because I had no interest in being there after what I heard on Tuesday and his general demeanor during the days he was attending SPAH.  

I don't remember much about Wednesday other than jamming with Buck Weed. Mr. Microphone lent us a couple of amps to use for an electric space jam.  Buckweed and I got our space pedals out and started grooving and then started off into a free jazz session where the only rule was no verbal communication.  We went to bed around 4:30

Thursday was the Filisko teach-in. I sat at a table where I discussed the merits of playing in 11th position - that's Bb on  C harp. I think it's easily the most expressive position on the diatonic harmonica if you're going to play something other than traditional blues. A trip over to Panera Bread co for dinner with Brad Kava, Johnny Bishop and George Brooks filled the gullet and then it was back to the hotel. I missed the performances that night because I fell asleep due to severe sleep deprivation. I woke up in time for the jazz jam. George Brooks and I tried to participate but were met with fairly heavy and negative resistance, I truly felt like I was in a strange town where I had to convince the jam leader that I could play jazz on the harmonica.  We were told to wait until the break. During the break I asked again to play and then was told the band would do a few numbers before they brought up the blues guys.  George Brooks and I stepped  up and were told to play only one chorus for our solos. For some reason Tom Stryker felt the need to mumble into my ear to tell me how to play the form of the song. After that experience it was on to the blues jam where I played blues on one of the hour long tunes before Jimi Lee gave George Brooks and I the look that said "get me outta here"  We had an amazing jam session in the hallway where we joined my Michael Rubin.  We tried playing everything on a C diatonic... 

For me, George Brooks was one of the most impressive players at this year's SPAH. His technique is nearly flawless. He displayed an incredible command of his ten shooter in several of our gunslinging matches. One of his favorite positions it 6th B on a C harp. I had never before played in that position unless I was passing through a change in a tune but after hearing George employ it, I have been practicing it.  

On Friday afternoon, Jimi Lee, Jason Ricci and I played at the Suzuki seminar. We were handed brand new fire breath harps. As I noted before these are very good harmonica out of the box. So good in fact that I was unhampered playing whatever came to mind. I was so comfortable playing these harps that I didn't feel the need to change to another harp despite Jimi Lee playing whatever he wanted in whatever key he chose. I had an A harp and played in G, Bb,  Bm, C, F and F this fire breath performed remarkably well.  Jason played only one tune but seemingly was unhampered as well.  After his tune, he left the room.  I'll assume it was my gunslinging abilities that caused it. I smoked George and now Jason, after that I only had about 206 more players in the building to roll up and smoke. Damn, I need a bigger hat!

I made it to the Amplifier seminar. Scott from Meteor amps was there demonstrating various amplifiers and how to set them up.  That session was another highlight for me.  The meteor is the most incredible sounding large amp for harp that I have heard.  To my ears (and most others in the room) it blows away the bassman in terms of punch and tone. I'm getting one as soon as I can get the ok from the wife - maybe as soon as next week because she'll be outta town. I don't if I was more in awe of Scott's playing or the Meteor itself both were incredible and it's no coincidence both are connected to each other.

Off to dinner with George Brooks, half of the Ben Nathanson I knew two years ago and Buzz Krantz. I didn't even need my ten shooters to smoke these guys. Instead I chose a different method of gunslinging, I told the waitress to lace Buzz Krantz's mustard with very potent wasabi - down goes Buzz with little effort. I took out George again simply by eating all of his potato wedges and deep fried macaroni and cheese wedges before he could. I decided to leave Ben alone because I could see that I must have effected him years ago and thus caused him to lose a 100 lbs.

Back at the hotel I witnessed Jason Ricci absolutely explode the room with his ferocity. That performance was the best I have ever heard from him. Buckweed agreed.  I also watched Gina Fox and the Love of her life, Dennis Gruenling.  His performance of Up the Line gave me goose bumps.  PT Gazell also mesmerized me with his music. Its amazing he can do all of that stuff on the valved diatonic. I didn't know who it was and thought to myself it was William Galison before I entered the room.  If you're going to attempt to play jazz on the diatonic the way PT does it is something to seriously consider.  He tone was so full and his bends were so even.  It truly sounded like a chromatic harmonica and parts of me think the overall tone is better than using overblows. Dagnapit, PT is one player I can't smoke!! There's no way I would consider entering a fair gunslinging match with PT. Maybe I'll get him next year when he has his back turned and bludgeon him with a 48 Chord or a sack of ten shooters.

I skipped the jazz jam as it was quite lame and uninviting the night before.

Saturday, I slept in until 12:30. I went down to the teach in where I learned about a few exercises for developing tone.  He also discovered a hole in my technique that I will be working one. We practiced intonation by trying to maintain the correct pitch while blowing very softly to very loud.  We also discussing using the Obs in a musical sense, somethingt hat Michael Peloquin and Geroge Brooks do very well.

Saturday evening found George Brooks and I walked out in the rain with garabage bag ponchos. And because I was locked out of my room due to yet another hotel service error, I was forced to wear shorts and a t-shirt to the Saturday night gala. Watching Bonfiglio makes me want to play the Chromatic and I and looking into attending his seminar at the Grand Canyon.  Stu Hunter was damn impressive as well. For a guy that comes off as an abrasive old man while walking about the halls with his pipe he showed the crowd what the ye olde days were like during the golden years of the chromatic.  What a performance it was and yet another guy that I can't smoke - Bonfiglio too for that matter though if he sticks to the ten shooter then I may have fighting chance.


Random people that really made an impression on me in no order?

George Brooks (ain't no sunshine)
Ben Nathanson (Blues jam)
Joe Filisko (played a blues using only 3 draw)
Jason Ricci (again)
Tom Stryker (jazz jam)
Paul Davies
Jimi Lee (all the jammin')
Buckweed (electric space jam and other things)
Shawn Starski (old soul and hot chicks)
That dude that couldn't stop playing the train during the blues jam while I was %$^%
Tom Albanese (damn!!!!)


I'll have to smoke the rest of you next year. :-)