Re: [Harp-L] Random Spah Moments

<jruss433@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> · Tue, 22 Aug 2006 17:44:12 -0500

Yes, all told, this was a great gathering of extremely talented and 
wonderful people.  As always, there were too many standout performances to 
recall them all, but I did take great inspiration from the likes of George, 
Chris, Warren, Mojo, Ben, Dennis, Jason, Alan, Jimmy, Jimmy Lee, Smokey Joe, 
Jim Lohman, several international and local guests, and many others too 
numerous to mention.
Having participated in this event for most of the last 7 years, I was 
immediately struck by the number of new (and talented) faces.  I also 
enjoyed meeting many of you Harp-L members that I have communicated with 
through the year.
Is there still some friction between factions within SPAH?  Sure there is. 
It becomes particularly obvious when we examine who doesn't show up at 
seminars, showcases and jam events where we might expect to see them.  This 
organization will always be just as social and political as it is artistic 
in nature.  Our job as individuals is to fight for access -- and we gain 
access by being part of the process.  That is something that I tried to 
communicate to every new face that I saw over the last few days.
Kudos to Michael Rubin for his efforts to get folks acclamated in his 
Wednesday seminar and to those who promoted it.  Because positive 
communication is essential in a building full of potentially fragile egos, 
it is our ability to rise above mire as individuals that makes this a good 
organization.
See all of you (including Bill and Mojo) in Milwaukee!
Mark Russillo
a.k.a. The Rhode Island Kid
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Bill Hines" <billhines4@xxxxxxxxxxx>

To: "'Harp-L'" <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>

Sent: Tuesday, August 22, 2006 6:32 AM

Subject: RE: [Harp-L] Random Spah Moments
You guys are killing us non-attendees! I'm reading all this and thinking
"PLEASE tell me someone recorded some of this", with all the talk of the
new recording gizmos that preceded spah, somebody must have captured
some of it? Will spah sell video as they have in the past? If nobody
recorded any of this, whoever doesn't go next year will have to pitch in
and send Garry Hodgson next year! Well I'm planning on going. Glad
everyone had a great time.
Bill
-----Original Message-----
From: harp-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxx [mailto:harp-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxx] On
Behalf Of Mojo Red
Sent: Tuesday, August 22, 2006 1:53 AM
To: Harp-L
Subject: [Harp-L] Random Spah Moments
Hi folks,
Well, I'm still recovering from a week's worth of
sleepless nights and am trying to process some of
the overwhelming onslaught the experience we call
SPAH.
I can't tell you all what happened, and can't
possibly acknowledge all the people I'd like to...
many new friends and old. The list is too long to
be meaningful.
So instead I'm going to simply recount a couple of
outstanding moments in my personal SPAH experience:
Being destroyed by Jason Ricci's performance on
Friday night... witnessing Robert Bonfiglio going
ape along with the rest of us. Unbelievable. Robert
got down on his knees and bowed (me too!). Jason
dedicated a song to Al and Judy Smith... very, very
classy.
Watching Jason's bass player, Todd Edmunds
seriously honking away on a giant bass harp, taking
lessons from Frank Warner. Now THAT's what SPAH's
about.
Hearing Scott Berbarian talk me ~out~ of buying one
of his incredible Meteor Amps after he showed me
how to bridge the two channels of my big 35-watt
'64 Alamo (which I had brought in for Dennis Oellig
to look at) and magically pulled about 10 more
watts from it. He said, "So, exactly what is it you
don't like about your amp. It sounds GREAT to me."
Man, that's one classy guy!
Getting invaluable tips from George Brooks and
Chris Michalek on using overbends, and getting
better articulation and tone on OBs.
Hearing Robert Bonfiglio destroy us with his
classical performance... And then
80-something-year-old Stan Harper playing jazz
standards on chromatic at the speed of Jason
Ricci... Huh?!!
Introducing my wife to many of my harmonica friends
at long last.
Meeting Jason's partner Brady. What a great guy,
and a huge talent on piano. Later hearing Jason
play the living daylights out of a little green
plastic souvenir toy harp at the Saturday night
dinner. My wife and I were in awe.
Telling guy after guy after guy that, no, I'm not
in a band. My band crashed and burned. I've got a
day job I'm just a woodshedder hitting blues jams
right now. It hurt every single time.
Hearing how MUCH every player has improved over
last year... that just blew me away (Dennis F.,
that's you!). The bar at the blues jam has been
nudged up higher than ever.
Can't begin to tell you how awesome some of these
guys are... Tim Moyer, Tom Albanese, George
Brooks., Chris M., Jimmy Gordon, Jimmy Lee, Paul
Messinger, Dennis Gruenling, Warren Bee, Jellyroll,
Danny Traenor, Johnny Bishop, Joe Filisko, Michael
Rubin, Winslow, Alan Holmes... everyone with tone
to the bone and chops to die for. Okay. No more
names... like I said, the list is too long, the
talent too deep.
Buzz Krantz's blues jams were ALL awesome, but on
Saturday night I happend to sit next to my friend
Warren Bee who blew some incredible harp that
night. At one point I was in my own (long-awaited)
solo and Warren, well he leans in real close to
me... I mean ~reeeal~ close, his ear right in my
face... like, uncomfortably close...
Well, I took it into my head (what with all the
...erm... "root beer" I'd been drinking), and I
cupped his ear like a JT-30 mic and played right on
through his bald head... ending on the 9-hole blow.
It brought the house down, ... but jeeze... I'm
awful sorry, Warren... But then he played and he
got me back with an unexpected 9-hole squawk that
made me jump right outta my seat! Haw!
Anyway, I've already written more than I
intended... Let's just say it SPAH was one helluva
giant harmonica party.
It's tough to face my day job again.
Harpin' in Colorado,
--Ken M.
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