[Harp-L] Re : Mr. Ball

["Hurricane Ramón" <party_man1@xxxxxxxxxx>]

chris smith sez :

Excerpt 

"  Hey, Don't tell anyone this, but Tom Ball was already semi-legendary when I was just starting to play some (ahem) many years ago. I saw him, met him at Santa Monica College where he was playing sweet blues very cleanly. I was attempting to see how many notes could possibly get crammed into a bar. He's the only harp player I know who Rod Piazza (the recalcitrant) speaks glowingly of. "

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Hurricane sez :


Too true Mr.T.Ball is one quiet speakin man who is a whos who in harpdom to say the least . 

The first time I saw Tom play was at the now defunct " Music Machine " in Santa Monica Southern California at the annual George Harmonica Smith Harmonica Blow Down . That night I was treated to a harp extravagansa with Bernie Peal & Harmonica Fats , Billy Branch with his band and Willaima Clark with his smoking band and then the legend took stage " Will Dixon "  . 

The duo that openned for that legendary musical night was 

Drum Roll please ........

¡ Tom Ball & Kenny Sultan !

After Tom's set ended , I was suprised to see him standing next to me in the front just below the stage and we shared observations and stuff while each act did there thang , the most striking thing about Tom ( 1991 or so ) was his humble and unique gentle manner . This fellow as Chris Hammersmith mentioned the way Tom is described by " Bob Mercer " is a " real sweetheart " of a dude is in my opinion a very accurate discription of Tom Ball only I might add - -  

Tom Ball : 

Sweetheart of a guy by day and living breating monster harp man at night . 

I mentioned in a recent post about Tom's CD of his Guitar recordings .... Well , this man  Tom Ball is truly a talent and a half , his harp work is superb to say the least and his guitar work is out of this world too :)

I consider myself a fortunate person to have heard and then met him and got to know a little about the person Tom Ball as well as the performer . It's kind of unique to see that Tom is such a layed back kind of southern California dude and then such an intense power house on stage . Maybe it's a southern California thang heh heh heh like Rod Piazza and other southern California musicians who I share this state with .    


Sincerely :  

Hurricane Ramón

Aka :

Party_Man1@xxxxxxxxxx

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