[Harp-L] My Sam encounters

["steve" <mudharp@xxxxxxxxxx>]

I first saw Mr. Myers about 10 years ago at the Long Beach Blues Festival with Anson and the Rockets and a certain mental picture is still quite vivid today.

He very slowly made his way to the mic stand with his harps strapped around his chest.  You could just tell he was a giant of a musician.  It was about 95 degrees with high humidity and everyone had a bad hair day and your shirt would just sag from wetness.  
Sam's 50-50 blend blue button up shirt didn't fair much better as he had a 2 inch coffee stain toward the bottom, his bottom shirt button came undone revealing his undershirt and his belt was  off center.  I knew right then I was in the presence of musical greatness.  He was there to entertain and he did it masterfully.  I'll never forget that picture.  

Maybe a year or so lapse and Sam, Anson and the boys were at The Blue Cafe in Long Beach, CA and I wouldn't miss this for nothing.  After Max Bangwell finished I was standing outside and here came Anson and a few guys laughing and having good time and I then looked down a ways and they had left Sam in the dust.  I knew Sam doesn't see well and it seemed odd, but here he came with small shufflin' steps in the dark dressed to the hilt with the slickest suit and tie, very slick!  
I said, "Hello Mr Myers."  He said, "Are you the doorman?"  I said, "No, but come on I'll take care of you."  No doorman was gonna get in my way.  
I get him to a barstool and I ask him, "What would you like, Sam?"  He says, "Cranberry juice."  I said, "What?"  Sam says, "Cranberry juice!"  I was expecting him to order double bourban or something.  Cranberry juice, classic!

We talked mics, harps and the delta and how he got started playing the harp.  He said he was a trumpet player.  He told me, "Steve, ya know that alot of those old blues players started playing in the church and that's where alot of that feeling comes from."

I had his full attention and that struct me profoundly.  He was a giant of a musician and a regular ole guy just hanging out.


steve
www.thunderharpmics.com 



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