[Harp-L] Blues and country and gospel

["James" <wasabileo@xxxxxxxxxx>]

This is a very interesting and insightful discussion and could be a very complicated one. I think what we need to do is separate the racial/cultural realities of the time from the Musicians themselves.
Now, I am not going to keep my political views out the discussion as this is not the appropriate place to discuss this and I must respect other musicians who have views different then mine.
Having said that, let me proceed by reviewing the early period of Blues and Country Music. While the culture/political landscape was segregationist, the musicians were not. They always sought out what sounded good to them and tried to emulate what they heard. This is especially true in the area of Slide/Steel guitar.
The great Bluegrass Dobro player Tut Taylor, in a 70s Guitar Player interview spoke of "going downtown to hear the colored people pick" and would hang out and study their fingerings and positions.
On the Country/Western Swing arena, the great steel guitarist Leon McAuliffe inspired everybody 
His "Steel Guitar Rag" was recorded by bottleneck  Bluesmen Robert "Nighthawk" and Homesick James (not to be confused with Elmore James)
New, getting back to the harp, one of the first stars of the Grand Ole Opry was none than De Ford Bailey. He as an African American Harpist whose "Ice Water Blues" continues to blow me away.In Kim Fields book "Harmonica, Harps and Heavy Breathing" he classifies himself not as a Blues men, but a player of Black Hillbilly Music. Go Figure - the guy was a great harp player however he calls himself. I am sure many of the country harp players heard him and were inspired by his style.
So, I guess while southern white and black musicians could not share the stage, that did not stop them from listening to eachother.
This phonomeon is not strictly American. I have met several Israeli musicians who tell me that they jam with Palestinians/Arab musicians even though Both Governments do not encourage such exchanges. Arab and Israeli music are  very similar and uses many of the same scales.