Re: [Harp-L] Blues Jam Story

[Mojo Red <harplicks@xxxxxxxxx>]

Hey Jonathan,

Congratulations! Loved the story. Sounds like you
had a ~great~ night. It's been a good long while
since I've attended the Outlook jam in Boulder, but
I know it can be kinda cutthroat at times, with
some great players and sometimes even greater egos.
Sounds like you more than held your own. Wish I was
there to cheer you on.

Your story reminded me of the time I attended one
of Magic Dave Therault's shows one night down in
Denver a few years ago, and he called up to join
him for an encore song... it was a one-chord
instrumental jam! Caught me off-guard at first, but
once I got ahold of the thing it was an utter blast
and a true crowd-pleaser as we traded licks into
the night. 

Stay well!

Harpin' in Colorado,
--Ken M.

--- Jonathan Metts <jonathan@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
wrote:

> Tonight, I went to the weekly blues jam at the
> Boulder Outlook hotel here in 
> Boulder, CO.  I've played there once before, a
> few weeks ago, but tonight I 
> had a guest of the female persuasion, which added
> a bit to my usual anxiety. 
> These jams are so unpredictable -- you have no
> idea what will be played, 
> whether it will be something you can contribute
> to, or how 
> good/nice/accomodating the other musicians will
> be.  On top of all that, I 
> was the fourth harp player of the night, so
> everyone in the audience was 
> rating me against the others.
> 
> When I finally got a chance to go play, after
> waiting for two and a half 
> hours, I requested that we play "One Way Out"
> since it's one of the few 
> songs I actually know in full.  (Mostly, I'm an
> improviser, and not 
> necessarily in the blues.)  But first, the
> guitarist wanted to play two 
> other songs, both in the key of A.  Of course,
> "One Way Out" is usually 
> played in A, or at least that's how I prefer to
> play it, so we ended up 
> playing in that key for three straight songs.  I
> sang vocals on "One Way 
> Out" and could barely hear myself, but I was told
> afterwards that it sounded 
> good.  In fact, the feedback was excellent all
> around, and apparently folks 
> were saying during the performance that I was the
> best harp player of the 
> night.  I am rarely happy with my solos, and
> tonight was no different, but I 
> tried to be a faithful sideman with long, deep
> bends and trance-like 
> vibratos.
> 
> I was ready to step down after those three songs,
> but members of the house 
> band got back on stage and asked me to stay for
> one more.  They played an 
> African blues song (not
> African-American...AFRICAN) with only one chord,
> G. 
> I'm thinking, "What have I gotten myself into?  I
> can't solo over one 
> chord!"  Actually, it took me a couple of minutes
> to even figure out how to 
> accompany over one chord.  I finally realized
> that the song was purely about 
> rhythm, not chord progression or melody or
> anything like that, so I played 
> heavy rhythms and mixed in some of my train chops
> which haven't been 
> practiced in forever.  The song went long and I
> was completely exhausted, 
> not only from playing rhythm the whole time but
> also dancing, which was 
> required just to keep the beat and get the feel
> of the song.  But damn, that 
> was an incredible experience and worth every drop
> of sweat.
> 
> The moral of the story is that all you woodshed
> harp players need to get out 
> every now and then to play with other people, for
> a live audience.  I am a 
> pretty shy fellow, and it takes a lot of gumption
> to get myself up on stage 
> for anything, but I have never regretted it.  In
> fact, performing is one of 
> the greatest thrills and pleasures I've
> experienced.  You meet some great 
> people, learn some new music, and find yourself
> playing things you never 
> thought you could play.  There's also something
> truly magical about playing 
> with a band of strangers and being instantly
> united through this stuff 
> called music that everyone is making together. 
> That's an amazing feeling 
> that you simply cannot get from sitting in your
> house and playing alone.
> 
> Jonathan Metts 
> 
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