[Harp-L] Best shows ever seen (heard?) long, some harp

[Roscoharp@xxxxxxx]

Hey list,
Thanks to Jason R. for getting this thread started. I love this  stuff. My 
friends & I make these lists all the time & they are  constantly changing. 
 
Some of my facts may be a bit  fuzzy...........
 
Here we go:
 
1. Flecktones , The  old Ark in Ann Arbor 1990?
I was a  relatively new player. I had heard my first Jimmy Zavala, Sugar 
Blue, Popper,  Mark Ford, & Howard Levy recordings within the previous couple of 
months. I  had NO IDEA how these guys did what they did, but I was aching to 
learn  it.  In those days the Flecktones were still kinda new to the scene &  
really digging the response they were getting. I stayed for both shows at the  
old Ark, which had great acoustics. Howard freaked me out (still does). Victor  
was jumping all over doing backflips & playing sh*t  Iâd never heard on  
bass. The whole band was in a zone for both shows.  I met Howard after the  show & 
he told me about a week long class he taught at Augusta. My life  hasnât been 
the same since.
2. Jonatha Brooke & band 2004, at the new  Ark. 
Jonatha brought a kick ass band & rocked the Ark like it isnât used  to being 
rocked. The highlight however, was the opening duet with Jonatha &  Ann-Marie 
Milazzo doing two acoustic songs that literally raised the hair on my  arms. 
When they finished, there was a 10 second or so pause while the whole  
audience came back from their collective trance.
3. Monte Montgomery, 2005,  Whiteâs Bar, Saginaw, MIâ
some friends & I pooled our money & brought  Monte & band into a 50 seat bar. 
We managed to pack 90 folks in. I sat with  my feet on the monitors 3 feet 
from Monte.  He is one of those inhumanly  creative &  technically gifted 
players. The best show by the best  guitarist I have ever heard. When the band 
arrived for sound check they couldnât  hide their shock & dissapointment at the 
size of the venue. After 2 hours of  rapt attention & over the top standing 
ovations from the crowd, they said it  was the best stop on their tour. 
4. Trio Globo, Minneapolis Harmonica  Summit, 2000â
Like the Flecktones, this was a band of virtousos at the top of  their game. 
I love this setting for Howardâs playing & I really dig the vibe  this band 
gives off. They manage to make odd times & scales seem very  accessible.
5. Walter Wolfman Washington, circa 1998, some small club in New  Orleans.
We were in town for Jazzfest & took a cab a looong way to some  forgotten 
dive on the outskirts of town to see a guy weâd only heard on records.  There was 
only a small crowd. We sat up front & bullshitted with the band  between 
songs while they played the funkiest music I will ever hear. We went to  see him 
later that week at The Maple Leaf (Jason, you might have been there that  
night!), which was fun, but not quite as cool as the earlier intimate  show.
6. Tower of Power, Alvinâs, Detroit -1996?
The second funkiest show  I ever heard. Great horns, great singing, great 
show. Rocco Prestia holding down  the bottom like no one else can.
7. Mark Ford, SPAH maybe 2003? (They all run  together)
One of my big early influences. Mark blew the doors of the hotel  ballroom. 
Some folks are probably still bitching about the volume. I was  transported.  
What a HUGE sound. What a cool guy.
8. Chris Duarte &  Larry McCray at Hamilton Street Pub, Saginaw -1994
These guys had played  separate sets earlier that day at The Saginaw Blues 
Fest. They had never met. We  arranged a jam with Michael Peavyâs band at The 
Pub. Larry & Chris met &  started tuning up during a break. Tuning up turned 
into a 25 minute impromptu  version of Hideaway that had the guys sweating & 
laughing their asses off as  they traded long solos & licks. A hundred degrees. A 
hundred people jammed  in font of the stage. A hundred smiling faces.
9. Luis Ewerling, many, many  Thursdays collectively at Lonie Walkerâs 
Underground Wonder Bar, 10 E. Walton-  Chicago
Luis & his amazing band have an every Thursday gig at Lonieâs. We  try to get 
there every time we play Chicago. Luis is a cool guy & the  coolest drummer Iâ
ve ever heard. They rarely play a song in 4, but they groove  HARD!! This is 
a great place to see music-you are almost literally on top of the  band. I 
love this bar & I love this band. Ernie Denov is the guitarist &  heâs a fusion 
of everyone from T-Bone Walker to Hendrix to Steve Vai.
10.  John Hiatt, solo, The Ark
Hiatt is one of the best songwriters going. I  didnât know that he was also a 
natural performer. Funny, profane, irreverent- he  shocked & then won over a 
very PC Ann Arbor crowd. Just Hiatt & half a  dozen beautiful vintage guitars 
for a couple hours. He had so much fun that we  couldnât help having fun,  too.
 
Hmmm?? What am I forgetting?
 
Later,
Rosco
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