Re: [Harp-L] Harmonica in Bluegrass - Personal Experience

["PT Gazell" <ptgazell@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

As most of you know I tend not to post to much... but having followed this thread over the last two days I feel I should weigh in with my own personal experience. I attended Bill Monroe's Beanblossom festival for the first time in 1974. Being 21 and bullet proof meant that no matter what kind of dirty looks I got I was going to play. Now suffice it to say that I knew the songs, and I mean the melodies, not just jamming over changes. There were a lot of people there that were glad to have me play and a lot that simply shut me out. One particular jam that was really cooking had drawn quit a crowd...I believe we were playing Salt Creek...I had just finished my turn when I felt a presence in back of me. I turned around to find Bill Monroe starring right at me. He waited till the song was over and then said directly to me..."Son, that's some mighty fine playing, but that ain't no Bluegrass instrument." Well, that pretty well summed up my career in Bluegrass...despite releasing a Harmonica Bluegrass record on Sugar Hill and many summers of festivals and clubs...I finally gave up the quest and went to Nashville to make money playing Country. Now, do I think harmonica fits in bluegrass...yes...does the rest of the world...well despite the fact that I went the extra mile to play the songs correctly, I've found Smo-Joes comment to be true more times than I care to remember.

P.S. I'm also the idiot that's trying to play swing jazz on the harmonica now...

PT Gazell
pt@xxxxxxxxxxxx
www.ptgazell.com
www.myspace.com/ptgazell
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Joe and Cass Leone 
  To: IcemanLE@xxxxxxx 
  Cc: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx 
  Sent: Tuesday, August 07, 2007 8:27 PM
  Subject: Re: [Harp-L] Harmonica in Bluegrass - Personal Experience



  On Aug 7, 2007, at 6:03 PM, IcemanLE@xxxxxxx wrote:

  > The die hard bluegrass folk would say Bill Monroe is the father of   
  > bluegrass
  > and "Bill Monroe didn't have a harmonica in his band", therefore  
  > it  doesn't
  > belong in bluegrass. This is not too different than the blues  
  > purists  who say
  > "Little Walter didn't OB, therefore OB doesn't belong in blues".
  >
  > It is just a perception and attitude held by a certain group of  
  > people. The
  > reality is, if the harmonica can handle the music, add to the  
  > groove rather
  > than  bring it down, it is eventually welcomed - after an example  
  > of "prove it",
  >  of course. Welcome is a loose term as there are always the few set in
  > stoners  that won't change their minds even after hearing the  
  > proof. However, in
  > general,  musicians will open up to new ideas as long as it is  
  > shown that the
  > integrity of  the music is left intact by the new addition.
  >
  > The Iceman
  >
  I can tell you this. Every Tues evening about 250 or more spectators  
  show up at Lashly Park in Punta Gorda to listen to 2 dozen musicians  
  play in numerous groups in various corners of the park. The main  
  kiosk is occupied by the blue grass players. Harmonicas are N O T  
  welcome.

  smo-joe
  _______________________________________________
  Harp-L is sponsored by SPAH, http://www.spah.org
  Harp-L@xxxxxxxxxx
  http://harp-l.org/mailman/listinfo/harp-l