Re: [Harp-L] Gus origin/coinage

["steve@xxxxxxxxxxxx" <swebb@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Holy crap, have I been on this list that long? I remember that post. And I still think Gus is the perfect name for that guy, who somehow keeps showing up all over this country of ours.
 Steve Webb in Minnesota

---- fjm <bad_hat@xxxxxxxx> wrote: 
> The story and the moniker originated with Barry Bean.  There was the 
> initial post about the experience and then about 2 months later the 
> formal proposal for a coinage.  By then it had already been used as a 
> verb.  It is an extremely entrenched term.  It has the advantage of 
> being organic.  fjm
> 
> From: "Barry B. Bean"
> Date: Mon, 18 Mar 96 09:16:19 EST
> Subject: Gig notes
> 
> 
> I broke a cardinal rule this weekend. I let a harp player I'd never
> heard walk up in mid-set and gave him a mic.
> 
> Now you'd assume that someone walking up and asking to sit in wants to
> play the same sort of music the band is already playing, right? You'd
> assume that you could just launch into the next song on the set list
> and simply hand the solos over to the guy sitting in, right?
> 
> Whoah, nellie!
> 
> My man Gus (a mountain of a man, complete with with crewcut and
> gravelly voice) walks onto the stage, whips out some sort of a chord
> harp and says "Oh Suzanna, boys!" After 3 or 4 verses of oh Suzanna,
> we thank him profusely and start to vamp on the next song (Further on
> up the road). Before we can get into it, Gus announces that his next
> number will be You are My Sunshine. Again, we thank him and try to
> start our next song, but Gus isn't leaving. He says "one more boys!"
> and launches into Blue Eyes Cryin' In the Rain. Finally he leaves the
> stage and we gat back on with the show.
> 
> So its back to the old "audition during break" rule for us.  Sheesh.
> 
> BBB
> -
> B.B. Bean - Have horn. Will travel.
> 
> 
> From: "Barry B. Bean"
> Date: Thu, 16 May 96 18:29:32 -0500
> 
> 
> I think maybe we should coin an expression here. Gus, like Bogart
> could serve as both a noun and a verb:
> 
> Gus: (gus) N. 1) An amateur harmonica player who forces professional
> musicians to accompany him in inappropriate situations. 2) A visiting
> musician (see: sit-in) who does not leave the bandstand at the
> appropriate time. 3) A musician whose skills are substantially below
> those of the other musicians onstage with him. Ex.: Don't look now,
> but there's a Gus at 3 o'clock.
> 	V. 1) To force one's way into a musical performance against the
> wishes of the scehduled performers. 2) To remain onstage for longer
> than appropriate when asked to accompany previously scheduled
> musicians. Ex.: Primich was great last night but some old codger
> Gussed his way onstage and played Oh Suzannah.
> -
> B.B. Bean - Have horn. Will travel.
> 
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