Re: [Harp-L] On the Road Again,,and again

Joe and Cass Leone <leone@xxxxxxxx> · Mon, 1 Jan 2007 22:37:31 -0500

On Jan 1, 2007, at 4:09 PM, BiscuitBoy714@xxxxxxx wrote:

    I'm glad I joined this list so I could hear other guys  talk  
like this. I

play sax too but played harp first so I play the sax like it's  a harp

sometimes and visa versa.

I started chromo at 12 1/2 but only played a couple years Went on to  
clar. I use a chromo or diatonic pretty much like a clar or sop sax.  
Besides most of my music is written for Bb instrument.
I even learned some of the harp parts on  Bloodshot on the

sax and some Mayall stuff too. Harmonica never fails me but  when  
some guitar

player I'm playin' with wants to control me and have me sit  down  
for a few I

just play something else like sax or guitar. Harp players don't   
get any

respect sometimes.

It starts out that the harp gets no respect, then when you do  
something to change their mind, they relent and realize that you ARE  
making a contribution. Then sometimes, they tire of you for one  
reason or another. Generally it's an ego thing. Down here (s.w. Fla),  
the keyboard players seem to be prima donnas and the guitar players  
are generally the ones who are ok.
Yall know as well as I do that the harp gets  just as much
crowd response as the guitar does. What's up with that?

Interesting statement. I had been playing with this bunch of guys for  
the last couple YEARS when one night, out of the blue, the keyboard  
man asks if 'I have a minute'. That usually means a jag is coming. So  
he says "We recorded last weeks session and you played on there an  
awful lot". Right, you picked up on it too. The word 'awful' sort of  
stood out. So 'I' says 'In other words, I played too much?'. Well  
says he 'you 'could' be a little more selective. So I says ok.
Now this was at the START of the evening, so some guys would have  
walked out. Besides, I wasn't getting paid...it was a jam for  
schmuck's sake. Classy guy that I am, I knew there were a couple fans  
there, so I stuck around. Instead of sitting in on 4 of the first 6  
tunes, I did 3. Then instead of 3 tunes on the next set, I did 2.  
Left before the final set.
Didn't show the next week. They lost at least 10 customers. Now  
considering the crowd was only 50-52 to begin with, the loss made me  
feel a little vindicated.  Besides, they were too loud, too into bee- 
bop & re-bop and I prefer the subtleness of a supper-club crowd at a  
high end restaurant. Somewhere where you can hear the harp above the  
din.

Somewhere where you can do Bluesette, Desifinado, Harlem Nocturne,  
Laura, Angel Eyes, and not get hammered into the floor.
Ahhh, the trials and tribulations of playing at harp..... :)
smo-joe
               Randy
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