Subject: [Harp-L] San Francisco blues jams?

[EGS1217@xxxxxxx]

Leslie writes:
 
"Hello, I've been reading this list for a few years now and really  
enjoy it. So thank you to all who write in! I've been playing  
harmonica for about the same amount of time.. about 2 and a half  
years, and am finally to the point in the last 6 months where I can  
hold my own at blues jams pretty much wherever I go. My husband plays  
guitar and travels with me on all my trips which are mostly work  
related."
 
...terrific!  that's a BIG part of helping  you get  exposure to other 
musicians and jams.  You're very lucky.  I'm  not so fortunate.  Been on the list 
since 2004 and play both  chromatic and diatonic (to a lesser degree)...but am a 
bit stuck in a part  of the country not overly conducive to access to jams, 
nor do I have the  same level of cooperation. :) 
 
 "Our favorite thing to do is look for blues jams in whatever  
city we're in. We always find the local musicians extremely welcoming  
and enjoy meeting people this way. We've been to Chicago, NYC, San  
Jose, Wilmington, NC, Boston and Halifax, NS. WIlmington and Halifax  
are 2 favorites of ours for the blues, small cities but loaded with  
great blues musicians. Chicago of course was an incredible  
experience..."
 
....I can just imagine, but hope New York also left some good lasting  
impressions :)
 
 
 "I was still too new at harp to join in but it was  
extremely inspiring (if you don't mind hearing"Little Red Rooster"  
played 2 or 3 times a night :-) )"
 
...Can't imagine any "new" Blues player getting  bored...everyone brings 
their own flavour to it. ;)

"We are  going to be in San Francisco this week from Tues through Sat. 
for the  MacWorld conference and would like to find a blues jam or 2. 
We will  be in the Union Square area/Moscone Center area and won't 
have a car  but can taxi it (hard to take equipment on public 
transportation so we  would like to stay in the city). We prefer jams 
to open mics and also  like smaller clubs as sometimes in the bigger 
clubs you have to wait 3  hours to play just 2 songs.. and it's harder 
to interact with other  musicians." 
 
...This I just have to make a small comment on, since I've sat in as  an 
audience member at the SPAH and Buckeye Blues Jams (for which people  have paid a 
lot of money in dues, and hotel and travelling expenses  to attend).  There's 
not much difference in timeliness....while at a  club (even a big one), the 
fact that you're getting to play AT ALL should  be grounds for celebration. From 
the snippets I've gleaned from the list  over these last couple of years, 
many long-time players sometimes rarely  get to play at all in the kinds of jams 
you're talking about.   "Listening with big ears" can be as good a learning  
experience when one is surrounded by really superb  musicians.....and that's 
the key I think...TO interact with other  musicians.  Especially as a woman.  
For some  reason I haven't found it difficult to make friends  wherever I go 
since joining this harmonica community..  Maybe I'm  enough of a novelty most of 
the men go out of their way to be friendly,  nice and to give pointers.  The 
few who don't? I could care less  about.  It's all good.  You're getting an 
incredible education  just being among people who've done this for years longer 
than you  have.  
 
 
 
"Our style is more towards 
rock/blues than jazz/blues. I've  looked on the internet and found a 
few sites that lists jams but I was  wondering if anyone here could 
recommend a SF blues jam from firsthand  experience.

One last thing... how many woman harmonica players are  on here? 
...just curious..."
 
Me...Bobbie Giordano, Gail Albin, Barbara Butler, Linda Fassett,  Betty 
Welch, Michelle Free, Valerie Peterman come to mind off the top of  my head...not 
to mention the countless others who read the list but don't  often post:  Judy 
Smith of the inimitable Al & Judy Smith of  course....a lot of the other women 
chromatic players who spend a great  deal of their time in the background or 
working behind the scenes for SPAH  at the Conventions (but who don't post 
regularly or at all).  There  are very many more women playing harmonica than you 
think.  I suspect  that for women (unless they're full-time musicians), 
demands of home and  family and the very nature of most Blues clubs and gigs keeps 
them away  (unless having a supportive spouse as you do).  You're very 
fortunate  and in the best of all possible situations.  I wish you great fortune  in 
achieving your goals....would love to walk a mile in YOUR  moccasins  :)  
 
 "I play both harmonica and drums, but not at the 
same  time... yet! ;-) Recently I received a comment that I have the 
good  timing and rhythm of a drummer while playing harmonica.. it was 
the  first time I ever considered the connection. Are there as few 
woman  harp players as there are woman drummers, or even less?
 
Thanks in advance!
Leslie & Tony
Brewer, Maine"


.........Timing might very well be innate.... my piano  playing could have 
something to do with mine since I don't play  drums, or perhaps it's because of 
my life-long love for music,  but I've been told my timing is very good too.  
Maybe it's a "girl"  thang....<G> 
 
 Actually I don't think "timing" can be taught, but can be  learned - if one 
listens to and is open to the rhythms of life.   Just a small observation and 
my personal opinion.
 
Elizabeth