[Harp-L] Rockers in the Rockies (very long)

[Mojo Red <harplicks@xxxxxxxxx>]

Hi folks,

This weekend I had the incredible opportunity to
attend Jason Ricci's first harmonica seminar
project, called "Rockers in the Rockies," held in
Boulder, Colo. 

It was a rare opportunity for me to soak up
detailed playing tips (many quite advanced),
musical philosophies and solid theory from some of
the very best players of our time. Instructors
included Jason Ricci, Chris Michalek, Michael 
Ruben, as well as local luminaries Ronnie Shellist
and Paul Davies. In addition to instruction we were
given the opportunity to work out with Jason?s
band. 

The 3-day event was held in the Boulder Outlook
Hotel, a comfortable, well-kept facility (and a
great music venue) with a very accommodating
management (owner Dan King loves live music and has
had Jason play his ?Skinny Jays? bar venue on a
number of occasions). 

Although the seminar started on Saturday night,
Chris's band, Buddha's Groove, put on a show at
Skinny?s on Friday night and tore the place down
with his unique funk and jazz grooves. And although
Chris does not sing, the all-instrumental set was
entertaining and spell-binding by the sheer variety
of grooves and wonderful interplay between his
harp, bass (Skinny Bishop), keyboard (I didn?t
catch they guy?s name) and drums (Marty Diamond);
and (for us harp players especially) the
jaw-dropping ease with which Chris uses his
harmonica to present unconventional, often
beautiful and highly original musical lines. 

IMO there is no one on the planet who plays like
Chris, with his flawless violin-like (muted
trumpet?) tone, impeccable timing and incredible
musicality. Beyond his play, his complex rig,
powered through a '59 Bassman reissue, gave him an
almost endless set of sound variations (harp and
vocal) which he exploited with joyful ease. 

In the third set he called up a handful of seminar
attendees in the audience (including yours truly)
to do a song with the band. This was NOT on the
agenda, and a very generous gesture on Chris's
part. It blew me away because my wife got to hear
me play with one of the best bands in the country
and I didn't embarras myself. Needless to say, it
was an awesome night. 

Okay, Saturday afternoon we got down to business,
starting with a session of introductions from
students and instructors followed by round-table
sessions with each instructor. There were more than
30 students in attendance, some of whom flew in
from the east and west coasts. There was a fairly
wide range of players (and abilities), and everyone
was treated with respect and TLC and was given
instruction appropriate to their level. 

On this day I focused on deepening my grasp of
music theory, taught throughout the event by a
tireless Michael Ruben. Theory is probably my
weakest link in the musical chain, and the part
that I dislike the most. Michael is a thorough and
patient teacher, however, and though he started at
a very basic level, quickly hit on my weakest
areas, giving me a fuller understanding of the
Circle of Fifths, chord relationships and providing
me with good stuff to study at home. 

It should be noted that Ronnie Shellist and Paul
Davies actually volunteered to help teach at this
event. Ronnie, a fabulous blues player, gave
generously in terms of playing tips, techniques and
answering questions while Paul taught his group his
unique old-timey acoustic style, vibrato etc., and
gave more basic instruction to those  in need. 

Saturday night Jason and New Blood performed at
Skinny Jay?s and absolutely shredded the joint. It
was a great show, and once again I was humbled to
the bone by what he can do on the harmonica - not
simply for its own sake, but in the context of
great music. 

Late in the show he brought up Chris M. and the two
harp monsters seemed to thoroughly enjoy trading
impossible licks and slaying the harp players in
the audience. Michael Ruben got up and did a couple
of songs as well, demonstrating how a single
diatonic can be used to play in 12 keys on a blues
number ? well, okay, that was an exercise that
might have better been left in the classroom ?
interesting in an acedemic way, but not the best
bar-jam music. However, he was fully redeemed when
he performed "Beer Belly Baby". LOL!

Sunday was crammed with more seminars and here I
really dug in, spending a lot of time with Jason
who taught the value of scales, breaking down the
minor pentatonic, showing how it lays in 1st 2nd
and 3rd positions, showing us to use them to
advantage and how to practice with them in a fun
way and, if used properly, how scales can be a
springboard to endless creativity and
non-traditional uses of the diatonic harmonica. 

His example was the minor pentatonic scale because
it is immediately applicable to blues (and other
styles), but the same approach can be used for any
scale you might care to explore (major, diminished,
Phrygian dominant etc.). This was an invaluable
session to players at any level, and especially for
me since I?m looking for ways to take my playing to
the next level. 

I also spent time with Chris Michalek who had his
bass player and drummer set up in a special room
where we play through his rig and explore the many
sounds available and see how it could affect our
approach to harp. It was amazing! When I got up I
immediately ran through a number of cool
effects?but Chris immediately called me on my
self-indulgent string of rote licks? Ooops! I
forgot a basic tenet of music? listen to the band!
They are listening to me. Once gently pushed back
on track I found some cool grooves and it was all
goin? on, the bassist and I trading licks, building
tension, dynamics etc.  I knew better, but it was a
good lesson for me and the other students as well. 

Later we got to get a good lesson from Jason and
Chris on working with amps, mics and other harp
gear. Ways to dial in an amp in any musical
setting. Brian Purdy from www.HarpGear.com was one
of the students in attendance. He brought in two of
his amps for us to play around with and check out
as well. Really nice amps!

After a dinner break, Jason and Chris coached us on
working with a band and then we each had a chance
to lead the band in a song and immediately get
feedback from the band as to how we did regarding
use of hand signals for breaks and outros,
communicating song types to the band etc. What an
education! We each made different mistakes (of
course) and the feedback was invaluable. I called
out and performed Caldonia but was nervous as a
kitten performing in front of 30 other harp
players. Whew! 

We then had a late-night accoustic blues jam circle
with Buckweed and Starsky on guitars, and a later
visit from local jazz bassist Matt Diamond who was
running the open mic jazz jam in Skinny's that
night. (Chris M. sat in on the jazz stage, but
unfortunately I missed his performance). Great
great night. 

Monday was another full day of seminars. This time
I found some one-on-one time with Chris M. who
answered some of my deeper Jazz improve-related
questions and in 20 minutes helped me more than
I?ve been able to help myself in the past two
years. Thanks, Chris!! 

Next we got some in-depth lessons on modifying a
harmonica for better performance and making a harp
over-blow friendly. I?ve been doing this work on my
own for a time but definitely got some truly
valuable tips in this mysterious area. After this
session Chris, Michael and Jason gave great
presentations on how to overblow (and overdraw),
how to sustain overblows, how to get vibrato on
overblows and how to actually bend an overblow and
how to use overblows in a musical context. The way
both Chris and Jason play them makes the illusive
overblow about as expressive any bendable note on
the harp. Fabulous stuff! 

Finally, Jason?s band set up once more and any
students who hadn?t had a chance to work with the
band yet were given opportunity to work out with
the band (some of whom had never performed with a
band before). The finale was an ass-kicking version
of Jason?s fast shuffle, Goenoffine where Michael,
Chris and Jason traded licks and left us all
exhausted and very, very happy. 

Was this seminar event worthwhile? I?d have to say
Heck Yes!! I had plenty of opportunity to play, get
constructive critiques from awesome pros, learn new
techniques, hear new styles, and I have more stuff
to work on now ? stuff geared to my own level of
play ? than I?ve had in a very long time. I made
numerous new friends (hello to James Supra from Pa.
and Lance from San Diego, if you?re reading the ?L.
You guys ROCK!

Well, my brain is filled to capacity; I have a LOT
of homework to do and I?m totally inspired to push
myself to the next level. What more could I ask?

I want to publicly thank Jason and New Blood, Chris
Michalek and Buddha?s Groove, Michael Ruben (he
really loves to teach), Ronnie Shellist and Paul
Davies for volunteering, and the management of the
Outlook for a fabulous harmonica-filled experience.
I?m so SO glad I came. 

Oh, Jason announced that they are planning another
?Rockers in the Rockies? seminar event for October
at the same venue in Boulder. I will certainly try
to come again if it?s at all possible (I am unable
to attend SPAH this year, so it?s still within my
annual ?harmonica-indulgence? budget. J

Anyway, I highly recommend this camp to any
intermediate/advanced player who wants to kick it
up a notch. 

Harpin? in Colorado,
- Ken M.


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