[Harp-L] Jamming with Hermine Deurloo in San Francisco

[Winslow Yerxa <winslowyerxa@xxxxxxxxx>]

Dutch jazz harmonica player Hermine Deurloo, on tour with the Willem
Breuker Kollektief (a big band *not* in the big band tradition in which
she plays mostly alto sax), jammed last night with several San
Francisco area musicians on an off night. (Tonight, the Breuker band
accompanies a silent horror film as the Halloween installment of the
San Francisco Jazz Festival.) The Breuker band follows with concerts in
Albuquerque, New Orleans, Rochester, NY, Philadelphia, New York and
Seattle, some of them accompanying the same silent film (F.W. Murnau's
1926 classic, "Faust").

Some weeks ago I had mentioned to San Francisco jazz harmonicist Damien
Masterson that Hermine was coming to town. I thought he might want to
have her as a guest artist in the jazz harmonica course he's been
teaching at the Jazz School in Berkeley. As it turns out he's not
teaching the course this semester and he was busy traveling, so I wrote
the whole thing off. But then Damien came back to town, got in touch
with Hermine, with the hotel where she's staying, with backing
musicians and several harmonica players, and voila! we had a little jam
session in the hotel lobby for our own enjoyment and that of various
passersby and lobby lurkers, who discreetly gathered and grooved.

Damien was encouraged by the nice time that resulted from this format
for interfacing with visiting musicians - set up a reception in honor
of the visitor, but keep it informal and with a small group. Do it in a
place and at a time comfortable for a traveling musician - at or close
to where they're staying and keeping in mind jet lag and travel
fatigue. Have food and drink available, have some time to break bread
and get acquainted, some time to play, include some backing musicians
and local players, and have some fun.

I had a chance to chat a little with Hermine in the restaurant before
the jam. She started on alto saxophone, but always liked the harmonica
and took up diatonic at first. Then she went into a music store one day
and saw a chromatic and asked the clerk, "What's that?" She's been
playing now since the age of fourteen and has developed into a fine
jazz improviser  with an impressive list of credits and several CDs.
She plays out-of-the-box Toots Hard Boppers. She tried four-octave
instruments but doesn't care for the bottom octave as she finds its
response sluggish.

The jam had two guitarists and a bass player in attendance. Steve
Malerbi did double duty on harmonica and as drummer (mostly brushes on
snare, as this was a quasi-acoustic jam with just a little discreet
amplification for guitars and electric bass). Damien and Hermine did
the main share of harmonica soloing, with contributions from Steve,
Carlos Zialcita, Brian Byrnes (who also sang), and a little here and
there from me. 

After spending so long playing fiddle tunes I had lost what little
comfort I once had around tritone substitute chords, sub-subdominants
and rapidly modulating ii-V progressions, so kept my contributions
brief. I was a bit nervous, but the session was a no-pressure situation
with everyone welcome and everyone equal. Even our guest of honor
wasn't afraid to make mistakes or get lost in an unfamiliar,
complicated chord progression. This was no head-cutting contest. it was
just a bunch of musicians having fun together.

The repertoire tended to Brazilian jazz, as Damien, Hermine, and the
backing musicians all had a working familiarity and affinity for this
style. Even on tunes she didn't know, however, Hermine showed her quick
ear and thorough professionalism. At one point she started in on a tune
she didn't know well without a lead sheet. While she was playing I
looked it up in a fake book and pointed it out to her. She glanced at
it and just gave me a look of, "Nah, I'm OK now" and continued playing.

Throughout the evening, I noticed Hermine being closely attentive not
only to to what was going on in the music but also to what other
soloists were doing and grinning with enthusiasm when someone played
something especially good. She proved gracious, personable,
good-humored and altogether a delight.

During the session we had an earthquake. As the lobby floor quivered,
Damien and I glanced at each other with baited breath - we had both
been through the 7.1 quake in 1889 that had destroyed a freeway and
damaged the Bay Bridge, killing about 50 people in the process. This
one, while mild, lasted an uncomfortably long time before subsiding.
However, as a visitor to fabled San Francisco, Hermine was delighted -
she could now say she had been in a San Francisco earthquake.

At the end of the evening, CDs came out as they tend to do in these
situations. I acquired two of Hermine's, one with big band backing,
"Soundbite," and another she says is her favorite, "Crazy Clock,"
recorded in Brooklyn with guitar, bass, percussion, and Hammond organ.
It's a record of improvisatory group interplay, not soloistic showing
off and Hermine especially likes this aspect. I'm listening to it now.
While there is no lack of harmonica featuring, it has an organic feel,
not like "OK, now comes the big harmonica solo." I especially like
hearing harmonica integrated into an ensemble instead of being pushed
to the front and then disappearing. The repertoire is eclectic as well
- African tunes, a Jimi Hendrix tune, originals, and one old chestnut,
Come Rain or Come Shine.

I brought up the topic of SPAH and whether Hermine might be in the US
next August. She said her schedule is kind of unpredictable. But who
knows . . . 

You can hear some samples of Hermine's playing (and purchase her CDs)
at her website:

http://www.herminedeurloo.com/

and on youtube:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=BRDjy6lodq4 

http://youtube.com/watch?v=LZtFQFuICVk


Winslow

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