[Harp-L] Warren,S.P.A.H., Smokey Joe, Peggy Lee

["Mick Zaklan" <mzaklan@xxxxxxxxx>]

   I've never attended an AA meeting; but I have to believe that Warren
Bee's Blues for Breakfast seminars at this year's harp convention were
pretty close in content and emotion.  Basically a roomful of people
describing how the harmonica had filled a void in their lives.  There were
recovering addicts, a doctor getting over a 30 year bad marriage with the
help of music, people coping with seriously ill spouses, a man trying
to come back from a stroke, a blind man fighting boredom, a grandson trying
to find something he and his grandfather could do together, and a couple
dozen other stories.  Pretty compelling stuff.  I only wish the late Al
Eichler (American Harmonica Newsletter) had been around to witness it.  Al
believed the harmonica could pretty much solve all the world's problems, so
he would have loved this.  Warren did a great job moving things along and
pulling stories out of people.  His emcee work in the Charlie Musselwhite
seminar was also stellar.
   I was as sick as a dog through most of the S.P.A.H. convention and still
had a wonderful time.  That says a lot about the event.  Some of the
highlights for me:  Watching Jim Liban playing mostly his own music and
going over big at the Thursday night blues show.  Getting to chat with Danny
Wilson, who we almost lost a short while ago.  Being asked to demo the
Seydel low C in fifth position in front of Charlie Musselwhite at the Seydel
workshop.  Jimi Lee's afternoon blues jams; playing alongside guys like Jim
Lohman, Slide Man Slim and Michael Rubin. Sitting next to Buzz at the
evening jam, getting his whispered "take" on each player.  Making a bunch of
new friends and hanging out with old buddies Rupert Oysler and Kirk
Johnson.  Hearing Ben Nathanson tear it up song after song at the blues jam.
   I'm never going to be a fan of paying kid entertainers to perform at
S.P.A.H.  I understand the strategy behind it, but as a paying customer I'd
rather see the money spent on bringing in another pro or two.  Guys with 30
or 40 years of accumulated harp riffs and techniques as opposed to a young
one-trick-pony.  Having said that, however, one of the fest highlights for
me was watching young L. D. Miller running around the hotel all week
obviously having the time of life.  Probably didn't hurt that he addressed
me and every other male adult as "sir" and was constantly checking in with
his parents who were always nearby.  Just a good kid, intensely interested
in the harmonica.  I don't ever remember seeing 4 or 5 young kids walking
around a convention with harp cases before, attending concerts and
workshops.  It was a beautiful thing!
   Finally caught up with Smokey Joe Leone's videos.  Shouldn't be a
surprise to anyone that a guy as individualistic and opinionated as Joe
would have formed such a unique style on chromatic and diatonic harp.
Nobody else sounds like him.  The guy is definitely a maverick.
   Loved the Thielemans/Peggy Lee video.  Just finished the new Peggy Lee
biography "Fever" and highly recommend it.  No mention of the Toots clip in
there.  It does mention Johnny Davenport, Ed Cooley, and Little Willie John
as co-writers of the song "Fever" and states that Peggy "never even
got credit for the lyrics she'd inserted, despite the fact that they appear
on the sheet music.  ("Watch your copyrights!" she would later write of this
oversight.)."

Mick Zaklan