[Harp-L] Why I play the blues

[David Fertig <drfertig@xxxxxxxxx>]

I've been down east and away fom the 'net, playin' blues harp to eagles and passing lobster boats.

Why do I play blues?  'cause I HAVE TO.  It has saved my soul may lonely days on the road or incarcerated or just plain lonely or sad.  

It ain't intellectual for me, not much is.  Blues is one note, heartfelt and spare.  I wish I could play it just right.

More bullshit: 
When I was under 2 years old, Big Bill Broonzy bounced me on his knee, as he sang.  In my first 12 years I heard many other blues players growing up in So Side Chicago, D.C.  and riding all through the south with my mom and dad, listening to and hanging with many great players and actvists, many would come and play at our house or we'd go to theirs or attend big meetins or hoots with the likes of the freedom singers, blind boys, Prez hall jazz band, oscar brown, soul and blues and and gospel groups, but I never played an instrument.

I always listened to old blues, live and recorded, as well as jazz and show tunes and classical and folk, then in the mid 60's, I got hip to the more modern blues, and rock, and the harp tones of the Walters and Sonny Boys and Paul and Charlie and etc., just shook my blood and made my ears warm.

I found a harp lying around the house one day, I was about to hitch back across the country and grabbed it, and that was 1970.

I play harp cause it works for blues, for me.  I play pecussion because nopt all songs want harp,.  


And by the way, Huey Lewis is great!  A gentleman who plays fine blues harp, he treated me square 30 years ago.

So f*ck all the intellectual snob crap, blues is blues.  Music includes so much more, I listen to and love so much, but I play blues cause I got to, and harp's my ax.

-Dave Fertig