Re: Subject: RE: [Harp-L] Buckeye Harmonica Festival question

[billhines4@xxxxxxxxxxx]

Thanks for that Elizabeth, I think it gives a much better picture of Buckeye than I did! 

I want to be sure that nobody thought I was disparaging the conference in any way. Folks put a lot of hard work into it and it's a great event.

It's just that you won't (normally?) get the kind of schedule you are used to, where seminar X will be on Y date at Z time. I'm kind of anal schedule wise so I like that sort of thing. Plus I had to work this around my 'real' job when I was in Columbus so I really needed that. The info was available once I got to the conference though. 

Yep,and I forgot the jazz content, that was good too. 

Also I hope my use of 'old timey' wasn't perceived to be in a negative context - I love old-timey harp! 

I enjoyed working with Filisko, Gordon and the others there, and meeting them! Someday I'm going to "Go Down to Florida" like Muddy and meet that Smo-Joe guy. Actually I'll be in Jacksonville in a few weeks.

Dan - wow sorry to hear that Blues Station closed. I loved that place! In fact, I played my first ever jam there, seeing as how nobody else knew me I tried that  before my local jam. When they called me, and I went up to set up, the bass player in the house band was saying "I never say you here before harp guy. you must be some out of town badass killer harp player, come on fess up." I couldn't convince him that I was new, but I had talked to the lead singer/guitar before I signed up to warn him, and ask if he could keep it simple for me (2nd position, standards). So what does he go right into? A hundred mile an hour version of Howlin' Wolf "Who's Been Talking", of course in a minor key with non-standard changes. "Hello new guy, have some of this". I was pissed. And man did I ever suck. After the set nobody spoke to me as I packed up my stuff, and went straight out the door head down in embarrassment. On the way over the river, I really almost threw the whole bag right in, momentar
ily considering including myself along with the package for completeness. Now I'm glad I didn't. So to get to the point, I always wanted to go back there and have a chance to make up for that. Bummer!

Bill Hines
Hershey, PA

 -------------- Original message ----------------------
From: EGS1217@xxxxxxx
> Bill:
>  
> I sent this to Bruce yesterday, but included the wrong email for Jack Ely  
> (who runs the Buckeye Convention).  Jack contacted me last night to give me  his 
> correct email (it's now updated below).  
>  
> I'd like to add that the first person to introduce and encourage me to go  to 
> Buckeye is very much a diatonic player and a 'blues guy'...and the  first 
> blues jam I attended and where I fell in love with 'that sound' was at  Buckeye.  
> Jason Ricci has played Buckeye and blown the audience out of the  water, 
> winning himself more fans. 
>  
>  If more blues players attended, it wouldn't revert to 'old-timey' and  
> chromatic only...but I have to emphasize that the Jazz night last year was  
> Stellar...not only the onstage performances, but the after hours set up:  
> individual 
> candlelit tables, the Carolbeth True group on stage to back up anyone  wishing 
> to go up to perform (still far too intimidating for me), but that  one night 
> was worth the price of admission alone.
>  
> I absolutely agree that to attract more Blues players it will  probably mean 
> the presence of the Filisko group.  I've sorely missed that  whole dynamic 
> when Joe and his teachers and Buzz are present at Buckeye, though  I amn't then 
> having to split my time between the Blues and Jazz Jams...a mixed  blessing.
>  
>  Luckily, Jason took up the slack and ran the Blues Jams in 2006 when  no one 
> else was around to handle it, though he's a huge fan of what other  people 
> think of as 'old-timey' playing...loving the trios, the chords and  bass 
> playing. Jason himself now carries around a chord harmonica and plays it  every 
> chance he gets...and he's getting really good at it!  Who'd have  thunk the most 
> rocking, innovative diatonic player around would fall in love  with and play a 
> chord harmonica?  On his website there is a small 'road  movie' the Band 
> made...it opens with a clip of Jason playing his  chord with someone else on 
> diatonic [warning:  it 'is' a road  movie, and adult themed]
>  
>   Last year Jimi Lee did his roving Troubador in the hallways' stint  (as he 
> does at SPAH), then entertained onstage Sat. night as well, calling up  Phil 
> Caltabellotta and Jim Lohman to accompany him on their chromatics.  It  isn't 
> at all 'old-timey' anymore, but it takes input from people who want to  hear 
> Jazz, Country, Blues, Rock, and other kinds of music, to give their input  to 
> Jack about who they want to hear. Danny G. played Bob Seger and Eagles'  music 
> on chromatics to his BIAB backing, among other songs.  That was very  cool.  PT 
> Gazell played his half-valved diatonics onstage as did SmoJoe, on  both 
> chromatics and diatonic...their Jazz playing was outrageously good.   SmoJoe's 
> videos are all now available on YouTube.  I wish he was playing  again this 
> year.
>  
> I can't wait, actually, have quite talked myself into it :)
>  
> Elizabeth