Re: [Harp-L] country/western

[Joe and Cass Leone <leone@xxxxxxxx>]

On Jul 14, 2008, at 10:27 PM, Rick Dempster wrote:

> Amongst the 392 faithfuls

I should add that the roughly 400 change from year to year. There is  
a turnover.

> , can you not find a quorum of scratchers, scrapers, sliders &  
> pickers to assemble a country lineup?

Here's the problem oh Rick of Dempsters. The by-laws say that other  
instruments can be used, but music MUST include a harmonica and it  
must be prominently featured. This has given people the mistaken idea  
that other instruments are sort of frowned upon. Therefore the usual  
combination you will get is a guitar/harp player. Once we even had  
Larry Adler on piano with left hand and chromo with right hand.

And let's face it, it's hard to play a horn and harp at the same  
time. Then getting other musicians together brings into play shipping  
the instruments IN. The way the airlines have been lately, I don't  
think 'I' would want to ship an instrument case. On a recent trip to  
Columbus, I had to make room to bring a trumpet home that I hadn't  
brought with me on the trip up there. I flew. I don't carry much when  
I fly.

> Dunno why there's not more input from country players on harp-l  
> anyhow (yep, it's all been said before, I know)

Well, for one thing, there aren't many country players ON harp-l, and  
I don't think anyone knows who even PLAYS country, except, of course,  
the usual suspects.  I would bet my next retirement check that the  
diatonic players that were mentioned yesterday had NO idea that I  
(for example) played country. That's because they don't know who I  
am. Not really.

In the 17 years (this year), that I have been going to conventions,  
no one has ever asked me to be on any country/western panel or forum.  
In fact, no one has ever asked me to be on any jass panel or forum.  
Most players who are not in the top echelon slip under the radar.

smo-j

> Cheers,
> RD
>
> > > > Joe and Cass Leone <leone@xxxxxxxx> 15/07/2008 11:58 >>>
> No Rick, it isn't that. What I meant was that without a country
> western band, there's a problem. See, what happens is that the
> harmonica player is forced to do the entire tune if he/she has no
> back-up. It's a lot 'fuller' if another instrument can take a part,
> so that they can then segue into a key change.
>
> One guy juggling harps while trying to 'carry' the entire tune, is
> not good. When you listen to a country/western tune, you usually hear
> another lead instrument, a rhythm instrument, and possibly a harmony
> instrument in addition TO the harp. Stuff like: pedal steel, dobro,
> fiddle, banjo, guitar, mandolin, piano, or any combo thereof.
>
> Unfortunately spah can never get more than 392 of its 886 members in
> any one place at any one time and the festival fee (multiplied) STILL
> doesn't leave a lot of spare change, and they flat out can't afford
> to bring in paid musicians. It's not like the Suncoast trad jass
> fest, where there are 4484 attendees over their 3 days. Where (at
> $90.oo a ticket), the gate is over 400 grand. Spah can't break 7
> grand. That's a BIG difference.
>
> smo-joe
>
> On Jul 14, 2008, at 8:11 PM, Rick Dempster wrote:
>
> > You guys mean to say the backing musos at Spah can't play country?!!
> >
> > > > > michael hines <otisharp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> 15/07/2008 10:00 >>>
> > Surely they'll be a couple a geetars around. Might be able to fake
> > a little bit of country.
> >
> >                                             Mike
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