[Harp-L] under the radar, Jeff Carp



   I think my old harp student Chuck started this thread and I concur with
his list; especially Ron Sorin.  Ron hit Chicago back in, I think, the late
70's with the old Skid City Band and stuck around to play with just about
everybody.  He is a serious student of the instrument and all the older
blues players, even the most obscure ones.  Haven't seen him in years, but
remember some killer nights I watched him work with the exceptional
guitarist Steve Freund.  Back then, Ron bore a resemblance to the late
Soviet dictator Josef Stalin.  Imagine Stalin, garbed in a black leather
vest, playing "Juke" and you have a pretty good visual of Ron.  I recall Ron
telling me a great story about backing up an older bluesman, possible
Detroit Junior.  At some point in the evening, the guy would perform a dance
called "The Worm".  Ron would follow this singer while he wriggled around
the dirty floor of the club and then retrieve the guy's car keys (and loose
change) as they inevitably spilled onto the floor every night.
   If his name hasn't been added already, I'd put Ben Nathanson on the
"under the radar" list.  To those who have never been to the SPAH
conventions; the loose, casual acoustic blues jam in the evening is
basically a circle of maybe 30 guys seated on folding chairs presided over
by Buzz Kranz.  Along with beginners, a typical circle can include Joe
Filisko, Dennis Gruenling, Jimi Lee, Kirk Johnson, Mike Peloquin, Jason
Ricci, and a bunch of firebreathers you never heard of playing killer
solos.  To my ears; Ben not only held his own in these circle jams, he often
dominated them.  Now, that's a big time player.
   Wanted to thank Jesse Sinaiko again for all his info on the late Jeff
Carp.  Probably enough for an article on the guy.  Speaking of which; I
recall that Tom Ellis lll was thinking of expanding that great series he did
on Paul Butterfield in Blues Access magazine into a book.  Wonder if that's
still in the works?

Mick Zaklan




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