[Harp-L] Mojo, jamming, and related topics

[Jim Kelly <harp@xxxxxxxxxx>]

After reading Abner's mojo thread and the resulting discussion, I figured
I'd emerge from the land of the Harp-L lurkers.

First some history.  I commented in passing to my fiancee some years ago
that I'd often wanted to learn to play the harmonica.  I never thought more
about it until Christmas several months later when she gave me a Marine
Band.  I dabbled with it off and on, learning a few melodies and some basic
blues riffs, saying to myself I'd like to get good enough to play with a
band but not exercising the necessary practice discipline.

As a rookie, I seemed to slobber a lot.  Or in comparison to others, maybe
not.  No scientific surveys done. :-)  Regardless, the MB's wooden comb
swelled and abraded my lips after a couple of weeks.  I am lucky to live in
the Richmond, VA area, where Hohner's North American distribution and repair
facility is located.  I took it by their shop and they graciously replaced
the comb at no charge to me.  It was a good investment on their part.  Since
then I have purchased perhaps a dozen more Hohner harps.  I tried a couple
of Big Rivers, but with the design of the plate/comb interface, it often
snagged my mustache hairs.  Ouch!  So I migrated to Special 20s, and now
have several in inventory.

Meanwhile, I got confident enough to accompany some basic blues songs at a
private karaoke session.  I do two-week contract teaching stints for FEMA at
their training facility in Maryland once or twice a year, and every
Wednesday features karaoke.  The host is gracious enough to play blues CDs
(with vocals) I bring with me and allow me to take the stage.  I've done
that several times over the years.  A largely familiar, very forgiving, and
mostly inebriated crowd helps make it a player- (and singer-) friendly
atmosphere.

A while back I stumbled upon the fact that a coworker of sorts (different
department of the same large organization) plays harp and sings for a local
blues band.  After several conversations with him and coming out to hear the
band, he suggested a couple of months ago that I practice one song (Hoochie
Coochie Man) and sit in with them to play it on one of their gigs. This was
totally without ever hearing me play, so I appreciate his faith!  At about
the same time, I started attending a monthly jam at a local blues club.  In
fact, he was there the first night I went (in March), which was two nights
before I was to play with his band.  He said, "Are you ready?"  I said, "I'm
ready to try it."  He was called up by the host as the first non-house band
member to play, and then he called me up after a couple of songs; he sang
and I played.  I played the song again with his band two nights later.  With
either, I know it wasn't perfect, but it was fun!  I guess the mojo was
there, if not for the audience, then for me!

He wasn't there for this month's jam (the second for me), but I figured I'd
sign up to play anyway.  I had previously e-mailed the host to ask for
suggestions as to what songs I might practice ahead of time.  His reply was
non-specific but simple: standard, 12-bar, I-IV-V blues, and that the band
"wont leave you hanging."  I played three songs, not knowing ahead of time
what they would be, and not even recognizing them while playing.  In fact, I
still don't know what they were!  But it doesn't matter -- I still had fun
and I think I did OK.  As promised, they were pretty much standard 12-bar
blues.  The leader turned it over to me for a couple of solo verses in each
(I didn't try anything too fancy with my improvisation), and the rest of the
time I tried to be a good partner, complement the song and the band, and not
play over the singer or other soloist.  After reading up here and elsewhere
on the net about how to play well in the blues-stage sandbox with others, I
think I had a pretty good sense (for a rookie, anyway) of proper jam
etiquette.  Many thanks to all the pros here!

My friend apparently was satisfied enough to invite me to play with his band
again a week ago, this time for a couple of songs -- one I knew and one I
didn't.  At his previous gig and the jams I was playing amplified with a
bullet mic (his and the jam host's), but he seemed to be having some volume
issues with his amp on this night, so this time it was acoustic.  Didn't
matter -- the mojo still was there.  Again, for me, if not for the
audience.  On all occasions I've gotten positive comments from audience
members (it hasn't hurt that some of them are friends, family [my oldest
daughter and her husbang] and my fiancee), so I guess I'm doing something
right.  Since January I've been practicing almost daily, mainly with
instructional CDs.

Sorry for the long-windedness, but I wanted to share my experience with a
sympathetic audience.

Now a question.  Has anyone here ever played at a karaoke?  There are some
public karaoke sessions around town, and that seems to me to be one way a
novice might hone his skill in front of an audience.  I know you don't have
the dynamics of working with a band, but I found that the private karaoke I
play at has been a great confidence builder.

Jim Kelly