Re: [Harp-L] Tony Glover

[Ken Deifik <kenneth.d@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

James wrote:
> Thanks for the link: I noticed there is no contact number or email 
> address: I wonder how he would feeel that 40+ years after his book, we are 
> still discussing it!

I once wrote Glover an email through the webmaster of a Koerner Ray and 
Glover website, just to thank him for helping me get a footing in blues 
harp.  He may never have gotten the note, but I never heard back.  He owes 
me nothing.

In the past few years I have really enjoyed the KRG records from the 
60's.  I'd listened to them back in the day and enjoyed them, wore them out 
in fact.

When I saw a CD of the first one about 10 years ago I thought, well, that 
was primitive stuff, probably not very good.  But luckily it was at a store 
that let me listen, and boy was I blown away.  That record, and the other 
two, and the solo records not only stand up, but identify themselves as 
high points of folkie creativity and virtuosity.  As a grownup with grownup 
ears I am even more amazed and delighted at the music.

Except for Glover's.  He was playing very, very basic stuff, not very cleanly.

The great thing about these more recent videos of KRG is that they show 
just how Glover continued to grow just like the rest of us, and how 
wonderfully well he played back in the 90's.  I'll bet he's even better 
now.  One wishes that he and Koerner would make some more records together.

I saw Spider John Koerner at the Gaslight in 1968 or so.  He was just 
amazing, and he played harp on a rack, very very well.  He had this 
fabulous rack that has haunted me ever since, as he could snap it into 
place up or down with a simple movment.  I've had some ideas on how to 
accomplish this, but I've never seen another harp rack like that one, and 
wish I had.