[Harp-L] Re: why I loved busking

["James" <wasabileo@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Thank you sir for your comments and that wondeful harp. One of my favourite records (still have the origional vinyl) is Sonny Boy Williamson with the Yardbyrds. 
Bye Bye Bird with that 15 hole Marine Band what a groove.
I love your variation of that harp. 
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Steve Baker 
  To: James 
  Sent: Tuesday, March 03, 2009 8:08 PM
  Subject: Re: why I loved busking


  Hi James,


  I never met Baldry, though my long-time musical cohort Dick Bird (with whom I released "King Kazoo" a couple of months ago, sounds on my website) accompanied him on his final tours and I also know his harp player Butch Coulter. It's a standard British joke from the 60s & 70s to portray London policeman as speaking with exaggerated Cockney accents ('Allo 'allo 'allo, wot 'ave we 'ere then?), though nowadays most of them probably went to police college and speak just like everyone else, and Baldry will have been playing on that stereotype,


  Steve


  On 04.03.2009, at 01:25, James wrote:


    I started my musical career as a street musician with a jugband named  
    Have Mercy in London in 1975 and learned an enormous amount about  
    performance and projection as well as stopping the traffic, being  
    moved on by the police and having a load of good times with the most  
    varied people. Performing on the street can certainly teach you  
    things which you'll never learn in music school!

      My friend and long-time colleague in BluesCulture, Abi Wallenstein  
    (see www.bluesculture.com), who's an iconic figure on the European  
    blues scene, got into playing on the street through us and still does  
    it whenever he has time. We occasionally play on the street when on  
    tour if the weather's nice and we have a couple of hours to while  
    away in a town with a suitable pedestrian precinct. The great thing  
    about this is that the only way to make people stop, listen and pay  
    is through the conviction and musical merit of your performance. They  
    have no preconceptions and usually don't know you from Adam. One tip  
    I'd seriously recommend is to get a pretty girl to go round with a  
    hat (actually a drawstring bag is much more practical) from the  
    moment you start playing. It's fine to put out your guitar case or  
    whatever, but you'll earn at least twice as much if an attractive  
    female person asks people directly and from the word go. It's a  
    hustle, but it definitely works,

    Steve


    Steve: What a cool story. It reminds me of a story/song by the late Long John Baldry. In his narrative song "Don't try to lay no boogie-woogie on the king of Rock=N=Roll" He tells the story of busking in the So-Ho district in London where he is busted by the policemen with a deep "East End" Accent - dropping his "h's and all dat and if trying to explain his music before a magistrate.
    Did you ever meet Long John Baldry in your travels
    PS I love your Steve Baker special in the Key of "C"







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  Steve Baker
  steve@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
  www.stevebaker.de
  www.bluesculture.com
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