RE: [Harp-L] In which Gus is Summarily Dispatched to Eternal Ignominy

"Clayton Gary Lehmann" <hqr@xxxxxxx> · Tue, 10 Nov 2009 07:06:21 -0800

I am reminded of the story of Charlie Parker at the Basie jam session where
he was "gonged" by Jo Jones . . .

http://books.google.com/books?id=APg2gV5y4HsC&pg=PA9&lpg=PA9&dq=%22charlie+p
arker%22+%22jo+jones%22+cymbal&source=bl&ots=YStCEa4rQI&sig=hfNixLm1tmxtV83m
VYaXo695Ock&hl=en&ei=b4D5StO9A4f-MLubnc4K&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resn
um=6&ved=0CBcQ6AEwBQ#v=onepage&q=&f=false

-----Original Message-----
From: harp-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxx [mailto:harp-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf
Of Rick Davis
Sent: Monday, November 09, 2009 8:55 PM
To: Harp- L
Subject: Re: [Harp-L] In which Gus is Summarily Dispatched to Eternal
Ignominy

I'll bet you a dollar that somewhere in your blues harp-playing experience
somebody thought you were a poor player with an uneven grasp of music
etiquette. ("Gus")  Surely you didn't burst fully skilled and seasoned upon
the harp scene, having never once made a mistake.

We all were poor players and we all made mistakes.  We were all Gus to
somebody.  I certainly begged / finagled / BSed my way onto a few stages on
which I may not have belonged.

That's how players learn.  There is no reason to insult them.  If a guy is
drunk and obnoxious, that is different.  He's just a garden variety jerk.
But if a guy is a poor player who plays in the wrong key or steps on others'
solos, he's no different than we were at one time.  Give him or her some
encouragement and guidance.  I'll also bet a dollar that a harp player did
that for you when you were struggling.

Pay it forward, brother...

-Rick Davis

On Mon, Nov 9, 2009 at 9:07 PM, chicago bluesman <
chicagobluesman@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> Speak for yourself.  We are not all Gus.  I've never played harp while
> leaning against the back of the club, in a fantasied oneness with the
band.
> The closest experience I've had to a Gus event is the time I was standing
> outside of B.L.U.E.S. on Halsted in Chicago, simply holding a harp, and
> Jerry Portnoy insisted that I play along with the sound of the band inside
> the club, so he could "have a little taste".  I obliged him out on the
> sidewalk, in the cold, but I felt weird about it.  I've seen Gus in action
> many times, though, have decided he's a quite annoying fellow and have
> sought to improve the image of harp players by never being a Gus myself.
> Someday maybe harp etiquette will permit us to bid farewell to Gus, RIP.
>
> > Date: Mon, 9 Nov 2009 10:00:15 -0700
> > Subject: Re: [Harp-L] In which Gus is Summarily Dispatched to Eternal
> Ignominy
> > From: bluesharpamps@xxxxxxxxx
> > To: billhines4@xxxxxxxxx
> > CC: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
>
> >
> > We are all Gus, at some point.
> >
> > Why do we promote this negative stereotype that is so insulting to harp
> > players? This is a theme commonly seen on guitar player forums, where
the
> > disdain for nearly all harp players is obvious.
> >
> > Either we are all Gus or there ain't no Gus.
> >
> > -Rick "Gus" Davis
> > The Roadhouse Joe Blues Band
> > The Blues Harp Amps Blog
> >
> >
> >
> > On Mon, Nov 9, 2009 at 8:38 AM, Bill Hines <billhines4@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> >
> > > "He got it that the song was somehow in d"
> > >
> > > Reading this, I was just curious - was anyone calling out the song key
> > > before each song started? Doesn't sound like it from the quote above.
> > > Perhaps if that simple courtesy wasn't extended (which kind of annoys
> me,
> > > why subject me to spending the first part of the song going through
> that
> > > drill to find the right key rather than comfortably playing along),
and
> this
> > > young person was too embarrassed to ask, that was the source of at
> least
> > > that part of the trouble.
> > >
> > > I feel kind of bad for the kid. He did the right thing and asked
before
> > > just wailing, probably felt a little insecure but happy to be invited,
> and
> > > was likely crushed and embarrassed by the experience. I wouldn't call
> him
> > > Gus at all.
> > >
> > > Bill Hines
> > >
> > > _______________________________________________
> > > Harp-L is sponsored by SPAH, http://www.spah.org
> > > Harp-L@xxxxxxxxxx
> > > http://harp-l.org/mailman/listinfo/harp-l
> > >
> >
> >
> >
> > --
> > -Rick Davis
> > The Blues Harp Amps Blog
> > http://www.bluesharpamps.blogspot.com/
> > _______________________________________________
> > Harp-L is sponsored by SPAH, http://www.spah.org
> > Harp-L@xxxxxxxxxx
> > http://harp-l.org/mailman/listinfo/harp-l
>
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