RE: Subject: [Harp-L] Festival

["Walter Scanlon" <scanlon@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi Elizabeth,
This is a whole new insane thing for me. I?ve never met so many people in
such a short time that I enjoyed hanging with. Your suggestions are well
taken?that is, just listen and play along with. I often get myself caught
between Toots Tielemans and Muddy Waters?not quite getting good enough in
any genre to feel confident enough. I read, I study, buy, but I seldom play
with a real live person. If you can recommend any cd that would be good for
my playing along with, that would be great, I have plenty of standards
playalongs that work pretty well for me. But getting down with the diatonic
is a challenge. The chromatic takes a little time but I?ll get the piece
down sooner or later. I think I need to join the GSHC. Chris was helpful in
suggesting some sides.
	You?re a great rap. Thanks
	Ciao
Walter Scanlon
Walter Scanlon, PhD, MBA, DAPA, CASAC
Intervention & Case Management
www.intervention.net
scanlon@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
212.683.8419

> "Hey folks,
> Man, that was a great experience! Chris Mastakas said everything about 
> the Festival that I would say-only better! That too was my first harp 
> event and I was blown away by the incredible talent-in fact, somewhat 
> intimated. Not only was the music great but there were lots of 
> laughs-both among those just hanging as well as just about everyone 
> who got a mic in their hand. And the Master of Ceremonies really had 
> some great material-most of which was impromptu. (I think he might 
> have stolen some of from Jackie Mason-who was appearing next door.) 
> The jam on Friday night was very hip-just dudes getting together and 
> doing some blues." 
 
"While the late night hang with Chris, Elizabeth and 
> Smo-Joe was bad (Elizabeth-I mean that in a good way!)", 
 
**Haha, I know just what you mean, Walter. I'm hipper than some
people'd like to portray me here ;)  It was extremely cool and a pleasure
meeting you and finally putting a face to Chris Mastakas' harp-l name. 
Chris is great and I agree, everything he said was on the money. 
You're both very nice guys and we did have a great time 'hanging' that
night, although a couple of us were supposed to be practicing, and we spent
far too much time talking into the wee hours instead. :) This is what tends
to happen at any harmonica festival. 
 
"everyone I met 
> made my day (and night)! It was a pleasure being at a conference where 
> CEUs weren't awarded and PowerPoint presentations boring everyone."
 
**I should explain that NO harmonica festival I've ever attended does that
sort of thing, although it has crossed my mind before that some new to these
conventions might not be aware of it and think of a harmonica convention as
the type set-up with 'booths' and those dry PP presentations.  I'm very glad
you brought it up. As you've seen, the Hotel is filled with
non-stop harmonica playing - wherever there's a small corner or a couple of
chairs (or even a wall to lean against) with the Seminars taking place in
rooms (or even occasionally outside if it's a Summer Fest) and are only and
always all about the music.

> The only criticism I have is of the new CD of Chris Bauer-"Straight 
> Ahead. The cuts were everything I expected-great; but the quality of the
CD 
> really sucks." (snipped)
> 
**I can't speak for Chris' CD production of course, but in his defense just
about every harmonica player putting out a CD today usually does so on a
fairly limited budget so is forced to self-produce it. Maybe at some point
someone with the knowledge to do a real professional set up for CD's will
come forward to focus on harmonica players and their needs? Would be
nice... 
It seems doable to me, but then again, I don?t know what the expenses and
labor costs would be. Especially at a venue where you're likely to send 6
dicks
 
> "I dug every performance-even those my mother/father would have called 
> "Joe McGee." I am looking forward to the next event (Minneapolis?) 
> Wally (aka Manhattan Walter)"
 
**You're exactly the 'Convention Newbie' hoped for. Someone who can enjoy
all genres and feel right at home at his first Convention. This was an
especially wonderful Festival for your first. It took a couple for me to
begin to feel really comfortable...although I did make friends I still have
at my first Buckeye (in Columbus, Ohio)... 
 
...While I love SPAH, I can't say enough about how brilliantly Val Redler,
Phil and her few 'elves'  turned GSHC around from a completely dead fest
(nothing in 2008) to a most vibrant, exciting, fun-filled, entertaining
'happening' this year. What a fabulous lead-in to the holiday season.  I'm
still in awe of the woman - on her feet 20 out of 24 hours handling all the
details, dealing with any glitches and still with a smile and
looking amazing on the last night,  even to getting onstage and playing
chord harmonica with the HarpBeats. They'd have been carrying me out feet
first. 
 
...Although I've heard many of the performers at least once before, new to
me this year was Hendrick Meurkens whose jazz I've previously thought was
perhaps just a bit too 'avant-garde' for my personal tastes despite his
brilliance. Quel surprise!  He was very pleasant to chat with during dinner,
then funny, entertaining, played for the audience - and played the kind of
jazz I do enjoy, while deferring to Enrico Granafei as his friend and the
lead onstage. For those interested, Hendrick plays Hohner 270's for their
tone  ;) I was interested enough to do a bit of research on him and found
out that he's also a great vibraphone player.
 
...They played separately and together, and both shined.  Enrico was a
revelation (It turns out he owns the famous Trumpets Jazz Club in Montclair,
New Jersey - a scan of their upcoming performers reveals the wonderful Gina
Fox (very familiar to so many of us) on the schedule for November
28th!) Enrico has a wonderful, relaxed sense of humour as well. I've
heard him play guitar and harp in a rack at GSHC 2007, but this time he did
so much more...then hung around to play guitar in the lobby for a group of
people to jam along with on their harmonicas late at night.... during his
turn he scatted. That was so very, very cool. Such a nice man.
 
 
...These are the little moments making up a harmonica festival. Even if not
captured on film, they stick in one's head. Combined, they make up the
over-all experience, and can make or break the feeling one goes home with. I
was on a high leaving this one.

 
...  A festival's only as good as the people...from the ones in charge, to
those who attend and are open to meeting others entirely unlike themselves. 
If SPAH with their long history, big name and with an actual budget can get
400 - 450 attendees, and GSHC with no budget at all can manage to bring in
225 including some of the top players to be found anywhere a scant 3 months
after SPAH, they're sure doing something right.... Will Gallison (one of my
personal favourite jazz chromatic players) - participating with Randy
Weinstein and some other of Leighton's Leightons in a tribute to Charley
Leighton (to whom this festival was dedicated with his gorgeous harmonica
wafting over the speakers during dinner) then jamming on guitar playing
backup for Enrico and Hendrick? Wow... It doesn't get cooler than this...
 
... Rob Paparozzi (nominated for a grammy for his new and brilliant CD
'Etruscan Soul') singing and playing his heart out and bringing Howard Levy,
Jeez! -  you know something special is happening with all these great guys
in the house.  I was just a happy camper to be a part of it all. I don't
think I stopped smiling the entire time, and had a hard time tearing myself
away to turn in for the night.
 
...As I think of more performances I'll post about them, but can't omit Stan
Harper. When he got up to wow the crowd with his remembrances of Charley and
his jokes about their early days in showbiz he had us all first laughing
then in tears with his beautiful performance. He's a real entertainer and
still going strong in his late 80's.
 
...What an experience! 
 
...Assuming nothing else goes awry in the meantime - I'll see you in
Minneapolis next summer and I certainly hope right back at our own East
Coast 'SPAH' at GSHC next November.  I've recently joined the GSHC club even
though it's a bit distant for me though I will try to hike to a meeting
every so often... but they could sure use all the hands-on support by
volunteers and enthusiastically involved harmonica players and music fans as
are interested in helping out as they build on this great success. It's a
brand new day for GSHC and you're getting in right at the ground floor.
Ain't that grand? 
 
Elizabeth



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