[Harp-L] SPAH 2010 and Old Man Adams

[spahconvention06@xxxxxxxxxxx]

I just got back from Minneapolis tonight on a planning trip for SPAH 2010. Sunny and blue it was for two straight days. The hotel is in the same parking lot as the Mall of America but it's been around before the mall was built with a theme of MinnesotaÂNative American history. It's starting to shape up real nice this year. WereÂgoing to do some different things this yearÂsuch as hiring a blues back up band to host a blues open mic session in the afternoon after Joe Filisko's teach InÂon Thursday and Friday. Our blues jam Âambassador BuzzÂKrantz has taken this task on.ÂThis new addition will give our guests and membersÂaÂchance to show of their talents plugged into a solid amp and mic set up. 



The hotel has aÂcomedy club space that we we have full use of during the convention that will work as our open stage area withÂall activities andÂvending clustered around the main ballroom.ÂWe have decided not toÂdo a split show on Thursday night which reduces the amount of entertainers we need to hireÂbutÂÂsetting the stage for audience participation activities with the famousÂSPAH camaraderie. I'm really excited about our city choice, of the Twin City area the hotel, its going to work just fine. 



I hadÂfour hours to kill before jumping on an airplane, so I took the light rail into downtown Minneapolis and found myself at a used record and book store.ÂÂI asked the owner aboutÂthe harmonica section, that did not exist,ÂbutÂÂwas mixed up throughout the store. The rare find was a Richard Johnson album from 1974 with Mike Turk on chromatic playing "Old Man Adams". Richard Hunter used this tune in his JazzÂHarp bookÂon a rip out record,Âthat IÂabsolutely loved the moment IÂheardÂit. ListeningÂto it again onÂÂthe originalÂvinyl, on aÂvery Âobscure label, was my treasure for this trip. 



Thanks Mike Turk, Richard Hunter and Richard Johnson and rest of the SPAH community for listening 



Paul Davies 













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