Re: [Harp-L] Players don't participate

[David Payne <dmatthew@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I'm one of those guys that never want to cut over anybody's solo time, so I wind up taking about 40 percent fewer solos than everybody else. That's one reason I like the 48 chord, I can rock and roll all I want whenever, whether there's singing,soloing or whatnot.

The harmonica is to blame for my not playing the saxophone today. I really started getting into the harmonica when I was about 10 years old, stepped up my game. I was playing harmonica all the time, never practicing my saxophone. I wouldn't have given a dram of horse urine about my sax after I started playing harmonica heavy.  Band instructor eventually talked me into quitting band cause I sucked on the sax so bad and I had this $1,000 Vito alto sax. But it wasn't a total loss, I learned how to read music in band. My sax is at dad's house still, I was gonna sell it, Dad talked me out of it, far as I'm concerned it's his now (dad played sax in band, also harp, mandolin and guitar elsewhere).

If I hadn't picked up harmonica, who knows I could have maybe been another Cecil Payne, the famous saxophone player, not my grandpa, another fine musician who is also named Cecil Payne. 

I'm pretty sure I made the right choice of instruments.


Dave



----- Original Message ----
From: Seth Galitzer <sethgali@xxxxxxxxx>
To: Harp L Harp L <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Tue, May 4, 2010 11:10:18 PM
Subject: Re: [Harp-L] Players don't participate

Hotdog sax players?  Never!  They're as rare as hotdog guitar players.
I think mebbe you're just jealous that you can't play as many notes
in one phrase. :)  Of course, that's a joke.  I have nothing but
respect for you, sir, and can't play (nor would I want to) like the
hard boppers.  BTW, my other online nick is "sgsax".  I've been
playing woodies for most of my musical life, and consider sax my
primary instrument.  I only just picked up the harp a couple of years
ago, because I thought it would be "easy."  Riiiight.... :)

Seth

On Tue, May 4, 2010 at 9:31 PM, joe leone <3n037@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> When I think RR, I always think of railroad, rock & roll, Ruby & the
> romantics, Roy Rogers, or rest & relaxation. But in this case ROGER and RICK
> have both raised some interesting items. Items that I didn't include because
> I thought you were looking for the more obscure reasons.
>
> Roger A Gonzales wrote:
>>
>>  He or she might be looking for a particular player for a band they are
>> putting together and a jam is a good place to go for that.
>
> This is a big item. But I feel that listening to a prospective player in a
> jam setup isn't the most ideal situation that one might expect to hear the
> player at their best. On the other hand, the several sax players that I have
> known play EXACTLY as if they were the only person there, so I guess this
> thought is valid. :)
>
>>  Or, if they are a good player that REGULARLY attends a jam but doesn't
>> bring an
>> instrument or participates they might be one of those unfortunate
>> musicians of the world
>> that has an " I'm above all this"  attitude which would make them
>> unpleasant to be around
>> and in that case you don't want them playing anyway.
>
> BIG BIG item. I happened to have known a famous player who eschewed to
> several kleptos. Kleptos that I had heard before from other sources. One of
> his kleptos was to never play a tune that he wasn't willing to do at the
> dance, concert or album gig. This usually attributed to Guy Lombardo.
> Another was to never work cheap and definitely never for free. This usually
> attributed to Groucho Marx.
>
> This famous player was a chart player and although he allowed as how his
> favorite player was a fellow named Jean Batiste Teilemans, and would give
> his right arm to be able to play like him, he NEVER jammed. Admitted that he
> couldn't improvise. His thing was to always sound exactly the same. No
> matter what nor when. He wanted to sound the same in 1995 as he did in 1985,
> 1975, 1965, 1945, and 1935. He felt that this continuity was the key to HIS
> success. He would be like McDonald's. You KNEW what you were getting. And
> there would be no mystery.
>
> I knew another famous player who felt he was above the clouds. While he put
> on the nice guy exterior, and had everyone fooled. He didn't fool me. He was
> actually plastic. He had a laughing arrogance about him. You would ask a
> simple question like "How are you"? and get an answer like "Compared to
> what"? Wouldn't carry a conversation.
>
> Rick Davis brushes on this aspect. There are some players who are so vain,
> that they think the song is about them. Well, listen I don't want to give
> the wrong idea, and I sure as he!! don't want to hurt anyone's feelings but
> we are all just people. Some more talented, some worked harder, some
> struggled, some gave up everything for harp. But No one is the all seeing
> all knowing eye of India. Some people need to look into the looking glass
> and ask themselves this question.....Where do I stand in the big enchilada
> of life?   And then come down a few jalapenos.
>
> just my opinion      Smokey Joe
>>
>>
>



-- 
The beatings will continue until morale has improved.