Re: [Harp-L] Sleepwalk - Santo & Johnny -12th on diatonic

[George Miklas <harmonicat@xxxxxxxxx>]

I agree.  It is a beautiful tune.  I play chord harmonica on Sleepwalk with
Phil Caltabellotta playing chromatic harmonica.  I wrote a sound track which
gives us a bass line and light brushes on a drum kit.

George

On Wed, Sep 1, 2010 at 10:06 PM, joe leone <3n037@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> Beautiful tune Ken. From back in my era. Used to play it at the school
> dances. I'm proud of you. Did it with Elizabeth at spah Denver. Also on my
> Danube river, So. America, and Cen. America cruises.
> joe
>
>
> On Sep 1, 2010, at 9:48 PM, Mojo Red wrote:
>
>  Okay, so last night my band was hosting its final Tuesday night blues jam
>> at a
>> local blues venue called Ziggies, and and this player comes late in the
>> jam and
>> I'm asked to help back him up on the last set of the night.
>>
>> We had fun on a couple of simple blues numbers, and then he says he wants
>> to do
>> this instrumental in C called "Sleepwalk." Well, I don't recall the tune
>> until
>> he starts playing, and then it hits me... Oh Yeah! Santo & Johnny - 1950's
>> lap-steel guitar ballad, and sooo beautiful!
>>
>> I'm eager to partake, but I know that 2nd position blues won't cut it. I
>> reach
>> for my G harp and attempt to play it off-mic in 12th position. By Gum it
>> WORKED!
>> The guy who called the song played it flawlessly on his electric w. slide
>> and
>> then he gives me a solo. it sounded good to me, so I kept on playing.
>>
>> His grin told me he was happy, the applause tole me no one in the audience
>> expected the blues harp player to hang with this song. Then he took me to
>> the
>> bridge and it STILL laid out beautifully - no overbends needed, just a lot
>> of
>> controlled conventional bends.
>>
>> I was stunned, and totally happy to find all the notes I needed, and be
>> able to
>> improvise comfortably around the melody in a meaningful way... playing
>> outside
>> my comfort zone in natural sounding way. Wow! Such a Great feeling!
>>
>> I LOVE 12th position. Perfect for this song, and so many other non-blues
>> classics. Thanks to Chris Michalek, Peter Ruth and other friends who
>> encouraged
>> me to pursue 12th to the point where I could feel comfortable enough to
>> attempt... and then convincingly PULL OFF... something like this on stage.
>> Yup,
>> our last night at Ziggies was a great one...
>>
>> Harpin' in Colorado,
>> --Ken M.
>> TeraBlu Band on My Space
>> http://www.myspace.com/terablu
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>