[Harp-L] Joe Leone



   Back in the early 90's; I was walking around the hotel during one of the
SPAH conventions looking for an opportunity to play.  There were two or
three lobby jams happening and I stopped off at each to sit in.  Walking
around; I noticed I was being followed.  An intense looking guy was moving
parallel to me, ten or twenty feet to my side.  Every time I stopped, he
stopped.  If I pulled out a harp, he moved in close to listen.
After awhile, he approached me.  "I've been watching you", he confirmed.
"You don't sound like anybody else here."  That was my introduction to
Smokey Joe Leone.  As we all know from reading Joe's posts over the years;
this is a guy who definitely questions the status quo and values
individuality.  So the fact that he was interested in my playing was a great
compliment to me.
   Now; a few years later I happened to be walking past one of the SPAH open
stages and somebody was just sailing through a standard, just eating up the
changes.  Can't remember the tune, but it was something that I associated
with chromatic harp but the player was using a diatonic.  I immediately
assumed it was Tom Troestler but it turned out to be my friend, Joe.  It was
the first time I had been able to actually hear Joe play and it was a
revelation.  At one point, he switched over to chromatic and, like Tom
Troestler, was every bit as adept on that instrument as he was on the "short
harp".
   I'm excited to see that Joe is actually officially involved in a fest.
That somebody finally figured out that this guy has accrued a ton of
knowledge and playing ability that ought to be recognized and shared with
the rest of the harmonica community.  Long overdue.

Mick Zaklan



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