[Harp-L] Another NAMM Report

[David Naiditch <davidnaiditch@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

I arrived on Friday and had a great chat with Rupert and Os at the Seydel booth.  Jack Birmer and his wife were also at the booth.  I planned on hearing Kim Wilson at the Hohner booth, but got a generous offer from guitar virtuoso Tim May to play bluegrass duets at the "Two Old Hippies" stage.  Funny how we looked like too old hippies.  Thought I did well considering I went up completely unrehearsed armed only with a C chromatic.  Tim's did unusual (and at times ultrafast) renditions of Angeline the Baker (in D), Lady Be Good (in G), Cherokee Shuffle (in A), and another tune that escapes me now.  

Tim gave me a ticket for an 8:00 pm show(sponsored by Saga) at the Doubletree where I saw the "Tora Bora Bluegrass Band" (no, not Bora Bora), The New West (Guitarist Raul Reynoso, Singer Michael Fleming, Bassist David Jackson, and fiddler Paul Shelasky), and the John Jorgenson Quintet with John on Guitar, Clarinet, Bouzouki, and vocals, Jason Anick on violin, Doug Martin on Rhythm guitar, Simon Planting on bass, and Rick Reed on drums.  Gypsy jazz guitar virtuoso, Gonzalo Bergara, joined John on a ludicrously fast duet version of "Shine."  These 3 bands represent my favorite music--bluegrass, country swing, and Gypsy jazz--so I had a wonderful time.  (None of the bands had harmonica,)

--David Naiditch
www.davidnaiditch.com