Re: [Harp-L] Harmonica Blowout

[Grant Walters <grant@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Daniel:
Just a note on Rusty Zinn;  ( Blowout guitarist)

I have had the great pleasure of sitting in with Rusty on a number of occasions.
Since I arrived at that place due to my position as the promoter/friend at those events,
it came as a refreshing surprise that he  treated me like I was one of the elite players and had no trace of ego inflation.
We had a blast.  One of the tunes we did was a Reggae tune.
Turns out, the man is well known in the Reggae community also.

On this occasion, Following our set, we sat and talked and I was taken by his gentle, spiritual personality.
He related some very personal thoughts to me about his approach to music.
Rather than speak for him, I will provide a link for you  to check him out further and leave a brief note from an article written about him.
My point being...he is worth getting to know...

Following are some excerpts (out of context)  from his my space that I think say what I am talking about:

"Rusty Zinn's talents run deep. He’s a soul-satisfying singer, a guitar maestro of the first order, and an insightful and thought-provoking songwriter. Still, having established himself from his youth as a top-shelf blues player and soul/R&B singer touring and recording with a virtual ‘who’s who’ of legends from these genres, and even after being nominated for the very prestigious W.C. Handy Award, Zinn found himself looking for more, both musically and spiritually"

"Most artists, having discovered a niche that meets the approval of fans and critics alike, are reluctant to alter the course. Such is not the case with Rusty Zinn who, always following his heart, sensed that he wasn’t at a destination point but rather at the beginning of his musical journey, and followed the path to his deep-rooted passion for reggae. "

"His 2007 release, Reggae Blue, is the expression of that passion.Rusty made quite an impression on the Jamaican reggae community there and by the end of the year was nominated for the Joe Higgs Music Award for ‘Best International Reggae Artist."


i've followed his career with great satisfaction.  He deserves the attention.  
http://www.myspace.com/rustyzinn

Grant Walters


On Jan 16, 2011, at 10:08 AM, Daniel Fritz wrote:

> 
> Great players...great show...
> 
> Must say, while I don't think I'm too much of a purist, Sugar Blue plays a style I just don't like...seventeen notes where one will do...certainly skilled, though.  His "Badda-Bing" patter doesn't really cut it either, IMHO.
> 
> I am always amazed at the tone and energy displayed by Mark Hummel. He can truly do it all, and do it great.
> 
>   Rod Piazza is such a wonderful player that I'm willing to overlook his stage accent (I didn't realize they talked like that in Orange County).  What great tone, and tremendous re-creation of the classic licks.  I think he is one of the best players out there.
> 
>  I had never seen Carlos Del Junco in person...wow, what an innovative artist, impeccable taste and an original approach to the instrument.  I hope to see more of him.
> 
>  Seeing Billy Branch was a true treat.  His playing is so toneful, soulful  and classy, and he shows respect for the masters but adds his own personal touches.  Really good singer, too.
> 
> As to amps, it looked like there were two tweeds on stage, one an Avenger and the other perhaps a reissue 
> Bassman.
> 
> Does anyone know what the stick mics were that Carlos Del Junco and, I think, Billy Branch were using to play through the PA?  (Greg Heumann "Ultimates"?)  I guess they were high-end vocal mics from Yoshi's stash, but was curious to know what they were.
> 
> It's too bad that Yoshi's allots such a short time per set.  I thought it was a great sign of much-deserved respect that each of the harpers gave up some of his limited time to make sure that Rusty Zinn took a solo in each song...he is so skilled and has an incredible range of style and incredible tone.  He seems so modest that he would probably have been fine with no solos, but I for one was pleased that he got to show his stuff a little.  
> 
> I thought the band was fine...tough task to handle all those different playing styles, personalities, volume levels, etc. with such rapid changeovers...I felt they pulled it off really nicely.  Totally tuff rhythm section, great keys, and Rusty Zinn...couldn't ask for more...
> 
> Thanks to Mark Hummel for putting together this wonderful show, year in and year out, and for his own really fine performance.
> Sent from my iPhone
>