Subject: Re: [Harp-L] Inappropriate harmonica [long]

[EGS1217@xxxxxxx]

What's more to be said after this story? Can anyone truly say they're not  
highly discomfited? (One wants to have been there to have nicked the guy's  
harp and unobtrusively tossed it out the door!)
 
 
I understand Glenn Weiser's being aware that he's a top-notch player at the 
 bar, but it doesn't matter. Taking out a harp and playing along is still  
gussing--and draws the attention to the Gus, instead of the band/player 
onstage  where it belongs. It still comes off as an ego move.
 
 
The portability of our instrument most assuredly is part of the  problem: 
would any of the pro-gussing people think it cool if I were  to haul my 
keyboard into a venue, or a saxophone--and give it a whirl in the  middle of (or 
all during) a performance? It's just as absurd for those  surrounding the 
harp gusser in the audience to be subjected to his playing. They  came to 
listen to the performer, not you. That's the bottom line and  it's even worse 
when there's a great vocalist involved and the harpist is  playing 
accompaniment a la Grant's story. By Gussing, you're stating that you  know better or 
are better than the harp player onstage. Nope. If you were, you'd  be the one 
onstage and not Gussing anonymously from the audience.**
 
**Michelle's story being an exception since she was invited.
 
 
I'd put money on the best players never behaving this way. Those like  
Charlie Musselwhite, Jason, Chris Michalek, Dennis Gruenling, Steve Baker,  Joe 
Filisko, etc. (just a few people I've met or known). I imagine they'd be  
horrified at the prospect. IF they're recognized in the audience as being a  
great harp player and invited up that's another scenario entirely, but 
playing  along and/or asking to is poor form.
 
 
My .02 cents (although I'm likely to live out my life happily never being  
in such a position.) ;)
 
 
Elizabeth
PS: showing the harmonica player at a 4th of July Mopar Show my chromatic  
and mentioning that I'd been playing along with him IN MY CAR after he'd  
finished doesn't fit since no one could hear me. We then played a couple of  
songs together IN the parking lot and he invited me to play along with him  
later at the microphone during the next break. That's an entirely different  
scenario. It was for America the Beautiful (he focuses mostly on  patriotic 
songs) and since he doesn't really enjoy being a solo act was  glad of the 
support. I harmonized to his lead. We've become friends and I'm  working to 
recruit him and his other harmonica playing friends for SPAH or to  begin a 
new club out here.
 
Message: 1
Date: Mon, 5 Nov 2012 06:50:34 -0800 (PST)
From: Grant  Dermody <gdermody@xxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: [Harp-L] Inappropriate  harmonica [long]
To: "mike@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx" <mike@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>,  Michelle LeFree
<mlefree@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Cc:  "harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx" <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>

Hi again all,

Yes,  perhaps a nerve was hit for me to post. 

Many years ago in Seattle, there  was a band with which I used to sit in
regularly. They were fronted by one of  the best singers I've ever heard.
Nobody can lean into a ballad like this  woman. The guitarist in the band
was equally stunning.

The gig on this  night was at a small club in the University district.
The place was jammed  and the band was smoking. They called me up and we
played a couple of  up-tempo tunes and then leaned into a gorgeous, yet
nasty, slow blues.  

It built up to a fever and then, right before the end, the  singer
brought it way down, singing soft and strong, the audience in the  palm
of her hand. We finished with a stop and then a slow, beautiful  outro
retard, and then an equally gorgeous arpeggiated final  chord.

Deciding to add to this gorgeous chord was a harmonica player,  hanging
in the back, but still very audible in this small club. In the middle  of
this perfect ending and culminating one of the best vocal performances  I
have heard before or since, this gusser adds his 2 cents,  loud,clear,
and in the wrong key. He had played along with the whole tune and  hadn't
figured out the key. Either that or he couldn't hear that he was  using
the wrong harp.

It was so wrong and so messed up in so many  ways. I went and had a word
with him, telling him, as kindly as I could, that  he had messed up a
beautiful performance and that this is part of what gives  harp players a
bad name.

He was outraged. He felt he had a  constitutional right to blow his out
of key harp whenever he liked and if we  didn't like it it was our
problem.
I disagreed, and we went our separate  ways. 

So yes, I think gussing is incredibly bad form.

all the  best

Grant