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

["Marc Spilka" <Marc@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I haven't posted in a long time but saw this in an email.  The first time I 
heard Jason Ricci was in a small club in San Jose.  There may have been 
about 25 people and probably everybody there played harp.  I was sitting at 
the bar and heard some guy in the back playing along just blowing high 
notes.  I thought, who the hell would be gussing along when Jason is on 
stage and he was loud due to the lack of a crowd. The next song Jason said 
hey, we have a special guest here tonight and he's coming up to 
play--Michael Peloquin.  Of course it was him warming up in the back.  Jason 
left the stage and Michael just ripped on a couple songs.  Then they played 
together with Michael playing sax.  Yeah, that was a cool night.

Marc Spilka
Los Gatos, CA


Message: 6
Date: Thu, 8 Nov 2012 09:05:44 -0500 (EST)
From: The Iceman <icemanle@xxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: Subject: Re: [Harp-L] Inappropriate harmonica [long]
To: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
Message-ID: <8CF8BD146ED3DA9-C44-25038@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

in a strange way, I wouldn't be appalled if someone WHO CAN PLAY was gussing 
in the back of the club and sounded good - as long as it didn't bother the 
band up front playing loudly.


The Gus Stigma, to me, is more along the lines of the one that can not tell 
that he is playing in the wrong key....


Believe it or not, I saw this happen at a very early SPAH. This player (who 
is now deceased) was playing along with Charlie Musselwhite (on guitar) as a 
mini performance and was using a harmonica in the wrong key and, somehow, 
was not aware. Talk about the audience feeling embarrassed while listening.


I've often wondered what is going on in the ear to brain connection of 
people like this. Can't they hear how bad it sounds?


No Date: 11/08/12