[Harp-L] Re: Inappropriate playing

[Tall Paul <tallpaul14@xxxxxxxxx>]

I decided from the beginning that I would never ask someone if I could sit in with them.  My approach has been that if I meet musicians at set break, I will let them know that I play but not ask to sit in.  When I used to drive down to Chicago from Wisconsin, or meet a Chicago band in Wisconsin, this approach worked great and I got to sit in almost every time I did this.  As someone who had only been playing for a couple of years, this stage experience with guys like Little Mac Simmons as well as many other great Chicago guitar, piano, bass and drummers was an amazing experience and made me better quicker than what I had been doing at the time for practice.  I was never one to 'gus' because I respected the musicians too much and for the same reason I've never asked anyone if I could sit in.  I did have an experience of witnessing Lurrie Bell 'gussing' with a cheap harmonica back when I was sitting in with Little Mac Simmons at Rosa's in Chicago.
  He was sitting near me at the bar just wailing away in the wrong key just playing crap, but nobody said anything to him.  He was talking with me in between 'gussing' and was trying to get me to give him a harmonica.  A little later in the evening, I got called up for the jam and Lurrie was singing and playing guitar.  He looked at me and called a song in Ab and at the time I didn't have the harps or position knowledge to play so I sat down.  Anyway, I don't appreciate hearing bad 'gussing' even from Lurrie Bell, but understand where some people are coming from with good experiences.  My personal philosophy is still to never do it unless I know I'm in the doorway or outside and playing quiet enough not to disturb paying customers or the band that is booked that night, and that's only if I'm going crazy to figure out a particular riff so I don't forget it.  If you feel the need to play along with them, let them know you play.  You might get
 invited up and have some fun.  Otherwise, buy their cd and 'gus' in the safety and privacy of your own home.  Tall Paul