[Harp-L] Subject: Jimmy Gordon - a Class Act

[EGS1217@xxxxxxx]

With all the 'custom' talk going on right now and since we're heading into  
a new Autumn I thought it was past time to repost this really  fine (and 
pretty long) note from 2008 from someone I admire greatly  for his sheer 
classiness, lack of pushiness and someone I am  proud to call my friend, Jimmy 
Gordon--yes, he of the Filisko Guild.   
 
 
Jimmy's since been involved with 'MS Blows' (you can read about it  here:
 
_http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/msblows_ (http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/msblows) 
 
 
But based on this lovely writing of his and my personal interactions  with 
him at various SPAHs and Buckeyes, I decided to order my own Gordon  harps 
once I got up the nerve to ask him...and now have two on order from Jimmy  at 
this very moment. And who'm I? No one but a decidedly amateur player  who's 
still very involved with chromatics. I'm more than excited by the very  
thought of having two bona fide Jimmy Gordon harps being made for me by this  
master craftsman and hope to begin my diatonic journey then.
 
Elizabeth
PS: Remember, this was 4 years ago.
 
"
    *   To: "harp-l" <_harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx_ (mailto:harp-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx) >  
    *   Subject: [Harp-L] Gordon Harmonicas update  
    *   From: "Customharmonicas" <_customharmonicas@xxxxxxxxxxx_ 
(mailto:customharmonicas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx) >   
    *   Date: Sun, 05 Oct 2008 12:10:13 -0500 
  
____________________________________

Hello Friends,

This has been an interesting time for us here at Gordon Harmonicas.

On Friday we were invited to attend the John Sebastian/David Grisman show

in Rutland, Vermont at a wonderfully restored Paramount Theatre.

This was a beautiful performance by two living legends and renowned

genuises. Together they recorded the recent "Satisfied" CD live on

old school equipment. (I heartily recommend the record and the show-

both are excellent and very enjoyable.)
 

John, who is from a legendary Harmonica family,
has been playing  Gordon Harmonicas for several years
and recently had me make a couple more  for spares as well as
repair, tweak, and tune 6 Meisterklasse harps from the  past.
I could tell that he was playing the ones I had done as the
chords  were as pure as I had tuned them, and they were
obviously very playable as I  had set them.
At the show, after playing a couple of songs with  Harmonica,
John Sebastian announced to the whole crowd that we were
all  lucky to live in the state of Vermont, because here is where the "best 
Harmonica  tuner in the country lives, probably the world,  and his name is 
Jimmy  Gordon..I know he's here somewhere.."
 
 

I am always honored to make instruments for musicians I love and  respect 
and often receive thanks in liner notes etc. but I don't often get to  hear 
such accolades from the stage during a performance. Naturally I was very  
pleased to have John say all that...he's just great and a fantastic musician, 
as  is David Grisman.
 

They were both very gracious when my Godson asked them for an autograph  
even though they were besieged by fans at the time.


(I am very  proud to have been on a cut with John on a solo CD from Terry 
Adams of NRBQ  where John plays some dark, very rockin' blues guitar. The 
horns were  from the Sun Ra Arkestra and although there were 4 great harmonica 
players  available it was an honor for me to be chosen to play the Harmonica 
 solos.)

A few weeks ago the big Farmaid concert was held in Mansfield, Mass. I

decided not to attend but was able to watch it on the net from home.

I had played with a couple of the acts in the past, most notably Jerry Lee 
Lewis several times but also had sat in with a

Vermont act that played earlier in the day.

 
I had also worked on Neil Young's harmonicas and helped

his technician Larry  with them, which brings me to Mickey Raphael.


I first met Mickey years ago when Willie Nelson was playing  nearby and Joe 
Filisko asked me to deliver some Filisko Harmonicas to Mickey  personally.

Mickey introduced us to Willie-
"Willie, do you want to meet a  great Harmonica player?".
He did and Willie asked "Are you gonna play  tonight?".
Now I hated to say no to Willie Nelson, but since I had just met  them I 
simply told him that he was in great hands with Mickey. At the time I  thought 
it might be in poor taste to be so self-promotional and  self-serving.

In any case Mickey has been a good friend and client (as many are both)  
since that day. Recently he had me make a couple of special tuned (possibly a  
Rick Epping tuning) for a minor 3rd position type deal which I tuned to 
just  intoned minor chords where appropriate.

Sure enough the second song or so was the tune these are played on and  I 
could hear the tuning and see the pleased look on Mickey's face as he felt 
the  difference.
Mickey is a working pro and has played or tried a lot of  Harmonicas but 
when he needs something spectacular he relies on Filisko Method  Harmonicas, 
and has told me specifically that I should feel free to let folks  know this.
 

He, and most of the truly great ones, are as gracious as can be and as  
nice as they are talented.
It is such a pleasure to help these luminaries  make the fine music they do 
by creating and servicing the instruments they  use.


However, folks should know that they don't have to be Magic  Dick or John 
Hammond to play the best instruments. It is always a pleasure to  build for 
anyone who can tell the difference, from a beginner, to a working  player in 
the trenches, to a collector of fine things, to my friends and clients  
above.
 
 

If I can help to provide instruments for any player I hope that they  would 
not hesitate to contact me- I look forward to hearing from all interested  
parties and all are welcome.
With all that is going on these days and all the  choices available I 
realize that it would be tempting to order instruments from  the most vociferous 
and promoted makers but sometimes it can be preferable to  use as 
knowledgeable and experienced a technician as possible after  doing
detailed research.


Happy Autumn,

Jimmy Gordon

_http://customharmonicas.com_ (http://customharmonicas.com/)