Re: [Harp-L] SPAH, Harmonicas and answer to Elizabeth

[Patrice Rayon <stpat95@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Thank You Elizabeth :)

I was so happy to finally meet you ! Nicolas Fouquet told me a lot about you and Alen Holmes for years...
The pleasure was really shared and I hope to see you very soon again :) !

I missed Smoe-Joe that I really wanted to meet :/ ...

You are totaly right with my strong accent...because I am more used to write than to speak (even if working a lot with english speaking people, mother language). I told you before to come ;)) ...

In fact that's Nicolas Fouquet,  James Conway, Joe Filisko and Eric Noden who all convinced me to come and visit the SPAH convention. About 7 or 8 years ago, Nicolas wanted me to go with him. I tried to get him with me this year but was not easy for him at the time...
I know about Robert for years as well because as a person quite involved in harmonicas and being there in the main events in Europe, I am as well... as I will be in Trossingen in November (hope to see some of you there from USA, Canada,...people form SPAH). I believe that's Robert who made Marko Balland and Michel Herblin come to SPAH.
Both Marko and Michel could be better known, and there are many good players in Europe. I don't see why all the influence should come from america after all ;)) . There are 6 continents on the earth !... 
If you just look to Francophonie in the menu of my website, you can discover a lot. 
I thing the approach of Michel Herblin is very good to approach music of any kind (not only blues...to ear the other player and compose with them for good accompagnement), also to work about the tone (the MadCat worshop was Great... I missed some other on the subject)

About Raymond Brofur, I just realize that I forgot to give you his website (Maybe pages in english soon...). In case you want to contact him, I can give you a contact easy with english because this man is retired, and like many old people in France, does not know much about english language...
http://www.brodur.com/

The funny thing with the Yonberg that MadCat could try is that, the one I have is one of the very firsts made by Jean-Claude Bibollet (the Yonberg companie owner who invented/designed them). Jean-Claude gave it to me, without realizing that I could make publicity of it, just to thanks me for the help I gave to him to able to succeed in his project, 6 years ago (the company exists for only few monthes now)... Due to my Website, and the involvment I want to bring into harmonica advancement and making links all around the planet, I want to keep to be neutral regarding any harmonica companies and any peculiar interest. Being able to participate to SPAH, Trossingen, lots of festivals and workshops, harmonica meeting is already a big pleasure :) ... I jus want to help people build and consolidate the harmonica network... 
So the funny thing abbout MadCat is that I started to tell him that my Yonberg was a crap one, and that it had improved a lot since then... And the first reaction of MadCat was to say something like "And you say that is crap ?!??? You joking ?!??". I was impressed that even without opening the harmonica, Peter was able in few seconds to remark one of the revolutions of the Yonberg by noticing that the plates are not parralel. 
I just wanted to show the Brodur, and I finally got the Yonberg out... Only few people like Elizabeth, JP, Richard Sleigh, MadCat could see it and try for most of them... 

I am already wondering if I won't come next year back to SPAH...because St Louis is already missing ! :/

(Elizabeth you can try to invite Nico again...he will be very happy for sure)

Patrice Rayon
http://www.harmonicacontact.com

> Date: Wed, 21 Aug 2013 02:10:38 -0400 (EDT)
> From: EGS1217@xxxxxxx
> Subject: Re: [Harp-L] Parking for the Blues Blow-Off Tuesday,	August
> 	13/ Now SPAH update
> 
> .....
>  ...
>
> Spent time with our very sweet French ami Patrice Rayon. Although he speaks 
>  heavily accented English, my rudimentary French helped me understand the 
> more  complicated points and we managed to communicate well enough. He 
> brought some  gorgeous Brodur custom harps and a white Starwars looking Yonberg  
> prototype I felt would be perfect for MadCat who played it--it sounded  
> amazing and is just offbeat enough to be perfect for his act.
>  
> My looooong conversation with Robert Koch (Robair if you're nasty, a/la  
> Jason) into the wee hours of the morning caught us up on each other's lives.  
> We'd communicated online prior to Dallas but I'd had to cancel then. A most  
> interesting man who was responsible for bringing the 'French contingent' to 
> SPAH  this year (Michel Herblin, etc.) I have a brief vid on my Ipad of 
> Robert  accompanying Brendan playing Brendan's own all-draw for Chinese music 
> chromatic.  The music is exquisite and Brendan truly is THE most innovative 
> and creative  human I've been privileged to meet and hear at several SPAHs.
>  
> More later from this best SPAH ever.
>  
> Elizabeth