[Harp-L] the saddest harmonica story ever told

[JWilliam Thompson <landcommentary@xxxxxxxxx>]

The other night I got a good lesson in why other musicians hate harmonica.
It may be worth sharing.

I went to a jazz jam/workshop and took another instrument, not harmonica,
but sitting near me was a chap with a set of diatonics, a green bullet type
mike, and an amp turned up high. I thought, "This should be interesting."
It wasn't.

When we started playing a beautiful Duke Ellington tune, this fellow
started grating on his harp. No relation to the tune at all. Pure static
and distortion. And LOUD.  And even when it wasn't his turn he grated on,
 seemingly oblivious of the other musicians trying to play their own solos.
Fortunately, the jam organizer was able to tone him down. But by that time
the image of the harmonica had already taken a hit, at least in that room.

Harmonica players who try to play listenable music suffer a setback every
time a guy like that
turns up his amp.

Bill