Re: [Harp-L] Subject: Pocketful of Soul, the Movie - in New York City. a Review

[Cljdm@xxxxxxx]

Hi Elizabeth,
 
It was good to see you again, and also nice to meet your husband. The night 
 was very pleasant and the film should go down as a definitive commentary 
of our  precious instrument.
 
After the film, Robert and Wade were very gracious and generous with  their 
presence and knowledge. How often do you get to hang out with world class  
and globe touring musicians? Myself, not too often.
 
Maybe next event  we will have more time to hang out.
Best to all,
Chris Mastakas
 
 
In a message dated 3/2/2013 7:34:21 A.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
EGS1217@xxxxxxx writes:

Agree  with Michael: Thanks, Todd & Marc for your years of devotion to  and 
 
hard work on making Pocketful of Soul. Austin had a BIG audience. Here in  
NY 
it was smaller, more intimate, and fun. Who knew the Loews here had so  
many  theaters inside? (Obviously we're not regular movie attendees).  It 
took 
us a  while to find it...small and perfectly sized for 'our'  movie.


We got there just in time--(quite a traffic-bucking trip in  from our  
distant area of Long Island), nearly impossible to get a  cab at that time 
of the  
evening so began the hike and lucked onto a  taxi which whisked us to the  
door JUST in time. Cathy Mallett (whom  I know as a member of the Garden 
State 
Club) checked off names at a table  and directed us. An auspicious 
beginning (she  did a great job all  around). It was very cool to spot 
Robert 
Bonfiglio  attempting to be  invisible but with SO much screen time during 
the Movie 
he  was  pretty much outed--so ended up doing  an impromptu audience  
question-and-answer afterwards along with  Wade Schuman, also  featured (of 
Hazmat 
Modine). My first time getting to see  Wade in  person--he's a very 
personable 
speaker and all-round nice guy. Sure  did  miss Rob Paparozzi though--who 
couldn't make it due to illness  although  he too is featured in the Movie.


I was a wee bit  disappointed not to see onscreen some of the trailer clips 
 
we've  been privy to for so long. John Popper's infamous  tongue-in-cheek  
comment isn't in the film unless I somehow missed it. I  really do  dig his 
witty and slightly sarcastic sense of humour. I noted how  many  people had 
passed on since the beginning of the shoot: Charley  Leighton, Gary  
Primich, 
Chris Michalek, Roger Monroe (from his goofy  appearance in the trailer  
with 
his brother Marv): Chris was the one  who brought real tears this time--was 
 
somehow unprepared to see and  hear him so intensely up onscreen with his  
particularly wonderful  diatonic jazz playing...but I thoroughly enjoyed 
seeing  
and hearing  SO many wonderful harmonica players I know, many of whom are 
now 
my   friends: Robert, Rob, Sugar, Will, Jason in several of his different   
incarnations, Phil Caltabellotta onscreen with the YellowPine trio...it  
was 
all  a great treat. I'd go to see the Movie again in a  heartbeat  because 
I 
simply couldn't take it all in with one showing.  THEN I'd like it on  DVD 
afterwards to be able to pause it,  especially during the SPAH  shots.


It took my husband to  notice that I'd actually made it into the film too  
(at least the  back of my head and white shirt did) :) during a pan of 
either 
the   SPAH 2006 lobby or teach-ins later in the film. He thought that was  
very  cool...my single claim to fame, hah.


My sole (and  minor) disappointment was that we didn't have 'a jam'  
afterwards, or  go somewhere to play and/or eat together, but a week night 
isn't   
particularly conducive for those who had to get up early the next  morning  
for 
work. Perhaps the next time we could arrange to do this  on a  Friday 
instead? IF there's a bit more notice I'm sure we could  get more people  
out to 
see the Movie--hopefully in better weather as  well. It was windy and  
chilly 
last night in NYC.


Still:  quite a bit of info was shared during the Q&A and  we likely  
garnered a few more SPAH (and harp-l) members. New Yorkers/New   
Jersey-ites are 
really cool, friendly and giving people. Thoroughly   enjoyable experience 
all 
around, especially finally meeting Bill Lifford  (I'd  previously had him 
confused with another Long Islander) and  reconnecting with  Chris Mastakas 
(who 
once posted a down-hill  skiing/harp playing video here--a   first).


Elizabeth

PS: To MY mind there are so many really  great harmonica players NOT in the 
 
movie to easily fill a Sequel.  Steve Baker, Jay Gaunt, Brandon Bailey, 
Brendan  Power, Michal Adler,  Hendrik Meurkens Hermine Deurloo to name 
just a 
few,  ..all of the  South American players--and how about including perhaps 
a 
focus on   the harmonica championships in Trossingen? Perhaps that's 
something 
Todd  and  Marc already have in mind? But I'm positive it'll take REAL 
money  
and backing.  From what I remember they began this project on a wing  and 
prayer, financed  out of their own pockets. When I hear  complaints about 
why 
they didn't  approach it 'this' way or 'that'  way it grates...since it's 
so 
easy to judge  unless one is spending  one's own money and devoting one's 
own 
life to a  particular  project.

PPS: I'd be remiss not to mention that Ken Korb who was also  in attendance 
 
with his violin-playing partner Laura, and who's  played at the Garden 
State 
Festival, will be appearing tonight at Reece's  1900, 70 North Ocean  
Avenue in Patchogue for any Lon Guylanders  <G> who might wish to  catch 
his show. 
Here's a  link:
http://www.reeses1900pub.com/calendar-live-music.htm