Re: [Harp-L] Subject: Johnny Winter

[Rob Paparozzi <chromboy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Glad that worked out Jerry, and I encourage all you harp-lets to visit Jon Paris at The Lucille’s Jam in NYC on Mon Nights. 
Bring your harps and do mention my name Jon is VERY gracious and really loves HARP.

One of my other good friends and bassist extrodinaire Jeff Ganz toured with Johnny Winter back in the 90’s. This is a cool story, one night I was playing my harmonica on Broadway at “The Will Rogers Follies”, Jeff came in to say hi to the guys in the band and asked me & the drummer if we’d like to JAM with Johnny Winter at 11pm after our show. He said, Johnny hates playing alone and loves to jam as part of his keeping in shape….

Well, after the last note was played on Broadway I grabbed my harp case and off I went to the rehearsal space….

I met Johnny who was SO gracious and we jumped right into some tunes….in between each tune Johnny would tell stories about each song and he obviously was VERY knowledgeable about not just BLUES but many styles of Music…..when I played some Chromatic Jazzy stuff Johnny smiled and broke into a complete chord melody of the standard “Polka Dots and Moonbeams” I was floored!

I have to search for the cassette tape made that night, I’m sure not great audio quality from a small portable recorder the drummer had but well worth ‘digitizing for posterity’! 

RIP Johnny Winter, you gave us so much great Music and you were pioneer in ’next generation’ chicago & country blues, I’m honored to have met you.

Best,
Rob Paparozzi

On Jul 19, 2014, at 11:15 AM, Jerry Deall <jdeall@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> Due to an introduction by our own Rob Paparozzi I got to play w/ Mr Paris at this jam on Times Square w/ his great bass player Amy Madden. He's a fantastic player (guitar & harp) and super guy. He has the most interesting guitar set up, with an ability to use his unique whammy bar which will bend select strings. 
> They are also good friends w/ Jimmy Gordon. I think in this great harp community we get to have 2 degrees of separation. 
> 
> See y'all at SPAH, Jerry 
>