Re: [Harp-L] My Rick Dempster story

[Rick Dempster <rickdempster33@xxxxxxxxx>]

Hey Tony.....I remember playing 'Red Haired Boy' with you out the back of
the old Brunswick Post office in about 2005.         We sounded great! We
should have recorded it!
RD


On 23 March 2014 11:35, Tony Eyers <tony@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> In the late '70s I was in the USA. I knew Jim Fitting, he started me on
> harmonica. Early 80's I was back in Adelaide, Australia. An over confident
> youngster, I  though myself much better than I was.
>
> Then I met Rick Dempster.
>
> It was on the ramp at Adelaide train station. An ideal busking spot. Rick
> was there with a fellow band member, in town for some gigs. We got talking.
> He played me a fiddle tune, Eighth of January. I'd never heard anything
> like it, and remember it to this day.
>
> Rick went back to Melbourne, a few years later I moved to Sydney. I'd
> tried fiddle tunes about the time I met RIck, perhaps inspired by him. Too
> hard. I gave up and played blues.
>
> Forward to the mid 90's. I had kids, couldn't run a blues band any more.
> Wasn't playing, wasn't happy. Then I went to a bluegrass festival.
> Different scene. You jam all day, without fussing about gigs, bar managers.
> I loved it. Still do.
>
> I began a mission to learn the bluegrass fiddle tunes, and play them well.
> Wasn't sure it could be done. Then I heard Brendan Power play "Drunken
> Landlady", via a scratchy, low fi, circa '90s mp3 download. Fired up, I
> kept at it.
>
> I never forgot Rick though.
>
> Early 2000's, I was getting the hand of it. Went done to Melbourne for a
> job. Found Rick online, emailed him. He had a group harmonica class,
> invited me along. At the end I introduced myself, explained how we had met
> 20 years earlier, asked if he would play Eighth of January with me. He did.
> One of my great music moments.
>
> Living in different cities, I see Rick every year of so, at a gig or
> festival. He's a traditional player, and has closely studied pre war
> styles. A true enthusiast, full of insight. Also a fine steel guitar
> player. I've seen his blues band a couple of times, The Brunswick Straight
> Shooters (I think). Don't know if they're still going. Not flashy, great to
> listen to.
>
> Rick is a regular on harp-l. A modest guy, I suspect many don't know how
> good he is. His recent YouTubes will change that. It would be great if he
> made it to SPAH one day. Even better if he met Trip Henderson...
>
> Tony Eyers
> Australia
> www.HarmonicaAcademy.com
> ...everyone plays
>