[Harp-L] Harp-L Digest, Vol 163, Issue 9

[Darrell Mahone]

As a poor kid, harmonica was about the only instrument I had access to. That was in the 1960's. Charlie McCoy was the first inspiration. 
Then I saw Rodney Hatfield in central Kentucky, first in The Hatfield Clan, The Hatfield Trio, then later The Metropolitan Blues All Stars and much later Tin Can Buddha. Rodney is a superb showman and has always had great musicians surrounding him. Like me he is native Appalachian. Rodney is also an acclaimed visual artist using the name Artsnake.
But, but, but - it was hearing Lee Oskar's Before The Rain in 1978 that really changed my way of thinking about harmonica and led me to get involved with music theory and guitar and keyboards. I cried the first time I heard Before The Rain and still listen to the song at least once a year.
The quality and availability of excellent harmonicas from Hohner, Suzuki, Lee Oskar, Seydel makes this the golden age of the instrument. I am not saying it is the golden age of harmonica music (it may be?) but there has never been a period where greater instruments were available nor as many qualified technicians at hand for mods and repairs.
As a supporting role in  bands, I believe less is more. 
Listening is not the same as hearing. 
Hearing is involuntary, Listening is voluntary.
Don't be hard of listening.
You have at your command a powerful instrument that can add beauty and harmony, that can set mood and create atmosphere, that can separate string instruments, that can keep, change and bring back the tempo, that can cause audience to notice the vocalist, that can be in the background in support and once or twice per show make the hair stand up on the arms of the crowd. 
 Don't get in the way of the crowd's enjoyment and if there are dancers, dance.
At 65, I tell people in the bands I play with that if I die of a heart attack during one of our shows, know that I died a happy man.
Darrell
Kentucky


End of Harp-L Digest, Vol 163, Issue 9
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